Day At The Seaside

Fairhaven Lake - 31.10.2026

These day’s I’m not one for travelling great distances for a single bird more likely to spend time in a location with multiple species opportunities, that said I was recently viewing a short video of a Long-Tailed Duck in residence on a coastal lake reasonable close to home, might be worth a visit.

The video taken on a grey windy day didn’t really do justice to this male sea duck sporting the unlikeliest of long tail feathers but with a weather forecast of some sun over the next few days a trip was organised.

Now some five miles into the trip I had a thought….batteries !…yep I’ve left them at home ! After a quick detour I’m finally at my destination, it’s overcast with blanket cloud, I really wanted some sun to bring out some colour so I use the opportunity to do a quick  “reci” 

With a bracing cold wind I join the other walkers circling the lake, scanning for what resembles a LTD when another birder points out the duck resting on one of the islands, with little signs of movement I decide it’s a good time to return to the car and get the gear.

I’m sat watching the duck and after some feather maintenance it take’s flight to the far end of the lake. The duck is actively diving only giving maybe around three seconds between dives to get images as a bonus the sun’s made an appearance, splendid ! 

Now I’ve not used the camera since last year and the settings seem a little, the focal length seems short !…then I notice the tele converter not on the lens....back to the car.

Back to where the LTD is diving, tele converter fitted to the lens and batteries in pocket I'm all set when the duck decides to heads for the island climes the bank and sits down with head under a wing…doh !

After a short wait the duck resumes its activities, the sun out with some nice colour in the water and it’s back to the camera action for just a last few images. 

All done, I’m now off to sample the local hospitality. 

Long-Tailed Duck (male)

A Session To End

Hides de Calera - (Day 5 - PM) - 16.10.2025

Late afternoon we set off on the short drive to a private estate just outside El Caser the location of our accommodation, it’s still warm around twenty degrees with blue sky’s and full sun, remembering my last visit at the beginning of the week the sun didn’t help overexposing the background massively, so I guess it’s the same again this afternoon.

The location has two hides, I’m in the same one as previous, no matter their side by side so no different in the shots. There are two setup’s, a stone wall and the other a large diagonal log, the stone wall has dark background which falls into shadow late on, the log background with yellow grass gets extremely over exposed so you constantly have to change settings…hey ho !

It’s a long wait far longer than my last visit so much that at one point I thought it might be a “no show” eventually a single “bop” did make a late appearance.The Goshawk lands on the stone wall, it’s cautious looking in all directions I’m sure due the presence of another “gosh” which will rob it’s meal given a chance.

The sun now very low has cast the entire area into shadow ramping up the ISO and pushing the shutter speed low, I'm trying to limit a high ISO using a shutter speeds as low as 100 s/s, selective shooting is now the best option rather than what I usually do...blasting away !.  

With the sun now almost gone as is the light I’m happy just to watch the bop rather than to shoot more, and with a last tug the Goshawk manages to free the last remains of the carcass and in the best Westerns Movies disappears off in the direction of the setting sun.

Trip over….maybe see you again next year.

Goshawk

The Last Day

Hides de Calera - (Day 5, AM) - 16.10.2025

The last day of the trip and hopefully it’s going to be “bop” overload. First up this morning an early morning start off to a vast area of open country known in Spanish terms as “steep”. The hide location looks out over an open plain with endless sky’s with just a light covering of cloud, in from of the hide a setup comprising several large log piles with a single dead tree several hundred meters further away. 

As the sun rises it washes the ground with short grass in a yellow light, A lone Magpie is the first to arrive followed by a Common Buzzard, I’m thinking it’s a long way to come to see species commonly seen back home. 

A female Marsh Harrier is next on the scene the numbers increasing by the second eventually maybe up to twenty present. I’m always amazed from what seem’s like as out of no where birds of prey with their incredible eye sight can see out a opportunity.

I’m looking for a shot that’s a little different with harriers squabbling when a large bird of prey swoops in, it’s a Spanish Imperial Eagle not one but two both eventually landing in the dead tree, a male and a larger female, the male sporting several leg tags and a GPS tracker on its back.

The action has attracted another bop, very wary and only viewing from a distance, it’s single Black Vulture. Cautiously clockwork like it walks closer to where the actions taking place, then takes to the air and departs.

Other birds of note, a Grey Heron strange to see sat in open vast open country with not a drop of water in sight, and a single Common Wheatear presumably on its way to winter south in Africa. 

This evening it’s a final session with Goshawk’s a rare encounter in the UK more commonly seen in Spain and a great end to finish off the trip.

Spanish Imperial Eagle

Red Kite & Female Marsh Harrier 

Black Vulture

Common Buzzard

Grey Heron

More Lynx !

Hides de Calera - (Day 4) - 15.10.2025

Today it’s another session with the Iberian Lynx but at a different hide still within the range of a male and female but more likely to see the male. The location's not far from the first day session but it's more an elevation position overlooking a wooden valley.

On arrival it’s pretty quite with just a few Magpies and the occasional rabbit chancing it’s existence grazing the short grass. It’s a long wait a very long wait, having arrived at 8.0am it’s now 4.0pm and it's a no show...of anything ! Then Jose arrives in his vehicle, apparently the gent in the next hide had made a comment !

After the “no show” I'm now back at the location of the first day, luckily the female and cub are in residence but the downside it’s now 5.0pm and we being collected at 7.0pm so it’s going to be a short session. The Lynx grabs a rabbit and then walks off into the forest quickly followed by the cub suggesting the session will be even shorter.

Iberian Lynx

After some thirty minuets the female make an appearance, walking in front and flops down to rest after it’s meal. To my surprise a Iberian Green Woodpecker makes an appearance landing on open ground presumably looking for ants, before I can get the lens on it moves off into longer grass missing the shot…doh !

With the sun setting and light disappearing quickly there maybe about an hour left before it’s time to pack up. I’m hoping the Lynx will start to become active enabling a last few shots which eventually it did.

Not the best session I’ver had but as they say it’s wild life, some days good others not so. This will probably my last session with these endangered mainland cats for this trip, I wonder what’s on offer tomorrow ?

Iberian Green Woodpecker

Iberian Lynx

Silent Killer !

Hides de Calera (Day 3, PM) - 14.10.2025

The afternoon session on day 3 is a Goshawk session and one I’ve been looking forward to for some time. It's late afternoon and still full sun and blue sky as we make the short drive to a private nature reserve, I don’t know why it's private but that’s what I’m told.

Located in a dehase (open woodland) of oaks and pine trees we decant into one person wooden boxes called hides !…the wait starts.  It’s total silence, then a familiar call of a “bop” rings out, now I’m no expert but I guessing it’s a Goshawk, this carries on for about fiver minuets then the "goss" swoops in from behind the hide landing on an old stump ready with a free offering.

“Mantling” over it’s meal the Goshawk carries on calling as another “bop” is in a nearby tree, the second Goshawk swoops in making a bid to steal the food but is soon seen off. Always cautious the Goshawk continues to feed eventually moving over to a pile boulders, happy that the background light now being much better due to the darker pines behind.

As the setting sun dropping below the trees it casts the entire area into shadow pushing the camera ISO up and the shutter speeds down, with enough images I'm now just intent to watch the spectacle.

The Goshawk has now reduced the meat carcass to just scraps pulling the remains free and flying off, just as well as our time is up for the day.

Goshawk

The Imperial Eagle

Hides de Calera (Day 3, AM) - 14.10.2025

This morning I'm just outside a village called Navalcan with the Gredos mountain range in the distance the first opportunity where we are hoping for an encounter with the Spanish Imperial Eagle, other target species I’m hoping to see is the Egyptian Mongoose that’s also been taking advantage of the free offerings.

Very much like the Valley Hide visited the previous day I’m high up on a crag with panoramic views overlooking the vast open countryside preferred by many of the larger birds of prey. In front is a large pine tree where the eagles will use to check out the immediate area to ensure all is safe before coming closer. 

First to arrive are several Raven’s grabbing all they can before being seen off by the larger birds of prey. Red Kite’s swoop down rather than land taking their share and eating on the wing, a couple of Common Buzzards noticeable smaller in comparison to the larger eagles just sit in a tree and wait for an opportunity.

Eventually a couple of Imperial Eagles appear and land in the favoured pine a little to far for any decent images, then one deciding it’s safe to come a little closer but only staying for only a short time never to reappear again for remainder of my time.

Now the activity is quite probably a good time for an appearance of a mustelid that seems completely out of place in Spain, an Egyptian Mongoose. I didn’t have to wait too long for it to arrive, but it’s quick, very quick. Never staying long enough for the ideal full shot but it’s the best on the day. 

 

Raven

Spanish Imperial Eagle

Red Kite

Egyptian Mongoose