Quick Break

Murcia - 16.1.20

It's been a while since I last posted on the blog with all the travel over the last few weeks including a short break in Murcia, not so much for photography but just some sun to break up the grey weather back in the UK.

Anyway not a big post just a few images from the week including unexpectedly BirdGuides "Picture Of The Week" of a flight White Wagtail taken not long after arriving at the Clot de Galvany seen below.

You can see the news article by clicking the following link....https://www.birdguides.com/articles/photo-of-the-week-22-28-january/

Update..27-11-20. I just been informed that the image of the White Wagtail has gone the readers vote to be included as feature image for January in Birdwatch Magazine's 2021 calendar. Thank you BirdGuides/Birdwatch magazine 

White Wagtail

Image was taken at the Clot de Galvany not to long after arriving at Alicante Airport which is around six miles away so easily worth a visit before heading south on the AP7 motorway.

Slender-billed Gull

These two images were taken at Los Urrutias which until recently was a great location to get near wading birds in the car, unfortunately after the recent floods just before Xmas the ground is so soft its not even accessible to walk without getting completely covered in mud.

Stonechat

One of my regular birds and locations being so close to the accommodation.

Little Ringed Plover

Salinas San Pedro another location I visit quite a lot, sometimes quiet sometime not but always a great winter sunshine walk along the beach at Torre Derribada.

Coot

Back at the Clot de Gavany in some great afternoon sunlight.

White-headed Duck

I was rather disappointed with this shot as I hadn't seen Whited-headed Duck for some time, a spur of the moment afternoon visit to Lo Monte Ponds, in the afternoon the sun is bang in your face !

Chiffchaff

Absolutely loads of these summer migrants to the UK around the area which winter in Murcia

Red-legged Partridge 

Another regular bird near the accommodation taken at Lo Romero Golf

Wind Swept Waders

24th April - Salinas de San Pedro

Fantastic wader session down at the salinas San Pedro this morning which is mainly a result of the strong winds over the last couple of days with a fair few waders gathered in my favourite location.

Parking up I have a quick scan of whats about before I decide to set up, nothing particularly new but quite a number of waders along the waters edge, the light is good and I'm looking forward to spending a couple or three hours at this location which I prefer rather than a long walk around the salt pans.

Although it's been blue sky's and twenty fives degrees the strong northerly winds has resulted a large number of waders congregating in a small bay at one end of the salinas, with the aid of some camo to impersonate some of the shrubbery I've managed get really close to the action with some birds quite happy to approach as close as two meters, way to close for the "big white".

The images are just some of the many hundred taken over the last two mornings which include….male and female Kentish and Little Ringed Plover, Common and Curlew Sandpiper some in summer plumage, Ruff including a fantastic black male, Redshank, Oystercatcher briefly which I missed, Sanderling in various plumage states, Black Winged Stilt and Avocet. Also present was a group of photogenic Slender Bill Gulls and several paired up Shelduck and all within a twenty metre range !

A group of about twenty Sanderling always the easiest to get near, some in full summer plumage are scuttling clockwork like along the waters edge chased back and forth by the lapping waves.

Click image to view

Resting Sanderling

Sanderling - carrying out maintenance

A little further away in to deeper water are five Curlew Sandpiper feeding, one with some damaged tailed feathers and three showing the red of advanced summer plumage, the colour of the water seems to have be co-ordinated with the birds plumage.

Curlew Sandpiper - almost full Summer Plumage

Occasionally a Common Sandpiper will call an alarm and the waders disappear across the salinas only soon to return, in the interim a group of Slender Bill Gulls always make an alternative for some good images.

Slender Billed Gull

On previous occasions I've visited the San Pedro salinas I've rarely managed to get close to Common Sandpiper, normally all I've managed is a call and a backend view of the wader as it disappears across the salinas.

This wader came very close giving some good photo opertunites.

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Alarm call, there goes all the waders disappearing into the distance....again !

Black Winged Stilts are present in numbers through out the year on the salinas, rather than the usual image pose of a standing wader I though these images in the strong wind would be more interesting.

Black Winged Stilt

There are three Ruff present but way over on the other side of the bay, brown, brown with a white neck and this all black Ruff complete with neck ruff, unfortunately this black wader was constantly chased off by the other Ruff never coming close.

This is one of several images of the wader carrying out some plumage maintenance which would have been superb if it was a little closer.

Ruff - Part Summer Plumage

Turnstones are busy further up on the high tide line doing what they do occasionally venturing into the water, these waders were easily spooked by the alarm call of the Common Sandpiper.

Turnstone

Other waders present were a resident pair of breeding Kentish Plovers, a Little Ringed Plover that's been around for some days and several Redshank, I have posted images of these waders previously so are not included in this post.

One wader that is new for me at San Pedro is the Oystercatcher, it was only after I stopped looking through the camera that I notice the wader flying away from the bay....a missed opportunity !

Walk in the Winter Sunshine

Today I decided to have a day off birding in favour of a walk through the sand dunes at the salinas to the beach and then down to El Mojon, never the less I take the camera…just in case an opportunity presents its self.

It's a brilliantly sunny day as we join the many walkers out enjoying the great weather. The sea is flat calm and Sanderling are scuttling along the waters edge letting us get within a few metres before flying further along the beach, the occasional Stonechat can be seen sat on some scrub never letting us get too close for that mega shot, but its great just to be out.

El Mojon has a nice coffee bar close to the beach so thats where we are heading. The area of Mojon is located on the edge of the salinas and where the salinas channel empties into the sea, in the passed I’ve taken some nice images of Little Egret and Redshank on the beach so I hopeful of a photo opportunity, that is if my wife is not looking !

As we arrive at El Mojon the coffee bar is closed...well it is winter after all, we spend some time just enjoying the sights and sounds of this side of the salinas, in the past Wilsons Phalarope has been recorded in the near by lagoon but all that's on show today is Stonechat perched on the boardwalk handrail so we head back up the beach.

Where the channel empties onto the sea it has created a small pool where a group of Audouins and Slender Billed Gulls have congregated, not wanting to miss a photo op I get the camera out managing some good shots as the gulls not unduly bothered by the walkers and joggers passing close by. A group of Sanderling drop in and take the opportunity of the fresh water to bath and carry out some plumage maintenance much closer than the usual beach encounter which is an added bonus to the scarce Audouins and Slender Billed Gulls.

As we head back to the carpark we head to a favourite wader location on the salinas, nothing present apart from a distant Southern Grey Shrike sat on the tower which soon disappears as we get too near. 

All in all a great walk in some great weather, a little different to what's on offer back home 

Click image & view full screen

Audouins Gull

Slender Billed Gull

Last Day at Salinas de San Pedro

Whilst trying to get some reasonable shots of the Kentish Plover’s there is a group of Slender Billed Gulls squabbling amongst them selves quite close in the small bay of the salinas which is providing some good photo ops, if that wasn't enough the flamingoes are close to the track,  as close as I’ve seen for some time which is getting a lot of attention from the locals stopping to get images on their iPhones.

My flight is later this afternoon and I only have a couple of hours before the sun angle is against me and the light becomes too harsh, on top of that and I haven't yet packed! I get the images of the gulls and flamingos in between the periods when the plovers decide to scuttle clockwork like to the other side of the sandy bay.

All too soon my times up for this trip, but plans are in place to return for Autumn migration and the possible return of "Tonn" the Spotted Eagle to El Hondo.

I’m already looking forward to October

Click image to view....

Return to Murcia

I'm back out to Pilar for my third visit of the year for another week of bird photography, to kick the trip off my first day will be at my old favourite the Salinas at San Pedro which I'm targeting a couple of birds species I've missed on previous occasions. 

Its eight am and I'm at the main road end of the salinas the Avocets in the usual corner location, the only problem are joggers and bikers that pass which tend to spook the birds, so its a bit of a waiting game and I settle down and wait. Two Avocets return to the small bay, its a bit muddy which doesn't lend for a good background but I get the required shots, then behind the Avocets I spot something at the top of the reeds, it looks like a reed head, I swing the big lens around and focus...its a Little Bittern..doh ! I fire off some frames, not being in the right settings I miss the flight shots, but hey ho theres always a next time

I move further up the salinas and the Little Terns are putting on a great show, but more on these great birds in the next post

Next up it's "midge alley" theres a group of Slender Billed Gulls on the low water spit where I had photographed the reflection Black Winged Stilts back in April, I'm expecting the gulls to see me and fly off, but no, they sit happy for me to take my time and get all the shots I want......thanks!

Whilst walking back along the salt pan walls there are several Spiny Footed Lizards scuttling about between the shrubbery, I grab a shot watching as they rase each foot in turn to cool as a result of the hot ground in the now cloudless sky and thirty degrees heat

Next location is a vist to my other close by site, the Lagunas de lo Monte

Click image to view

Arriving at Lagunas de lo Monte, the site is its usual quite absence of people or birders. I start at the first hide, bird numbers are noticeably less and a lot quieter than April, Pochard now with there young cruise the reed beds, Little Grebes are still chattering, but in front of the hide for my first time are a pair of White Headed Duck, the male happily displaying to its mate. Moving to the other hide, the only others bird of note is a Lesser Grey Shrike that perched briefly on the raptor pole, other than that little else.

Time to return home