Town Hall Falcons

Like many others I’ve been following with interest via the council webcam the development of the Peregrine Falcons in residence on Rochdale Town Hall. It’s now around six weeks since the first bird hatched and already some of the young are actively exploring the upper parts of the building and only a matter of days before juveniles take to the air. Now that the recent heatwave is over I though I get down to the town centre and capture some images. 

At the nest platform there’s only one young bird remaining sat on the parapet seen earlier on the webcam patiently waiting for its next meal or even thinking is it my time to fly. A quick scan I locate two other juveniles, one further up the building and another on a ledge at the highest point at the base of the spire, the fourth juvenile I'm sure is enjoying the panoramic skyline somewhere else on the building. 

One parent bird is flying around with a new kill the other sat on its usual water channel perch high on the town hall building. Setting up the camera...bit worrying !..I initially get some static shots of the adult birds, but the young are for the most part out of sight, I'm also keen to get some flight shots of the parents birds circling the building which is a relatively easy capture as they glide in the wind 

Happy with a successful encounter and recording some reasonable images I call it a day.

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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

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Kentish Plover Morning

With an evening flight back to the UK I have one last morning available to enjoy this great birding area so its back the salinas at San Pedro to see what new photo ops can be had. The Little Terns are now on the far side of the salt pans so I move along to muddy cove nearest to the reserve centre which can attract Avocets and Black Winged Stilts and wait, sometimes you just have to wait and see what turns up. A Kentish plover drops in on the mud which would be good photo op as I've missed this bird so far on the trip, I grab a couple of distant shots and it fly's off so I decide to move on to another location.

On the lagoon on the opposite side of the road there are a twenty or so Slender Billed Gulls, squabbling, screeching, generally making a din so I sit on the lagoon bank and try and get some flight shots, in the corner of my eye I notice a plover running like a clockwork toy up and down a dry sandy beach....its a Kentish Plover...then another, bins out, there are also young chicks so I know the birds won't stray far. As I watch for the next fifteen minutes or so there are two pairs with young chicks and a third, sitting on eggs

The plovers take no notice of me as I sit hidden amongst the scrub on the lagoon bank, on occasions a male on territory chases the other birds away, its all action. I notice a plover return to its scrape presumably with eggs which is located amongst the dead drift vegetation up against an old rope knot on the shore line, I resist getting closer happy to view from a distance getting some good images, a good encounter to finish off my trip

I'll be back in September for return migration.

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Kentish Plover brooding on its scrape, must get some sense of security from the rope knot !

Kentish Plover chick..

Five Star Accommodation at Vistabella

Its a return to Vistabella Road hides today but this time I'm heading the the second hide which is further down the channel track that boarders the southern lagoon. As you arrive and head through the reeds to the hide you have to walk on a raised wooden walkway which is three planks wide, a bit scary if you are carrying very expensive camera gear, it get worse, as you approach the hide it veers up about one metre above the water. Once inside its evident this hide is a far better being both closer and lower to the water offerring extensive views either side and to the front.

I count about thirty or so Black Necked Grebe's all resplendent in their summer plumage, incessantly calling... "pu-ii", unusual if you've not head it before. Greater Flamingo, Glossy Ibis are abundant, Little Bitterns are flying bullet like to and fro to a reed island in front of the hide, presumably feeding young. Male White Headed Ducks are jostling each other with this years young around the reed fringes and Purple Herons glide over the water like Vulcan Bombers

Its now around 11.0 am and the sun is making light conditions a little harsh casting unwanted shadows on the subjects, for this reason if photography is what your here for an early visit is recommended, and I would defiantly recommend the second hide.

Returning to the car I pass quite close to the first hide so I have a quick look, much the same as pervious visit so time to move on to my next location, the Old Monastery on the Elche Road.

As I arrive I note a resident Kestrel hunting, they always look a lot paler than the UK variant. I park up behind the building where I had previously seen a Roller, but no luck today and continue down the gravel tracks recommended by a resident birder. The only birds of note are, a Bee-Eater, Lesser Grey Shrike and Woodchat Shrike.

Its now mid afternoon and call it a day and head back to the accommodation

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Image of the normally secretive Purple Swamphen swimming in open water, the bird had decided to swim from the mainland to a reed island across approximatly three hundred meters of water.