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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