Great Chattering Warblers !

Where ever I’ve been over the last couple of days with significant reed beds there have been Great Reed warblers chattering, sometimes deep in cover, sometimes sat at the top of stems but always to far to photograph. 

Today I’m back at the Vistabella Road on the southern area of El Hondo to visit the second hide which is some way down from the water channel footbridge. Its early morning and the sun is just rising as I walk along the track, I can hear a multitude of bird of differing sound and I’m anticipating a good morning of bird photography. 

I am half way along the track when suddenly a Great Reed Warbler pops up in the reed bed, its sat on a reed stem with the stem behind which makes for a ideal to capture a good image. More intent on chattering than being concerned about me it presents a good photo op, its only about 5.0 meters away and I don't have a tripod so its hand hold only at 1,120mm focal length! I managed over the next 3 to 4 minutes get some real close images, a real good encounter.

Happy with the great start to the day I’m looking forward to seeing what unfolds in hide two, a new location for me.

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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

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San Felipe Visitors Centre & Vistabella Road, El Hondo

After visiting the San Felipe Visitors Centre at midday on Saturday with unfavourable the light conditions I thought I’d have a return visit early morning to photograph the in decline Marbled Duck and also the breeding pair of Little Ringed Plover. On my previous visit the Marbled Duck had dispersed to the reserve by midday and the constant stream of visitors tended to spooked the Little Ringed Plovers, so the plan was to arrive around 7.30 am taking advantage of the more favourable early morning sunlight and lack of visitors

As I arrive the centre staff are scattering grain presumably to attract the birds closer for visitors, very soon Marbled Ducks had returned and were enjoying the free meal along with two very noisy Purple Swamphen’s (Galinulle), Whiskered Terns were feeding off the waters surface and a couple of Squacco Herons and an Egret were standing motionless in the reeds a lot closer than you would normally see and the Red-Knobbed Coot which have been reintroduction are busily feeding young. It’s now 9.30 am with all the shots I need I decide to try my luck getting some images of the plovers that had taken up residence in the roped off area on the centre approach

The male Little Ringed Plover is watching, occasional with a reassuring call to its mate, the female is further back in some scrub near the reedbed periodically brooding the small chicks, any disturbance sends the chick to cover, I sit motionless under the boundary path hedge in order to get some shots and leave satisfied that I may have one or two usable images. 

My next stop is the hides along the Vistabella Road on the southern boundary of El Hondo which is a new venue for me and very interested to see what it looked like, but first I call in at the "old football pitch" about a mile from the centre which is a “hot spot” for Roller. As I arrive I see a Roller sat on the closest goal post, as soon a I stop it fly’s to the next goal post, now there a four Rollers all sat in a row. With little chance of getting close I move on to Vistabella Road

Previously I had programmed the sat nav to arrive on Vistabella Road where the small irrigation foot bridge crosses the water channel, its quite close to the first hide so I set off along the edge of the reeds which must be three metres in hight, as I turn and head through the reeds towards the hide a Squacco Heron stood motionless on the path no more than tree meters in front of me, a truly unexpected encounter. Arriving at the hide I try to pick out the different bird calls through the wall of sound, Great Reed Warblers chattering, Coots clucking, Heron grunts, the unmistakable shrills of Little Grebe, Mallard and the constantly "pu-ii" calls of Black Necked Grebe. For the next tree hours I enjoy what reminds me a little of Leighton Moss, a hide all to myself in birding heaven.

Moving on to next location which has been recommended by resident birder, The Old Monastery on the Elche Road, as I arrive I see a resident Kestrel mentioned, I park up at the rear of the building, a Roller is inquisitively looking in one of the holes in the building, it see’s me and heads to and perches on a metal pole sticking out of the ground like a missile ready to lunch, it sits there for a few moments and then heads for a Palm tree further away which it descent lookalike moving from. 

Its now 3.30 pm, time for home.

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It's a Hard Day at El Hondo

Today I've booked to visit the main El Hondo Reserve at the North Gate entrance. Access to the reserve is only available on Saturday mornings so it's a 6. 30 am start and I head up the AP7 to San Felipe but first I call in at the reserve centre as both venues are new to me.

Arriving at 7.30 am I have 45 minuets spare so I take the opportunity to have a quick look at the centre lake...its bussing with activity, Marbled Teal zoom off at the first sight of me, herons, egrets are around the fringes, Whiskered Terns flit around picking food from the surface of the water, but times up, its time to leave. I note a Little Ringed Plover in the roped off area with young, in the carpark a Woodchat Shrike is sat on a fence post, but thats for another day

At the North Gate there are four cars waiting to gain access, surprising really given the reserves reputation I was expecting more. I chat with another "Brit" about a plan to view the reserve and park up ready to explore. A Great Reed Warbler is chattering in front of me, and I rattle of a couple of frames. Reaching the tower which I understand is one of the main venues as it offers views over a large are of the reserve. Birds of note include...Greater Flamingo, Greater & Lesser Egret, Little Bittern, Glossy Ibis, Grey & Purple Herons, Great Reed Warblers, ducks and much more. For the photography perspective the distance to the birds is too far to offer real success.

I follow the channel-tree line to the next hide, herons and terns fly overhead but the hide is a little disappointing as birds are way in the distance. Moving further into the reserve to boardwalk and tower that fringes the last accessible lake, Slender Bill Gulls bob about on the water, Little Bittern fly between reed beds, Glossy Ibis fly over, other than that, little else new.

I am now at the far end of the accessible reserve and its 10. 45 am so I start my return my long walk back to the carpark. Its hot and I can quite believe how far I have walked, here's a tip, park mid way a save yourself a long walk !

Back at the carpark its been a long walk with little photo ops, a little disappointed I take a rest and down a litre of water, a Nightingales is singing somewhere in the undergrowth and leave for the reserve centre

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Making my way to the reserve centre around 12.0 midday the lake is now completely quite, the sun is now directly in front no good photography so I move on to the boardwalk through the marsh, flamingos are close by, two Collard Pratincoles site at the waters edge and a Squacco Heron is out in the open all good photo ops. My times up, its been a tiring day

As I leave the centre the two Little Ringed Plover are in the open, calling in the roped area, they have several recently hatch young so I site down and see what photo ops presents, the plovers constantly vigilant as people leave the centre come quite close, camera at the ready I get the shots

Little Terns Are Back

San Pedro salinas now have terns in residence occupying the tank walls near the first and second car pull-in, birds screeching overhead, hovering and diving catching fish as offerings to their mate.

I'm sat next to the cycle track and for two hours photograph the activities at no more than ten meters which seems to involve incessant calling and areobatics, on occasions the male will tempt its mate with the fish offering but not actually passing the fish, more happy to take off and fly around calling with the fish in its bill playing...catch me.

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Little Tern