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

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