BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER IN LOS CANCHALES

On 25 September 2012 a juv Buff-Breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis) was spotted at Los Canchales reservoir (Badajoz) by Jesús Solana, Antonio Núñez Ossorio and Joaquín Vázquez. This is the fourth Extremadura record and the first in the province of Badajoz.

As for the other Buff-Breasted Sandpiper found at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) on 13 September [link], the bird was seen again on 20 and 22 but then wasn't found on a visit on 25 September. On the 22nd it was seen and photographed by Antonio and Julio Ceballos (bottom photo). As it happens, curiously enough, the Buff-Breasted Sandpiper's generic name has just been changed in the British List drawn up by BOURC. Its new name is Calidris subruficollis, so it is now included in the same genus as the Ruff (Calidris pugnax). More grist to the mill of nomenclature controversies...

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Buff-Breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis). Portaje Reservoir, Cáceres. 22.09.2012. By Antonio Ceballos

AUGUST 2012: NOTABLE SIGHTINGS IN EXTREMADURA

Great Bustard (Otis tarda). Two females at Guijo de Coria, Cáceres, on 08.12.2012 (Javier Prieta). 

A list of the most notable August 2012 records sent to the GOCE birdwatching forum. Compiled by Sergio Mayordomo. 

- Egyptian Goose: Four birds at Los Canchales reservoir (Badajoz) on 19/08 (Emilio Costillo). Two birds at Cubilar reservoir, Logrosán (Cáceres), on 26/08 (Sergio Mayordomo and César Clemente).
- Ruddy Shelduck: Three birds at Valuengo reservoir (Badajoz) on 17/08 (Sergio Pérez Gil).
- Garganey: Two birds at Moheda Alta, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz), on 14/08 (Martin Kelsey). One drake in eclipse at Laguna de Galisteo (Cáceres) from 16/08 to 22/08 (S. Mayordomo and J. Prieta). Seven birds at Cubilar reservoir (Cáceres) on 26/08 (S. Mayordomo and C. Clemente).
- Red Crested Pochard: Several birds at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) from 04/08 to 23/08, peaking at 5 birds on 04/08 (S. Mayordomo). Two birds at El Manantío, Aldea del Cano (Cáceres), on 19/08 (Jesús Solana).
- Rosy Billed Pochard (Netta peposaca): One drake at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) from 04/08 to 23/08 (S. Mayordomo).

- Pochard x Ferruginous Duck: One hybrid bird at Brovales reservoir, Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz), on 20/08 (Joaquín Vázquez and Francisco Montaño -photo-).
- Ferruginous Duck: At Moheda Alta, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz), two birds on 14/08 (M. Kelsey) and four on 26/08 (S. Mayordomo, Eva Palacios and C. Clemente). One drake at El Manantío, Aldea del Cano (Cáceres), on 19/08 (J. Solana).
- Great Crested Grebe: Flocks: 630 birds at Alange reservoir (Badajoz) on 05/08 (Lorenzo Alcántara). 700 birds at Sierra Brava reservoir, Zorita (Cáceres), on 26/08 (S. Mayordomo, E. Palacios and C. Clemente).

- Glossy Ibis: At Montijo reservoir, Mérida (Badajoz), birds seen coming into roost: eleven on 02/08 (S. Pérez Gil), one on 17/08 (J. Solana and Ángel Sánchez) and 26 on 19/08 (J. Solana). Seven birds, including 2 juvs 2 km from Azud del Guadiana, Badajoz, on 17/08 and 21 birds on the ricefields between Gévora and Valdebótoa, Badajoz, on 18/08 (Atanasio Fernández). At Montijo (Badajoz), 19 birds on 19/08 on mown alfalfa fields (Pablo Herrador and Á. Sánchez -photograph-). On the same day 19/08 five birds were seen at Los Canchales reservoir (Badajoz) (E. Costillo).
- Sacred Ibis: One bird seen in July still there on 02/08 (S. Pérez Gil) and 19/08 (J. Solana).
- Spoonbill: Flocks: 30 birds at Charco Salado, Casatejada (Cáceres), on 08/08 (S. Mayordomo). At Los Canchales reservoir (Badajoz), 88 birds on 12/08 (S. Mayordomo, E. Palacios and C. Clemente), 76 on 15/08 (Francisco Lopo) and 87 on 19/08 (E. Costillo). 23 birds at Valuengo reservoir (Badajoz) on 17/08 (S. Pérez Gil). 24 birds at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) on 23/08 (S. Mayordomo).
- Squacco Heron: One juvenile at Azud del Guadiana, Badajoz, on 05/08 (P. Herrador and José Luis Bautista). Two birds at Montijo reservoir, Mérida (Badajoz), on 12/08 (Vanessa de Alba, F. Montaño and Antonio Núñez). One bird at Brovales reservoir (Badajoz) on 17/08 (F. Montaño and A. Núñez).
- Cattle Egret: Roost in Valdefuentes gravel pit, Galisteo (Cáceres), with over 2000 birds throughout August and an estimated peak of 2700 on 23/08 (J. Prieta, S. Mayordomo).
- Osprey: One bird at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) on 15/08 and 23/08 (S. Mayordomo). One bird at Los Canchales reservoir (Badajoz) on 19/08 (E. Costillo). One bird at on del Cubilar reservoir (Cáceres) on 26/08 (S. Mayordomo and C. Clemente).
- Goshawk: One attacking a kite at Portilla del Tiétar, Monfragüe (Cáceres), on 13/08 (M. García del Rey).

- Montagu's Harrier: Dark morph birds: One at Madrigalejo ricefields (Cáceres) on 23/08 (Ángel Luis Sánchez -photograph). Another at Piornal (Cáceres) on 24/08 (J. Prieta).
- Hobby: One bird successfully hunting swallows at Valdefuentes gravel pit, Galisteo (Cáceres), on 23/08 (J. Prieta).
 - Lesser Kestrel: At a summer roost on power line pylons in la Vera (Cáceres) 529 birds counted on 09/08 (J. Prieta -bottom photograph). At feeding areas: present all month at Piornal (Cáceres) peaking at 20 birds on 30/08 (J. Prieta) and at Guijo de Coria (Cáceres) peaking at 30 on 08/08 (J. Prieta, C. Clemente, J. Mahíllo and H. Sánchez). In the high mountains, 20 birds at Collado de las Yeguas, Jerte (Cáceres), on 21/08 (B. Molina) Pitolero, Cabezabellosa (Cáceres), on 18/08 (H. Sánchez).

- Little Bustard: Two birds at Laguna de Galisteo (Cáceres) on 28/08 (S. Mayordomo).
- Avocet: One bird at Alange reservoir (Badajoz) on 05/08 (L. Alcántara). 16 birds at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) on 23/08 (S. Mayordomo).
- Kentish Plover: One bird at Alange reservoir (Badajoz) on 04/08 (L. Alcántara).
- Curlew: Two birds at Gabriel y Galán reservoir (Cáceres) on 14/08 (Jesús Montero).
- Spotted Redshank: At Charco Salado, Casatejada (Cáceres), seven birds on 02/08 (S. Mayordomo and J. Prieta) one on 08/08 and 16/08 (S. Mayordomo). One bird at La Anguila reservoir, Serrejón (Cáceres), on 08/08 (S. Mayordomo).
- Wood Sandpiper: Present at Laguna de Galisteo all month with a maximum of five birds on 16/08 (S. Mayordomo and J. Prieta). At Portaje reservoir, one bird on 04/08, 09/08 and 15/08 (S. Mayordomo). Two birds at Moheda Alta, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz) on 14/08 (M. Kelsey). One bird at Cordel reservoir, Casar de Cáceres (Cáceres), on 16/08 (P. Herrador). Two birds at ricefields between Gévora and Valdebótoa, Badajoz, on 18/08 (A. Fernández).
- Turnstone: One bird at Charca de Esparragalejo (Badajoz) on 12/08 (V. de Alba, S. Mayordomo, F. Montaño, E. Palacios, C. Clemente and A. Núñez).
- Curlew Sandpiper: Three birds at Charca de la Haba (Badajoz) on 04/08 (Juan Pablo Prieto). Four at Charca de Medina, Medina de las Torres (Badajoz), on 05/08 (V. de Alba, F. Montaño and A. Núñez).On 08/08 six seen at Talaván reservoir (Cáceres) (M. Kelsey) and one at Valuengo reservoir (Badajoz) (J. Vázquez, F. Montaño and Benjamín Muñoz). On 12/08 six seen at Charca de Esparragalejo (Badajoz) (V. de Alba, S. Mayordomo, F. Montaño, E. Palacios, C. Clemente and A. Núñez) and one at Los Canchales reservoir (Badajoz) (S. Mayordomo, E. Palacios and C. Clemente). On 15/08 eight seen at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) (S. Mayordomo) and two at Brovales reservoir (Badajoz), (F. Montaño and A. Núñez). On 16/08 one bird seen at Laguna de Galisteo (Cáceres) (S. Mayordomo), another at Cordel reservoir, Casar de Cáceres (Cáceres), (P. Herrador ) and five at Alange reservoir (Badajoz) (L. Alcántara). On 17/08 one bird seen at Brovales reservoir (Badajoz) (F. Montaño and A. Núñez) and another at La Pantana, Calzadilla (Cáceres), (Hugo Sánchez). One bird at Charca de Morantes (Badajoz) on 18/08 (P. Herrador). One bird at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) on 23/08 (S. Mayordomo).

- Collared Pratincole: 200-strong roost between Montijo and Guadiana del Caudillo (Badajoz) in the first fortnight of August (J. L. Bautista -photograph).
- Lesser Crested Tern: First record for Extremadura: Two birds at Arroyoconejos reservoir, Llerena (Badajoz), on 07/08 and 08/08 (J. Vázquez, F. Montaño and B. Muñoz).
- Black Tern: One bird at Brovales reservoir (Badajoz) on 09/08 (J. Vázquez, F. Montaño and B. Muñoz). Three birds at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) on 15/08 (S. Mayordomo). Two birds at Alange reservoir (Badajoz) on 16/08 (L. Alcántara). Two birds at Charca de La Torrecilla, Plasencia (Cáceres), on 21/08 (S. Mayordomo).
- Black Bellied Sandgrouse: One leucistic bird at Campo Lugar (Cáceres) on 23/08 (Antonio Calvo).
- Pin Tailed Sandgrouse. One bird seen in July at Guijo de Coria (Cáceres) still there at least until 21/08 (J. Prieta, C. Clemente, J. Mahíllo and H. Sánchez).
- Nightjar: One bird at Casas del Monte (Cáceres) on 21/08 (S. Mayordomo).
- Red Backed Shrike: Three territories at Puerto de Tornavacas (AV-Cáceres) on 02/08. One territory with two young on the Cáceres side, where there might be a nest. Two territories on the Ávila side, with two young and a pair of adults respectively (J. Prieta).

- Spotless Starling: one leucistic bird at Membrío (Cáceres) on 21/08 (Antonio Galán -photograph-).
- Carrion Crow: First record for Las Villuercas; one bird at La Raña, Alía (Cáceres), on 17/08. (Noelia Baeza, Jorge Ángel Herrera and Jaime Cerezo). Several birds at Guijo de Coria (Cáceres) on 17/08 (H. Sánchez). One bird at Casas del Monte (Cáceres) on 21/08 (S. Mayordomo).
- Iberian Chiffchaff: One bird at Alange reservoir (Badajoz) on 16/08 (L. Alcántara). One bird at Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 18/08 (S. Mayordomo). In both cases Chiffchaff cannot be completely ruled out.
- Grasshopper Warbler: One bird caught for ringing at River Gargáligas, Rena (Badajoz), on 26/08 (GIA Extremadura).
- Sedge Warbler: At Valdefuentes gravel pit, Galisteo (Cáceres), two birds on 03/08 and one on 27/08 (S. Mayordomo). Three birds caught for ringing at Arroyo Budión, Rena (Badajoz), on 12/08 (GIA Extremadura). One bird at Laguna de Galisteo (Cáceres) on 21/08 and 28/08 (S. Mayordomo).

- Yellow Crowned Bishop: At ricefields between Gévora and Valdebótoa (Badajoz) two males seen on 18/08 and one male and two females on 23/08 (A. Fernández -photograph-). One male at Montijo (Badajoz) on 19/08 (Á. Sánchez).
- Waxbill: Five birds at Arrocampo reservoir (Cáceres) on 05/08 (M. García del Rey and J. Briz).
- Tree Pipit: Six birds at Jerte reservoir, Casas del Castañar (Cáceres), on 29/08 and two at Piornal (Cáceres) on 30/08 (J. Prieta).
- Tawny Pipit: One bird on the shores of Gabriel y Galán reservoir (Cáceres) on 27/08 (A. Pacheco).
- Swallow. Pre-migration roost at Valdefuentes gravel pit, Galisteo (Cáceres), with thousands of birds throughout August and an estimated peak of 25,000 on 23/08 (J. Prieta, S. Mayordomo).

FIRST POST-BREEDING RECORDS
- Shoveler: At Charco Salado, Casatejada (Cáceres), three females on 02/08 (S. Mayordomo and Javier Prieta) and two birds on 05/08 (Manuel García del Rey and Javier Briz). One female at Anguila reservoir, Serrejón (Cáceres), on 08/08 (S. Mayordomo).
- Willow Warbler: On 02/08 one bird seen at Puerto de Tornavacas (Cáceres) (J. Prieta) and another at Arrocampo reservoir (Cáceres) (S. Mayordomo and J. Prieta). One young bird seen and two birds heard at Piornal (Cáceres) on 03/08 (J. Prieta).
- Garden Warbler: One bird caught for ringing at Mérida (Badajoz) on 17/08 (DGMA). Two birds caught for ringing at River Gargáligas, Rena (Badajoz), on 26/08 (GIA Extremadura). Several birds at Mirandilla (Badajoz) on 29/08 (José Ledo and Á. Sánchez).
- Whitethroat: At Galisteo (Cáceres) one bird seen on 01/08 and two on 11/08 (S. Mayordomo). Two birds at Arrocampo reservoir (Cáceres) on 16/08 (S. Mayordomo).
- Spotted Flycatcher: Birds on passage: on 20/08 one seen at Casas del Castañar (Cáceres) (J. Prieta) and another at Valcorchero, Plasencia (Cáceres), (S. Mayordomo).
- Pied Flycatcher: One bird at Piornal (Cáceres) on 03/08 (J. Prieta). One bird at Pinofranqueado (Cáceres) on 05/08 (A. Pacheco). Several at Pago de San Clemente (Cáceres) on 12/08 (M. Kelsey).
- Redstart: At Piornal (Cáceres) one female seen on 24/08 and two males and three females on 30/08 (J. Prieta). One female at Valcorchero, Plasencia (Cáceres), on 29/08 (S. Mayordomo).
- Whinchat: One bird at Piornal (Cáceres) on 27/08 (J. Prieta). Three birds at Galisteo (Cáceres) on 28/08 (S. Mayordomo).
- Wheatear: Three birds at Guijo de Coria (Cáceres) on 21/08 (C. Clemente). Several at Gabriel y Galán reservoir (Cáceres) on 27/08 (A. Pacheco).

Orphean Warbler (Sylvia hortensis). By Ángel Sánchez.

LINGERING SUMMER VISITORS
- Little Tern: Eight birds at Montijo reservoir, Mérida (Badajoz), on 15/08 (J. Solana). Six birds at Alange reservoir (Badajoz) on 16/08 (L. Alcántara).
- Gull Billed Tern: Three birds at Los Canchales reservoir (Badajoz) on 12/08 (S. Mayordomo, E. Palacios and C. Clemente). Two birds at Moheda Alta, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz), on 14/08 (M. Kelsey).
- Great Spotted Cuckoo: One young bird at Guijo de Coria (Cáceres) on 21/08 (Juan Sánchez).
- Roller: At Arroyoconejos-Llerena reservoir (Badajoz), two birds on 07/08 (J. Vázquez, F. Montaño and B. Muñoz) and one bird on 11/08 (V. de Alba, F. Montaño and A. Núñez). One bird on irrigated fields at Santa Amalia (Badajoz) on 15/08 (Fernando Yuste).
- Rufous Tailed Bush Robin: Three birds at Montehermoso (Cáceres) on 17/08 (H. Sánchez and C. Clemente).

BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER: THREE AND COUNTING

 A juvenile Buff-Breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis) was spotted on the morning of 13 September 2012 by Sergio Mayordomo at Portaje Reservoir in Cáceres (top photo). It was feeding on one of the reservoir banks on newly sprouted grass in the company of migrant Yellow Wagtails. At midday it was seen again by Eva Palacios and Miguel Ángel Muñoz (bottom photo).

This is the third record for the species in Extremadura, all made successively in the last three years (Valdecañas, October 2010; Galisteo, October 2011; and Portaje, September 2012). All were juveniles seen in the province of Cáceres. The sightings are too new to have been officially accepted by the rarities committee as yet, but in all three cases there are photographs that prove the identification beyond a shadow of a doubt.

This vagrant American wader is now turning up more regularly in Spain with 45 accepted records involving 49 birds up to 2009. This figures will no doubt rise in future reports because there were considerable influxes of this species in both 2010 and 2011, with 25-35 birds recorded each year. In 2012, so far, there have been at least two sightings in August and another on the same day of 13 September in Vilafáfila (Zamora). Paradoxically, this increase of records in Spain does not at all tally with the specie's trend as a whole, since its status has now been downgraded by the IUCN to "Near Threatened" (NT).

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EXTREMADURA CORMORANT COUNT 2012

A Spain-wide Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) count was carried out in summer 2012. The provisional results for Extremadura, while awaiting publication of the overall data, are as follows.

Three colonies were found with a total of 651 occupied nests. The biggest colony, in La Serena reservoir, was visited twice. It comprises 619 nests in two clusters, the main one with 614 nests on half-sunken Holm Oaks and the other only 2 km away with 5 nests on Eucalyptus. The other two colonies found seem to be new, or at least unrecorded hitherto. One was at Alange reservoir, where a 23-nest Eucalyptus colony was found by chance on 12/07/12 (upper photograph; by Ángel Sánchez). The other new colony was at Alqueva reservoir, again on half-sunken Holm Oaks, with 9 nests counted on three visits from May to June. [Other post on Cormorant in Extremadura]

The Extremadura Cormorant trend is clearly upwards, with an exponential increase in only 10 years. Barring the one-off nest in Valuengo reservoir found in 1993 (Prieta and Mayordomo, 2012), the first Extremadura colony formed in La Serena reservoir in 2002. This colony grew from 10 pioneering pairs in 2002 to 102 in 2007 and 341 in 2011 (including 13 in Córdoba and one in Ciudad Real; Piñeiro, 2011) and 619 by 2012. Unless the final census results prove otherwise, this could well turn out to be Spain's biggest colony today. In 2007 there was a national breeding wildfowl count, including the Cormorant(Palomino and Molina, 2009). The published result included three Extremadura colonies, the abovementioned one in La Serena and another two at River Guadiana in Valdetorres and at Valuengo reservoir. There is however no trustworthy information on these two ostensible colonies, with no indications of actual or recent nesting in 2011 or 2012. The prudent option is therefore to rule them out. In 2012 two new colonies were found, once more on big reservoirs of the Badajoz basin, and regional figures have doubled in a single year. [Other blog entries on the Cormorant in Extremadura]

Collaborators. The La Serena and Alange colonies were found by the Junta de Extremadura: Ángel Sánchez, Domingo Rivera, Sergio Pérez, Miguel Ángel Sánchez, Fermín Sierra, Demetrio Vázquez, Irene Rodríguez, Sandra Blanco, José Manuel Rama and José María Castaño. The Alqueva colony was covered by Luis R. Hernández Díaz-Ambrona and Juan Carlos Panigua (SEO/BirdLife volunteers). 

Sources: 

- Piñeiro, X. 2011. Cormorán grande Phalacrocórax carbo (p. 487). In, Molina, B., Prieta, J., Lorenzo, J. A. and López-Jurado, C. Noticiario Ornitológico. Ardeola 58:481-516. 

- Palomino, D. and Molina, B. 2009. Aves acuáticas reproductoras en España. Población en 2007 y método de censo. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid. 

- Prieta, J. and Mayordomo, S. 2012. Aves de Extremadura, vol. 4. Años 2004-2008. Grupo Local SEO-Cáceres. Plasencia. [PDF]