Another Short Drive

Lo Romero  Reserve - 4.3.20

It's another short drive to Lo Romero Reserve around six mile from the sea comprising two small reed fringed lakes in agricultural land that were formally part of a current working water works, can for me be a bit hit and miss for me but I guess the more time you put the better dividends it pays. Whats evident when I arrived was there are masses of Chiffchaff, resident in winter but the numbers seem greater than usual some even belting it out in full song.

Making my way to the second hide which has been the most productive in my past visits, several passerines are drinking from one of the only shallow pool amongst the tall reeds, Serin, Goldfinch and a few Chiffchaff take the opportunity to have a wash and brush up but its not really a clear shot, nevertheless I get some images of a "chiffy" perched on some reeds.

Chiffchaff

Serin

Several Serins take the opportunity to drink from a shallow pool but they are a bit wary as they can see me in the hide, Spanish reserve hides don't have rears wall so the birds can see your silhouette...pointless really.

Stonechat - female

This Stonechat is probably moving through the area, not your typical bird you find amongst the lake reeds.

Goldfinch

Another drinking from the shallow pool

Bluethroat

Out the corner of my eye a bird dives for cover, at this time of year it can only be one bird....a Bluethroat, now I would dearly like to get another shot of these usually skulking birds, anyway it wasn't for coming out but I did mange this record image.

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

In Search Of Bonelli's Eagle - Day 4 Continued

Quarry Hide (afternoon session) - 29.1.20

The morning session now over at the Goshawk hide we head south to an area close to the city of Liria north west of Valencia for an afternoon session in the passerine "Quarry Hide" but first it's a quick stop at the nearby Lidl Superstore to stock up on some food.

Twenty minuets later we are in the "Quarry Hide"located on the edge in of the city sprawl in an area that looks like some small scale quarrying has taken place in the past,  the "permanent" hide being far more luxurious than previous hides sporting some nice swivel chairs and even electric fans ! The birds are ever present, the ones you want see but never managing to get near, but I'm more interested for the next few minuets in devouring my purchases from Lidl and weighing up the shot possibilities.

All the species I was expecting are present but there's is a couple of specialties I'm on the look out for missed earlier in the week, Blue Rock Thrush and Black Wheatear, but it's not long before they turn up. The Blue Rock Thrush makes an appearance in some great light, the blue colour ever changing as the sun dips in and out from behind the cloud, the background for the shot in fact most of the shots are from using the 500 wide open making some loverly bokeh with the pine trees in the distance, almost a green screen !

And that's it my four days in the sun is up, some great birds at some incredibly close distances, a trip I would highly recommend. Special thanks must go to Turia Hides and especially Yanina Maggiotto who has been my guide for the four day trip and has amazed me with her energy turning up at some incredible early hours to make the trip a success..thanks again.

See you all at the end of the year.

Black Redstart - male

Black Redstarts are probably one of the most common birds to be found in Spain during the winter literally they are everywhere around the urbanisations, the drab females seemingly more common than the photogenic males. I was hoping to get images of the male bird on the trip and this one didn't disappoint.

Iberian Grey Shrike

I've all ways had mixed success shooting shrikes especially in the UK my hit rate is pretty much zero, in Spain on the other hand I can get quite close as long as I stay in the mobile hide (car) but on this trip I'm getting some of the closesd encounters to date, here's some images of the hundreds taken over a couple of hours.

Blue Rock Thrush

I'd seen Blue Rock Thrush several time in the week not really getting a decent image due to the harsh light or staying partly hidden but this bird gave some shots with a decent clean background, but I had to be quick as it only stayed maybe around five seconds on every visit.

Kestrel....male & female

Black Wheatear

White Wagtail

Serin

Lagunas de lo Monte

New location for me today, a small wet land reserve just outside Pilar near the Hotel Lo Monte on the N322. The reserve which has two small reed fringed lakes not too dissimilar to the Clot de Galvany in Grand Alicant but a little bigger and thirty miles nearer home.

Arriving at the first hide which is located on the lower lake, within seconds flying towards me and landing in the reeds four metres in front of me, not one, but two Squacco Herons, unfortunately as the hide viewing slots are a little on the large side the herons took one look at me and were off further up the reserve.....no shot there then !

Onwards to the third hide which is located on the upper lake, "ground hog day" again the Squacco Herons where flying around looking to settle near the reed fringed scrape in front of the hide finally opting for the reeds on the far side

Birds of note include....Purple Heron, Night Heron, Grey Heron, Squacco Heron, White Headed Duck, Little Egret, Pochard, Mallard, Gadwall, Little Grebe, BWS, Coot, Moorhen, Spotted Redshank.

On the road back through Pilar, the famous goats/sheep (its hard to tell!) that frequent the crop fields gave good photo ops of an accompanying Cattle Egret comically jumping from one animal to another. Orange trees had numerous Serins singing and on the ground Red Legged Partridge can be seen scuttling around between the trees.

Click image for clarity.....