Back to the Clot

Clot de Galvany - 20.05.2025

Five miles from Alicante Airport in the development of Grand Alicant is a small nature reserve called Clot de Galvany, usually when picking up or dropping off at the airport I always try to visit spending a couple of hours, the list of species that can be seen is impressive.

The "Clot" is one of those locations where you really need a “big white” prime lens, all I have with me today is the 100-500mm zoom but the benefits of a light weight setup is working fine for me.

It must be three years since my last visit hence I’ve landed up parking way further down the road which's runs alongside the reserve than I intended, but at least it’s next to a couple cafes bars ideal for post visit refreshment. 

Finding the entrance is never easy in the never ending perimeter fence, but at least it’s then only a short walk to the two small charca's (pools) each having a hide shown at the bottom of the map. Usually the left pool is overgrown with extensive reed beds the right pool being more open and always best. It’s quiet, probably a combination of the midday heat and the fact it's late in the migration and well in to the breeding season. 

Marbled Duck (Teal) an endangered species in Spain with only 70 breeding pairs, a few pairs of Red-crested Pochard, the ever squabbling Coot and vocal Little Grebes are all the contenders. Usually you can see several species of smaller Squacco, Night Herons and it’s a good location to see migratory ducks like Ferrugenus and Garganey Ducks.

Public hides in Spain to me are somewhat odd, being open backed with just a slatted front, roof and sides so your silhouette is aways visible to the wildlife, for some wary species if your seen they keep well away, but at least it's out of the sun and if it rains....dry.

As this was an ad-hoc late in the season visit it’s been lean picking so I’m off for a coffee and enjoy the sunshine, until the next time.

Clot de Galvany - Reserve Map

Hide - Right Side Pool

Very different to what we have in the UK, at least it keeps the sun off and dry when the heavens open up.

Hide View - Right Side Pool

Red-crested Pochard

Recently hatch young, I believe there were three. Common breeder in the region.

Marbled Duck or Teal

Endangered species in Spain with only about 70 breeding pairs, a few surrounding reserves like El Hondo have breeding programs in operation. Hole nesters using provided boxes. 

Red-eared Terrapin or Slider

Invasive species in Spain from North America released back to the wild by unwanted owners. Competes with the indigenous Iberian Pond Terrapin which is mainly all pale brown colour

Continental Duck !

16.03.2021

There's been several reports of RCP around the area over the last couple of months, a male I think at Elton later seen a few miles away on a lake in Walkden and several females around the Cheshire boarders but none of the areas being ideal getting images. Then just before Xmas there was a report of a drake at a location quite close that looked promising but then Covid got in the way.

Now some months later I'm surprised to see the RCP is still present on this small lake an opportunity worth having a look. As I arrive the weather is grey and overcast but it soon turns bright sunny morning, sunlight is something that can work if it is behind you, if not, can generate white water that never looks good. 

Well I'm in luck, the RCP is busy catching up with some maintenance and I've managed to position myself into a nice muddy position, sun behind enhancing that vivid orange head and red bill one of the most colourful of ducks in the region. The RCP is going through all sorts of contortions, wing flapping, bill waving giving shots different from the ordinary. Having spent over thirty minuets shooting more shots than I really need I call time. I just need now to get rid of about eighty percent of the 60 meg file rejects generated by the R5 to save clogging up my laptop !

Initially not being in great position shooting some duff images I'm happy with what I've managed, well worth the visit seeing a duck I normally see in southern Spain but I suspect is not a true wild individual, but hey, it's a morning out in some nice weather in a grey period which keeps me motivated and positive.

 Stay safe. 

Red-crested Pochard

Airport Time

Clot de Galvany, Alicante - 2.3.20

Clot de Galvany is a small reserve comprising one large and two smaller reed fringed lakes quite close to Alicante Airport but not particularly close to my base in Murcia so visiting is generally only when I using the airport assuming the flight times work out.

Today I'm collecting my wife at the airport who's flying out to Spain early evening giving me the opportunity of a full day at the reserve, one target I'm hoping to see is a Ferruginous Duck that's been present for a couple of weeks so fingers crossed for a connection. It's a sunny day but blowing a whooly but at least I have the benefit of permanent hides on the three lakes.

Arriving at the first small lake I'm surprised to find it's been completely drained to allow re-profiling works of the various islands, with just a couple of White Wagtails present I press on the main small lake at the Clot. The wind is so strong most of the wildfowl are on the far side sheltering behind a couple of islands, I count 32 Red-crested Pochard, a couple of White-headed Ducks, some Cattle Egrets Spanish specialties but they aran't coming anywhere near, the rest very much what you would you would find back in the UK.

Cattle Egret

Pandemonium erupts as a female Marsh Harrier makes a low swoops at some unsuspecting duck but also scattering the Cattle Egrets very obligingly landing right on some dead trees right in from of the hide, the light is a little harsh but this is the closest I've been to these somewhat wary egrets in a long time, it's fill your boots time !

Coot

After all the excitement of the harrier spooking the wildfowl things settle down a little and I turn my attention to the ever squabbling Coots trying for "walking on water" images, it's a bit like when I was photographing White Wagtails earlier in February shooting hundred of shots for a couple of successes.

Red Crested Pochard

Occasionally a pair of Red-crested Pochard venture to my side for a very short period giving some sort of shot, with the strong wind and the sun angle now wrong I do my best, there's always another day.

The weathers deteriorated with even stronger winds, dark clouds appear and the heaven open up just making it back to the car before I get a soaking...few ! it not all sun in Spain. Time to call it a day and head off to the airport to collect my wife.

Foot note: At the airport I didn't realise that there was an international U23 football tournament being held at the Pinatar Arena at Pilar de la Horadada, several teams coming through included Scotland, Netherlands and Russia...well I never !

Clot de Galvany

As there was a report of a pair of Garganey present at the Clot I thought I'd plan a visit to this new location near Alicante Airport. Up at the usual time to the sound of the now regular Cuckoo calling (Cuckoo clock!) which has been present for the last couple of days at the property I head off up the N332 to Alicante armed with some rudimentary directions. Arriving at Grand Alicant I easily find the correct N332 turnoff, then left at the roundabout, straight across the next and a second left turn and I'm there. 

I can here Little Grebe and Mallard calling, Swifts, Swallows, Sand, House Martins are plentiful overhead, I make my way to the main carpark....bad move, better to park on the road near the public hides. I locate the first hide which now has a well developed reed bed making it difficult to observe, Little Grebe, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen being the predominate species, I only spend a short time here as I need to back at the property by midday hence not seeing the Garganey. Moving on to the second hide which is far more open allowing for better observation, species of noted include Cattle Egret, Purple Heron, Red Crested Pochard, Common Pochard, White Wagtail, Serin, Turtle Dove and also the more common species.

From a photography perspective the timing of a morning visit is all wrong, for hide viewing the sun azimuth is slightly in front and too the side, better timing for April would be to visit late afternoon when the sun would be behind viewing, never the less I make the best of the conditions and concentrate photographing the Red Crested Pochard.

Thanks for looking

Click image for clarity....