A visit north today to the Santa Agueda Platforms, a prime location to view Spotted Eagle and other birds of prey over wintering at El Hondo. The platforms essentially are two wooden towers that over look the La Raja lagoon and reed beds on the South West of side of the El Hondo Reserve....today is a BOP day.
Arriving early it's again a brilliantly sunny day a bit nippy in the shade of the covered tower but in the sun it's around 16 degrees which can't be bad for a winter's morning. Marsh Harriers are quartering the reed bed, probably 6 to 8 birds, a Kestrel makes an appearance hovering in typical fashion looking for a meal, then a fellow photo tog points out 2 pale phase Booted Eagles that frequent the lower areas of El Hondo during the winter drifting slowly low over the reserve.
It's now late morning and still waiting for a first sighting of a Spotted Eagle, there were some great views from this location the previous week so we remain optimistic of an encounter. In front of the tower two Marsh Harries are mobbing a bird sat on a mud bank, a closer inspection through the reed's you can just make out a large dark bird, it's only when it flies to a near by tree that it's identified as a Spotted Eagle.
Whilst ranking up the Marsh Harrier sightings and also keeping a keen eye on the tree in which the eagle is perched a van appears along the track to the lagoon, it's a fisherman who promptly puts up the eagle, flies and lands on top a bush some hundred meters further way eventually heading off into the reserve.
After a quiet period I’m heading to the public hides overlooking Llevant Lagoon on the Vistabella Road, the sat nav takes me through a farming area near Monje and in a ploughed field sat at the top of a tree near the road I spot a Southern Grey Shrike, not one but two! stopping the car I grab the camera and fire off maybe fifty shots before the birds decide thats enough of that…was that lucky, you bet.
Vistabella Road hides are quite, apart from a couple of Booted Eagles, the ubiquitous Marsh Harriers theres little else of interest not like summer which is just a mega place of bird activity. Time to head back
It's late afternoon and my wife and I are heading back to the residence after a coffee down at the marina, heading through the orange groves I always have a look for Stone Curlew which can be found between the rows of trees, slowly I count 8, the next row 6 and so on, you get the drift they are every where, I get out of the car to get closer to the fence as you need to shoot through the fence, bad move, they all fly to the far side, plan B stay in the car. I manage some shot in the now low light, maybe next time.
Click image & view full screen
Stone Curlew
Pale Phase Booted Eagle
Southern Grey Shrike
No comments:
Post a Comment