I Finally Make it - 8

Day 8, AM - La Vega

Our last day of the trip and another 5.0am start, but it's only a morning session before we return to the hotel for a quick wash and brush up and head to Madrid for the flight home.

Being the last session of the trip it's always good to go out on a high, and we're in luck as we're heading back to La Vega one of the two premier El Taray locations for raptors, as mentioned in a previous post harrier's, kite's, eagles and buzzards are the most likely targets.

First up and quick as a rat up a drain pipe is the resident Red Fox, grabbing all the food it can stash before the big eagles appear, I just hope there’s some offerings left for the BOP’s.

The Bonelli’s Eagle has arrived from it’s usual vantage point on a pylon way off in the distance, usually it sits in a tree close by surveying the area before deciding all safe and come to ground.

Marsh Harries are literally everywhere, maybe up to twenty individuals, acrobatic jostling trying to rob each other of food, the interaction is spectacular just make sure you are using a zoom so you can back off the lens and get all the action. Most if not all the raptors seen were as seen on previous visits but surprisingly no Black Kite's. 

Just a quick reference to gear generally used on the trip, although I brought along a 500mm f4 prime I found the flexibility and quality of Canon RF100-500mm to just about be match of the EF prime, the bokeh produced by the lens with an the uncluttered background is spot on, just look at the images.

Until the next trip...

El Taray Map

Marsh Harrier

By far the most common harrier are juveniles along with females, not only seen over the seedbeds but also common over farm land.

Marsh Harrier - adult

This is an adult female clearly showing the yellow iris, juvenile's are dark brown.

Marsh Harrier - male

Adult male easily identified in flight with its grey wing but not so obvious when sitting.

Bonelli's Eagle

Bonelli's Eagle bathed in yellow early morning sun light.

I Finally Make it - 7

Day 7, AM - Vega Mazon.

It's still dark and the midges swarming in thousands above my head, I have a fantastic hat with a midge net especially for this situation the only issue it's in a case back in the UK...plan B...keep moving !

Driving along rutted dirt tracks in the dark with just headlamps that have seen better days with all the expensive gear jumping up and down in the back of a pick-up is not the best experience, I've started carrying my tri-pod to save it getting knocked around whilst other peoples Gitzo's are clanking around in the back of the truck.....tip !

It's just getting light and we are at Vega Mazon a large expanse of flatness and the furthest point on the estate. This is the second visit to this location so I have a good idea what to expect, first up is always the... Big Red Fox !

El Taray Map

Hides - Vega Mazon

Later morning morning but now in full Spanish sun. 

View From The Hide

View from the hide showing the vast openness of the generally area and only attracting raptors, I guess the openness gives sight security.

Red Fox

The sun yet appeared it's still low light stuff but that doesn't stop the fox from getting its morning meal grabbing all it can manage and trotting off to stash the food. This morning its brought a young cub with it but its staying well away.

As the sun starts to appear the first few images are all shade and yellow light but getting better as time passes, at this time of the day it's always yellow light which I not sure I like the best, I suppose it all different.

Bonelli's Eagle & Friends

Bonelli's Eagle and a Marsh Harrier which is about a third the size of the eagle, they are both eyeing each other...fight ?...not really 

Bonelli"s Eagle & Red Fox

Bonelli's this time with the the Red Fox, the eagle keeping an eye on what the fox is up to or maybe even a threat.

Bonelli's Eagle

Marsh Harrier - female

Day 6, PM - Masiega

This is now the sixth day getting up at 5.0am and flagging with the eighteen hours days so after a mid-day rest for a few hours it's back to the floating hide of Masiega for harriers. Here's another tip if your visiting in mid-summer get yourself a small portable fan, it's not going to be full blown cooling but it defiantly helps.

For some unknown reason there are two Hydro Hide being used nearby and probably why the harries are keeping their distance, after a wait one takes an interest and the others follow. The images are generally more of the same but I do like this image with the harrier stood in water, also the quizzical look of the harrier in the second image.

Floating Hide - Masiega

The boat ride with the floating hide in the distance

Marsh Harrier - male

I Finally Make It - 5

Day 5, AM - BOP's !

This morning I'm are at a location called La Vega one of El Taray's iconic areas for....BOP's. Eagles, Harriers, Kites and Buzzards are the targets this morning, some are residents seen through out the year so worth a visit even in winter. 

This location is probably one of the furthest away from the main meet up area on the El Taray Estate requiring about a thirty minuet drive, the location occupying a vast area of open scrub land and the lack of human activity probably the reason why this area is so attractive to raptors.

As we arrive already a large eagle is spotted sat on a large pylon increasing the our expectations of what to expect over the next few hours. We decant into one of three two man hides the raptors keep their distance but soon that will change when the bop's become more confident, squabbling, food robbing, the sights and sounds....but there's something already sniffing around !

El Taray Map

Red Fox

A Red Fox already knows what's about to happen and it's soon sniffing around looking around in the likely locations for food, when it finds some it grabs what it can trotting off to cash the food only to quickly return for more.

The eyes !

Bonelli's Eagle

Now I'm not the most experienced with Iberian raptors thinking this was a Spanish Imperial Eagle but I'm informed this is a Bonelli's Eagle. This pale eagle so dominant it's keeping the smaller harries well away until it had it's fill.

Marsh Harrier - male

By far the most common raptor in the location with females for some reason being the most common so nice to see this male up so close. Always squabbling and mantling food or risk being robbed, the interaction between the harriers providing different photo opportunities.

Marsh Harrier - female

Common Buzzard

Long way to come to photograph a Common Buzzard, on the day maybe just one or two present.

Rock Sparrow

Apart from raptors there's not a lot else to see in terms of passerines present other than the odd Rock Sparrow, superficially not unlike our House Sparrow but with a pale eye stripe.

Day 5, PM - Casa de Los Pastores

This afternoon I've been deposited fiver meters up a tower, the target...Rollers ! 

Unfortunately the Rollers this year have generally failed to breed due to the heavy wind and rain over the last few weeks never the less they're putting in an appearance on occasion as they are still are very much territorial of their site.

It's long wait and not looking at good getting any images of one of the regions most colourful birds, then unexpectedly a Roller zips in landing on a branch right in front of me, the shutter's now getting some serious action.

European Roller

Not intent in staying long the Roller with it's characteristic cackling call takes off over the reed bed, a brief ten minuet encounter, but quite happy with the results.

Spotless Starling

After more waiting the Roller dosen't re-appear having called it a day at this location but I did get a few other visitors, a Starling and no spots !

Eurasian Hoopoe

Egyptian Mongoose

Whilst waiting, in the corner of my eye I picked up what looked like an Otter, long, short legged with a long tail running across a bank, can't be an Otter can it ?... anyway back at base it appears it was an Egyptian Mongoose which I'm told are reasonably common in Southern Spain. 

I didn't get an image but here's one "nicked" from the Inter-web

In Search of Bonelli's Eagle - Day 2

Day 2, Bonelli's Eagle  - 28.1.20

I'm really looking forward to today as it's a double session with one of my target birds of the week, the Bonelli's Eagle. As we set off I'm told the Bonelli's Eagle usually visit twice during the day, late morning around 10.30am and a further visit around 3.0pm in the afternoon so it's a full day in the hide with quite a wait in between, photographing birds involves quite a lot of waiting around.

We're heading to the top of one the mountains in the area with panoramic views over the Valencian country side but first we have to change vehicles to a 4x4 vehicle as most later part of the drive is up and along mountain tracks.

As we arrive on the summit the sun makes an appearance the light looking pretty good hopefully for some decent images. Coming from an area of the UK not known for large eagles sightings I quite can't believe it....photographing Bonelli's Eagle !

Bonelli's Eagle

Morning Session.

We've been in the hide maybe for an hour or so and after a couple of flyby's the anticipation is building, then from the right the male Bonelli's Eagle lands on a rock partly hidden by some thorny bushes, I'm told the bird is quite tolerant so I grab some images but really waiting for the BOP to move into the open.

The eagle a little ungainly walks across the rocks the short distance to where the rabbit has been placed a few meters to the right and the main actions starts.

All to soon the eagle has had its fill and departs...wow, but it's not over yet

Bonelli's Eagle

Afternoon Session

Now well past the time the Bonelli's usually appear in the afternoon we are beginning to wonder if a second appearance will ever happen, then in the distance coming down the valley two "pecks" can just be picked out in the distance, as they come closer the male and female can be clearly seen so fingers crossed a visit to the last of the rabbit spread out on the rocks looks likely.

Again from the right floating on the wind the eagle drops in like being dangled on a bungee, it's the male eagle with no sign of the female bird, unfortunately this visit doesn't have the nice the sun light of the previous visit never the less I'm happy to get another view of this now more scares Spanish raptor.