Sept. 30, Oct. 1 Birding with Pablo Santonja

 Pablo picked me up at my hotel both days, and spent about 9 hours with me, traveling the coast, marshes, field and mountains in search of birds.  We saw (by his count) 84 species, and I believe, conservatively, that I added 27 life list birds.  As much as I would like to, there were three of four species I personally did not see, so I am not putting them on my life list.  And I have reservations about the Rupell's Vulture and will have to confirm that with Pable.  But here are the best of the collection. 

A  Black-winged Kite and a Common Kestrel in teritory dispute.

Black-winged Kite, one of Pablo's favorites. 

Corn Crake

Green Finch

Little Owl

Stone Chat

Zittine Cisticola
(No, Ken, I am not making that up!)

White Storks
We saw about 200 whiling around in a huge tornado-like cloud.

Common Waxbill
An African bird, seen occasionally in Spain

Willow Warbler

Curlew Sandpiper
A rarer peep in the US

Bald Ibis
Just coming out of critically endangered, thanks to efforts to re-introduce them.  there are about
200 in Spain, and Pablo and I came upon about 40 in a field, the most he had seen at once. 

Ruff

Crested Lark

Black-winged Stilt
Almost identical to our Black-necked Stilt, but a different species. 

Common Redstart

Common Redshank

Greater Flamingo

Whimbrel

Crested Lark

Eurasian Linnet

Eurasian Goldfinch
(molting)

Red-legged Partridge
(Gorgeous!)

Whinchat

Eurasian Kestrel

Black Stork

Eurasian Griffon

Eurasian Griffon

Short-toed Snake-Eagle

Eurasian Griffon

Ruppell's Griffon
(Pablo claims; I am going to check on it; the spots and shape of the wings might be the clue.
If it is a Ruppell's, then it is the rarest bird we spotted in Spain).

Rose-ringed Parrakeet
(photographed in the park before the Borghese Gallery in Rome).

Other birds seen or photographed in Spain of interest were:
Alpine Swift, Pied Avocet (not seen by me), Kentish Plover, Little Stint, Common Greenshank, Audoin's Gull, Egyptian Vulture, Booted Eagle, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Montagu's Harrier, Common Buzzard, Eurasian Hoopoe (just glimpsed soaring over a field), Thekla Lark, Red-rumped Swallow, Cetti's Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler, Greater Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, European Pied Flycatcher, Northern Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail

Almost more than the birds was the great sights I saw along the way, thanks to Pablo, and his 
efforts to show me more of Spain than just the birds.  A great time.
Thank you so much, Pablo!