I’m on my own for the first week so the plan for the first day as I'm already registered is to visit El Hondo reserve in the morning and San Filipe centre in the afternoon. I understand over the last couple of weeks a Spotted Crake has been showing well so fingers crossed for some images.
Being out every day is always full on and making time to sort images, write up the blog, entertainment up at the local bar all takes time…well you have too, so with that in mind I thought I’d make a start.
But first I'm off to do some packing.
Saturday 14th April - El Hondo / San Filipe Centre
Arriving at the 8.30 am entrance time I'm surprised with the number of queuing cars maybe fifteen or so with a mixture of Brits, Dutch, and Spanish birders. Heading for the first tower and meet up with the regular on Saturdays Graeme Critchell and his mate, they are picking birds up at long range using scopes which is good as I don't tend to carry a scope these days.
Birds at Hondo are always at long range with no real chance of images other than a lucky fly over so I head to the bottom tower to try and get images of the Moustached Warbler resident the reeds nearby. Birds of the day include....Fox, Booted Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Osprey, male & female Garganey, WH Duck, Purple, Grey Heron, L & G Egret, Squacco, L Bittern, Willow & Chiffs, Whiskered Terns, Swallows, tens of thousands of Swifts and more importantly....sun !
All too soon its 11.30 am and time to leave the North Gate and I head the short distance to the visitors centre at San Felipe.
I'm now at the visitors centre which is a bit like an RSPB reserve but in the sun, a quick look at the screen pool at the centre which is never good for photography as the sun is always at the wrong in the afternoon, Marbled Teal, Gallinule and a few Red Crested Pochard cruise the water, I move on.
Continuing along the boardwalk I stop at the covered platform to look for the Spotted Crake that was seen here a few days back, birds of note include Blue Headed Wagtail and Glossy but no sign of the crake.
At the end of the boardwalk I pick up in the adjoining field about twenty Collard Pratincole, they are quite near but there's a wire fence between us, you can't be lucky at the .
It's now late afternoon and with a full day's birding under my belt, time to call it a day and head back
Click image to view
Red Crested Pochard - male
Red Crested Pochard - female
Marbled Teal
As I leave the visitors centre carpark up to forty Collard Pratincole are wheeling overhead and landing in the recently plowed field, I switch lens to the 100-400 and spend time getting some flight shots.
On the other side on the water irrigation channel the birds are are sat on the ground quite close to road, a quick turn around and I slowly drive along the track right alongside the birds, using the car as a mobile hide I get some unusual close images, a great way to finish the day.
Collared Pratincole
Temminck's Stint - Identification Record Shots
Just in front of the visitors centre I have a quick look at the edge of lagoon fringed by Tamarisk bushes and locate a Stint, unfortunately the wader was walking away from me and as the camera is fitted with the 100-400 I'm not able to get close, never the less I get some images which I suspect is a Temminck's Stint seen at this location on pervious occasions.
The image shows the yellow leg colour and the wings length short of the end of the tail (Opus). You may also just make out the pectoral band separating the light brown breast and white under belly.
In this cropped image the pectoral band is clearly seen along with the shorter wing length and the slightly curved bill, being straight in the Little Stint.
In the carpark I'm having a spot of lunch and this bird lands on the fence wire, initially I thought it was a Wheatear until I put the camera on it.....Whinchat !
Whinchat
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