Birdwatching with the Andalucía Bird Society

by Lindsay Pheasant
(Marbella)

This year the Andalucía Bird Society (ABS) will start 2016 with a field trip to the lake at Fuente de Piedra, Antequera. The outing will be held on Saturday 16th January 2016 when members of the society will meet at the Visitors Centre next to the lake at 09:30. The Laguna is a large saline lake about 7 km by 3km set in a basin surrounded by sierras which drain into it during the winter rains. The location means that it can experience very cold periods overnight in winter with temperatures dropping below freezing but in the summer it may be over 40oC. For the field meeting, it is expected to be cool in the morning and gradually warming up although the daytime temperature is unlikely to be hot. The Laguna is known for the vast numbers of flamingos which breed there each year. In winter, a small population remains and it also becomes home to flocks of Cranes.

The leader for the day will be Peter Jones who has a wealth of knowledge about the area and birds in particular and is always a popular leader for the Society. The group is hoping to see up to 50 species of birds. Apart from the cranes they hope to see: Little Owl, Wryneck, Raven, Lapwing, Jackdaw, Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed gull, Mallard, Shelduck, Pochard, Teal, Grebes, Robin, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Black Redstart, Chiffchaff, Serin, Goldfinch and Stonechat. And hopefully, a host of other species some more common than others. Anyone wishing to attend the meeting should contact Frank, Field Meetings Officer on 652 552 956.

The Andalucía Bird Society is a not-for-profit group of bird watchers (visitors and residents) based in Andalucía. It holds monthly field trips for its members and hosts an informative website for the advancement of birding knowledge. Membership is open to all interested parties and all levels of experience are most welcome.

For more details please contact the membership secretary at:
Tel: +34 669 649 522
Email: abs.sociedad@gmail.com.