Respite From The Rain

Laguns de Lo Monte

With all the grey and rain in the UK I've decided to head back out to Murcia for some milder weather and more importantly some sun. When in Murcia my first location to visit is usually the salinas down at San Pedro so yesterday as the norm I headed off down to do a rece minus the camera. It looks pretty quiet probably about three weeks early before the spring migration is visible, picking out the usual resident Black Tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Black Winged Stilt, Avocet amongst others on the main pans, along the channel a Kingfisher is doing what it dose diving from a palm tree its not the wader action I was hoping for so with no obvious photo opportunities I'm glad I hadn't made the early morning effort with all the gear and head back.

This morning I'm giving the salinas a miss and heading to the nearby Lagunas Lo Monte a small reserve with three large reed fringed lakes my only concern is it's weekend so reserve might be busy with local visitors. Usually I opted to use the crop sensor camera with the 500m and a 1.4 extender for long range targets but today I'm going to try using the full frame 5D4 with the 500mm and a 2.0 extender giving about the same magnification, on previous occasions using the 2.0 I have been a little disappointed but with good light this morning I hoping for better results.

Lo Monte for me can be a hit or miss but I guess you have the take it in the round and one of the main reasons is the reserve hides which the Spanish don't seem to have quite got it right, three sides and the back remaining open, any bird can easily seeing your silhouette quickly do a U turn and their off.

I've decided to remain in the second hide and see what turns up managing some shots of the few passerines coming down to drink, I must be honest I'm a little disappointed using the 2x extender as I was expecting better results using the 5D4 but you live and lean. Chiffchaff are everywhere some in full song, over the pools a large group of Swallows and Sand Martins are feeding after the long journey north, spring time in Murcia has arrived.

Goldfinch

Image was taken with Canon 5D4 with a Canon 500mm mkII and 2x mkIII extender, the image is soft and lack detail and is a real disappointment

Serin

Slightly better results with the same setup, perhaps more care focusing is required

Purple Gallinule

At the top hide there's a right old din going on as a Gallinule clambers up some reeds only the long toes preventing this chicken size bird plunging into the water...comical to say the least

Chiffchaff

Few more images with the 500 + 2x, again the images look a little soft, I thought I'd post the images for reference

Stonechat

A Blue Chicken!

Over the period I've been visiting the Murcia region I've only ever heard the array of sounds with brief glimpses of Purple Gallinule, (Swamphen) this morning I'm at the visitors centre at San Felipe hoping to get some images of Marbled Teal (Duck) which on my pervious visit had disappears back onto the reserve by midmorning.

Its 7.0 am and the centre staff have already scattered feed to entice the teal and other wildfowl closer to the centre, then over the screen fence from the reserve pops a Purple Gallinule, briefly sitting on the fence checking its surroundings, then makes its way to the water edge to enjoy an easy free meal.

As it goes about its business its starts to make all the unusual Gallinule sounds, the smaller Moorhens seem have the upper hand making Gallinule quite skittish. The encounter last only a few minutes which seemed longer, then it disappears back over the fence onto the reserve, undoubtedly the best views of Purple Gallinule to date

Happy I got some decent images, I get back to concentrating on the Marbled Teal

Click image to view....

Lagunas de lo Monte 3

Back to lo Monte Reserve today having had some success on my previous visits. Started at the first hide on the bottom lake, met and chatted with one of the reserve staff, he mentioned he'd seen an Osprey earlier in the morning but not seen by me, not a lot going on so moved up the the fourth hide on the top lake. As soon as I arrive I spot a Moorhen in the reeds to my right....no its a Purple Gallenule !....I manage to fired off some shots, it takes one look at me and its gone...theres timing for you !

The rest of the morning was spent moving between the hides trying to cover as much of whats going on as possible, birds of note include....Chetti's Warbler, Whiskered Tern, Common Tern, Squacco Heron, Grey Heron, Red Crested Pochard, M&F White Headed Duck, Kestrel and the chorus of croaking frogs

Click image for clarity....