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

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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