I'm Happy In The Sun

Cabo de Palos - 29.1.19

The weather today is sun and twenty degrees the main reason why so many expats over winter in Southern Spain, the number of motor homes from all over northern Europe on and around the local camping and caravanning sites is quite surprising.

Now I'm a bit of a coffee buff and I especially enjoy a coffee in costa, no not that costa...the Costa Blanca ! I'm at the lighthouse located on the rocky headland at start of the La Manga "strip" to try and improve on the images of the Brown-necked Raven that's relocated from North Africa and one of the best locations to wait for the bird to show up is at the local cafe/bar enjoying a coffee overlooking a small cove...just glorious !

My wife has joined me for the last couple of days of the trip and as we sip coffee in the sun I can see in the distance the Raven coming towards me rocking and rolling along the cliff top, I have the camera with the 100-400 on the table ready and as the bird glides overhead I rattle off some shots.

Brown-necked Raven

Eventually the Raven lands on what appears to be an electricity supply cable strung between the buildings just above the road, unfortunately it meaning photographing the dark bird into a bright sky washing out the colour, but its a rare bird right !

Costa "Twitch"

Cabo de Palos, La Manga - 21.1.19

Today I'm heading down AP7 motorway to Cabo de Palos which is located at the start of the La Manga strip to do a little Spanish "twitching" of a Brown-necked Raven. Normally a bird of the North Africa desert the Raven has travelled the relative short distance presumably up from Morocco to taken up residence around the rocky outcrop of the lighthouse. Reading a few local birding blogs on locating the Raven it's would appear its a case of making your way up to the lighthouse and waiting... fingers crossed.

I've now made my way up the short climb to the lighthouse and as you would expect its a little breezy but at least its pleasantly warm in the Spanish sunshine a little different to the current cold weather back home. An hour has passed and out of nowhere the Raven appears from behind me croaking as to say...you've missed the shot again as it glides off in the direction of the port....the waiting continues.

Now there's not a lot of large black birds on La Manga, Yellow legged Gulls yes, so when I see a black crow like bird heading towards me in the distance I'm at the ready. The Raven circles the lighthouse and to my surprise lands on the lower part of the lighthouse building, still a little high up on the building but it's still an acceptable shot, the only issue I'm shooting directly into the bright sky.

Obligingly the raven marches up and down on a building ledge croaking all the time, eventually making its way to the end of the ledge and with one flap takes to the air. I recon I've taken maybe fifty images in what can only be a less than a minuet, with luck I'll have some images worth keeping.

I finish off the session with some flight shots of the Raven which performs its full range of acrobatics, diving and rolling as it disappears over the rooftops and into the distance, the same direction I'm heading shortly....back up the AP7 motorway

Brown-necked Raven

I've just been on the BirdGuides site and to my surprise I've got another success in a "Notable Image" for the shot of the Raven in flight. I don't normally post that many images on BirdGuides but its alway nice to get some recognition for your efforts when you do. Thank you BirdGuides.

BirdGuides "Notable Image" - January 2019