John Cantelo

Fortunately, the guy living there managed to get out before it collapsed with no injuries

As feared the drain at the bottom of the stairs to the roof terrace was blocked & in last week's storm water flowed into the house from under the door - nothing serious, just mop & bucket stuff. However, I'm not complaining as a house here collapsed early AM - sodden & rotten timbers blamed. 1/2

The water mill at Alcala de Guidiana is really living up to its name!

My stopover at Hotel Oromana (Alcala de Guidiara) paid dividends in the form of 5 Azure-winged (Iberian) Magpies. The Rio Guidiara here is normally a placid affair but is now a raging torrent, 3x the usual width & overwhelming the old mill buildings.🪶

A last gasp effort finally produced good views of Trumpeter Finch, previously only heard (not by me!). No photos of the birds but here are some of the atypically verdant Fuerteventura landscape. Our guide has never seen it so green. Trip highlight - last afternoon's displaying Houbaras 🪶

The park drops down to the Rio Guidiana but is closed due to flooding!

I've left the Canaries & now staying over near Seville in the rather grand Hotel Oromana preferring not to risk the drive south into heavy rain, floods, road slips, etc (see photos) until tomorrow. It helps that there are A-z Magpies in the park that surrounds the hotel 1/2

No bird lifers today but the Atlantic Lizard (Canaries endemic) was new to me. Final highlight 2 displaying Houbaras!

My last Canarian endemic species of bird, Fuerteventura Chat, was today's highlight. But also had several endemic subspecies (Egyptian Vulture, Kestrel, etc).

Another BoC shot of the very obliging Houbara Bustard on Fuerteventura this afternoon - amazing stuff! 🪶

Here's one of three Cream-coloured Coursers we saw earlieron Fuerteventura this afternoon 🪶

Views of Houbara Bustard on Fuerteventura this evening. BoC shots.

Fuerteventura this evening - why did the Houbara Bustard cross the road? To let me get a photo with my mobile phone obviously!

I kept my eyes open today ... Small White & Speckled Wood added to butterfly list.

Not seriously - whites sp., Monarchs, both Red Admirals, a large yellow one that looked like a Brimstone & a couple of smaller brown ones I never got a good look at ...

Tenerife Day 2 - disaster! My Kowa TSN 55A decided to disassemble itself ... 🤬 Tenerife Chaffinch & Blue Chaffinch both ✅ Great volcanic scenery but not a good day 🪶

Yes, I recall talk of a 3-way split but indifferent illustrations made me rather dismissive of the idea. However, seeing (& hearing) how different they are has made me revise my opinion. Not that I'm a tally hunter, of course 🤣

Sunset with Dragon Trees (Tenerife), the end of a good day birding 😀

Tenerife - Record shot of Laurel Pigeon (✅), later I had a flight view of Bolle's Pigeon (✅), many Canaries, Tenerife BlueTit, more Canarian Chiffchaff (still split 😁) and later Tenerife race of European Robin (ought to be split) - mellow Woodlarkish song, smaller red bib & whiter below🪶

The two most striking things about Santa Cruz have been the absence of historic buildings (this church c1500 being an exception) & birds. 1st large "European" town I've visited with no sparrows & 1st coastal one without gulls constantly overhead. Few pigeons & the odd Collared Dove. Few parks too.

Heading for my mid-winter jaunt in Cadiz province via the Canaries (Tenerife). Staying over in Santa Cruz. A big town but with an excellent botanic garden with many singing Canarian Chiffchaff. They survived the Avibase toll so a full ✅. Few birds but many Monarchs🪶

I don't recall any significant management work there in the late 70s/early 80s. Converting the turf fields at Grove Ferry was a seminal development. I understand that the widening/profiling of ditches & shallow pools all relate to improving Bittern habitat. Also mounds as refugia for small mammals

Another dusk session at Grove Ferry (Kent) produced 16+ Marsh & 2 Hen Harriers (ad. male & female). Lower numbers than recently perhaps due to extensive management work creating more open water (esp. below the ramp & beyond the Feast Hide). Well done @naturalengland.bsky.social team 🪶

News that my old schoolfriend & birding pal, Phil G. (now resident in Oz), has finally caught up with his nemesis bird, Little Auk, prompts me to post my photo of the last one I saw a few years ago - happily sitting on the roof of Brancaster Golf Club (Norfolk)! 🪶

Good to see you too. I hadn't heard about the Sibe Chiffie at Minster which, as you guessed was the bird I saw.

I thought the wider area looked excellent and as we both know, sewage farms do attract birds!

A new Kent site for me today, the bushes behind the sewage works in Faversham - birding takes you to such salubrious locations. My reward was enjoying good views of the Pallas's Warbler found there a few days ago. Later found a putative Siberian Chiffchaff elsewhere (albeit another sewage works!) 🪶

I saw one distantly years ago in Texas - little crackers!

Hickling raptor roost this evening - 20+ Marsh & 3 Hen Harriers, 3 Buzzards, Merlin, 3 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk Barn Owl, 4 Cranes, Woodcock, Bittern & flocked of Pink-feet ... and second helpings of Black-winged Kite.🪶

That speck in the tree really is a Black-winged Kite (Hickling,Norfolk). UK tick & change from seeing them in Spain🪶