I Finally Make It - 3

Day 3, AM - Masiega

This morning it's a boat ride to a floating hide amongst the reeds on the edge of the main Elguna de El Taray, species to see with luck will be Great/Reed Warbler's, Bearded Tit and various wildfowl cruising passed, but only if you'r very quick.

I'm looking out onto a small "ribbon" flatten reeds which Reed Warblers, Great Reed Warblers and hopefully Bearded Tits are frequenting, but the light's not good enough currently as I'm shooting through tinted glass loosing about a stop of light and using the not so quick RF 100-500mm. 

A reed warbler appears crashing through the reeds it's a Great Reed Warbler, bold and brash due it's size, occasionally the smaller Reed Warbler appears but it's soon sent packing by it's bigger cousin, both visit on a frequent basis with the occasion fly pass including Purple Heron, Ibis and little Bittern. 

Just beyond is a water channel White-headed Duck and Red-crested Pochard cruise passed but the gap in the reeds is so small it's difficult to get advance notice of approaching fowl making it difficult to react quick enough. Finally a male Bearded Tit makes an appearance but it's way to close probably only 1.5m away...missed again. 

With more of the same over the next hour or so it's time to pack up ready for the boat ride back and looking forward to the afternoon session.

El Taray Map

Boat Ride

In order to get to the hide you need to get a boat ride.

Hide View

The flat area where all the action takes place and beyond the water channel where duck cruise pass but it's difficult to get any shot.

Great Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler

Day 3, Pm - La Vega

This afternoon it's Marsh Harriers, again, two a penny as they say !..but slightly different as this time the location is water and hence another boat ride, on route seeing more Purple Heron lurking in the reed fringes.

The afternoon heat is now is in the mid thirties, in the hide the temperature is way over forty degrees and I'm strip off, no shirt or shoes just shorts, sweating profusely. 

It's a long wait as the Harries don't seem interested but when one arrives the others also join in. Soon both male, female and juveniles are present, you can identify juveniles by the brown iris, the adults being yellow.

I'm trying to get behavioural shots where the BOP's mantel and are constantly calling making for a more interesting shot. I finding the whole experience quite fascinating seeing these birds of prey so close, normal only seen in the UK at distance.

It's time to call time and the boat back to terra firm looking forward to the relief of not being in a camped hide for the for the passed tree hours in forty degrees of heat.....oh and try not to drop the kit in the "drink" as you are getting in the boat.

Marsh Harrier

The Road To San Felipe

19th April - San Felipe & Vistabella Road

It's El Hondo today starting off at the visitor centre at San Felipe then moving on to the public hides on the Vistabella Road. It's an early start and still dark as I drive up the AP7 Motorway arriving at 8.15 am, as I'm leaving the centre carpark I spot a pair of Little Ringed Plover on the gravel area adjacent to the carpark, last year a pair bred behind the roped area quite close, may be the same pair?

I position myself just behind a hedge with the birds sat on a gravel ridge with some tamarisk bushes as a back drop in the distance, it's a clean shot and I take advantage of the opportunity that not often presents itself. Occasionally Rabbits dive out of the tamarisk bushes with the females being chased by males, I move on.

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Little Ringed Plover

European Rabbit

Near the reserve centre building Great Reed Warblers are in full chatters telling other males....."this is my territory keep out". I get some images but you need luck to get a clean shot and avoid including the ever present mass of tangle reeds or branches in the image.

Great Reed Warbler

Moving round to the board walk stopping at the covered platform where the Spotted Crake was seen a few days back I meet up with a couple of resident brit birders, it's always good to exchange conversation in the morning sunshine. But it's cameras to the right in the mornings due to the light angle and I manage some images of Whiskered Tern and a lone male Widgeon which I'm told is unusual for this location.

The rest of the visit is mainly the usual resident species, Marbled Teal, Red Crested Pochard, Gallinule and a fair number of Pratincoles wheeling and screeching overhead, a few long range waders, including Kentish Plover, Little Stint and Curlew Sandpipers some of which are changing into their red summer plumage.

Time to move on to Vistabella Road.

Whiskered Tern in transition to summer plumage

Vistabbella Road hides are located about seven miles distance on the opposite side of El Hondo Reserve, it's an easy drive with straight traffic free country roads. Parking up at the usual location next to the slice bridge that separates the road and the reeds it's a long walk to the second hide my preferred location as the hide is positioned lower to the water making for better images. But a word of caution to visitors, the last hundred meters is on a raised walkway, about 400mm wide, and in summer about one meter above the water, so if your nervous and have expensive camera gear....take care !

Black Neck Grebe cruise passed some with this years young in tow, a couple off White Headed Duck dive in front of the hide and Greater Flamingos are ever present in large numbers. A couple more shots of Red Crested Pochard and I make my way back to the car calling at the first hide to check any other image possibilities.

Black Necked Grebe

Black Neck Grebe - juvenile

Red Crested Pochard - male

It's 4.0 pm and the wind has increased, my preferred flat calm water has long gone so I decide to call it a day. Theres always another day in the sunshine.

Great Chattering Warblers !

Where ever I’ve been over the last couple of days with significant reed beds there have been Great Reed warblers chattering, sometimes deep in cover, sometimes sat at the top of stems but always to far to photograph. 

Today I’m back at the Vistabella Road on the southern area of El Hondo to visit the second hide which is some way down from the water channel footbridge. Its early morning and the sun is just rising as I walk along the track, I can hear a multitude of bird of differing sound and I’m anticipating a good morning of bird photography. 

I am half way along the track when suddenly a Great Reed Warbler pops up in the reed bed, its sat on a reed stem with the stem behind which makes for a ideal to capture a good image. More intent on chattering than being concerned about me it presents a good photo op, its only about 5.0 meters away and I don't have a tripod so its hand hold only at 1,120mm focal length! I managed over the next 3 to 4 minutes get some real close images, a real good encounter.

Happy with the great start to the day I’m looking forward to seeing what unfolds in hide two, a new location for me.

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