📖 🇪🇸 ~ Zapata ~ 30/04/2023

🇪🇸 Sunday 30th April 2023 🌤 26C ~ Wind SE @ 5MPH ~ I'm happy to report that the recent heatwave has now abated and we're back to temperatures that one would expect for late April or early May in Andalusia. With that in mind and after posting my last update this morning Dazza and I had a leisurely stroll around Zapata in the late afternoon. Site details can be HERE or by clicking the SPAIN 🇪🇸 link on the top header bar.

Bonelli'e Eagle drifts over the villa

However, before we set off, breakfast on the terrace produced a little gem when a Bonelli's Eagle came floating over the villa. As always my camera is never far from reach and I managed some good images of the bird as it drifted by. It was quite a good half hour with Bonelli's Warbler, Golden Oriole and Crested Tit also garden visitors but all remained elusive.

Being a Sunday and more so a bank holiday we did expect Zapata to be a little busier than normal with the odd family making use of the river and ford, so our birding expectations are normally low. Therefore we were surprised when the only person we did see on our walk was a shepherd sleeping under a tree with his two dogs and his large herd of sheep taking advantage of the river.

Cattle Egret at Zapata

Of course, we're there are sheep there's normally a Cattle Egret or two and there were actually ten dotted around the herd, with the odd one hitching a ride!

Western Olivaceous Warbler a first for us at Zapata

It was a pleasant walk and the temperature had actually reached 28C by the time we got back to the car a few hours later. We managed 39 species in total and the bird of the visit had to be a Western Olivaceous Warbler, which we found singing along the river's edge, a first for the site for us both.

A few more images of the visit...

Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon) seems to be common along the Rio Guadalhorce.

Bath White 

One of four Hoopeos seen today

One of two Woodchat Shrikes

First Common Blue of the Year!