Last Day Before The Storm

Cabo de Palos / Los Urrutias - 29.1.19

I'm coming to the end of my Murcia trip and I thought I'd have one last visit over to Cabo de Palos to try and improve on the images of the rare for the area the Brown-necked Raven, but on route its always worth calling in to Los Urrutias on the Mar Menor as its a wader hot spot and anything can turn up. I'd also like to re-photograph the Little Egret if still present, as the light on my last visit was grey and overcast resulting in some poor flat images.

As I'm on route to Cabo de Palos and it's still morning this is a bit of rece visit, the Little Egret is still present so with a little luck will be here later, possibly even some waders that may drop in later in the day..fingers crossed.

Now late afternoon the low sun is right behind producing some great light on to the sea, the Egret is fishing right near the shore line, there's some good images to be had, all I need is to improve as a bird photographer !

Little Egret

Greenshank

The light is changing somewhat, sometimes good sometimes not so good but as its windless I manage to get some reflection shots, the image below being one of my favourites.

In this image as in the image of the Little Egret the Greenshank has caught a Pipefish, it struggled with it initially taking it to the waters edge to finally swallow

BirdGuides "Notable Image" 6-12th February, 2019. see link.....

https://www.birdguides.com/articles/photo-of-the-week-6-12-february/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter130219&eid=594937&_ccCt=5ULMB15BjDA0fidwZP_VA_1Q1EwkcsVmFQ1au0H56uLvTLwPRZWOLd%7egqpRqXqVn

There were two Greenshanks during my visit occasionally coming together, and very occasionally after a long wait coming together in the same shot.

Winter Curlew's

Campoverde - 27.01.19

I Haven't managed this trip despite a number of visits to get close to the local Stone Curlews which hang around in groups amongst the local orange groves, so this morning just as the sun is rising I'm making the short drive to have another go. The usual plan is to remain in the car and with the engine off to free wheel slowly down the gentle incline with the camera already on a bean bag looking between each tree rows.

I can hear several Red Legged Partridge clucking in the quiet Sunday morning never easy to get near along with a number of calling curlews. The rising sun is low casting a yellow glow on the already yellow earth and with the curlews being sandy brown its making the image all a bit yellow !

The first couple of rows the birds are all in the distance, then next rows have groups of six or more are quite close to the road with the occasional bird sat down on the yellow earth, I don't risk getting out of the car as the usual outcome they disappear way off to the other side of the orange groves.

I'm lucky this morning managing a number of shots closer than previous occasions, happy with the encounter it's time to try my luck back down on the golf course.

Happy birding. 

Stone Curlew

These birds always look like they have just woken up with that half closed eyes

I came across this curlew sat down quite close to the road, generally when they get sight of you they are off but this one slowly got up, looked at me for a few minuets and then walked away to join others in a group

Salinas Local

Salinas de San Pedro - 23.1.19

A first visit of the trip to the local salinas which usually produces a few waders, but today nothing obvious and I have to work to locate anything of note, its all very quiet. At the top carpark I don't bother getting the gear out instead opting for a quick look with the bins, straight away two Marsh Harrier's float overhead which would have been a good shot eventually drifting off into the distance. Other birds of note include a few Avocets, a group of Black-tailed Godwits frantically feeding in a muddy corner and the ubiquitous Black-winged Stilts, time to move on.

Now at the midway pull in a group of about six Black Necked Grebe are close to the edge of a lagoon, the light is in the wrong direction but as there isn't much else about to photograph so I thought a few images wouldn't go amiss. The grebes dive and thats my chance to get within a few meters only to be scattered when a cyclist passes so I resigned myself to sitting and just enjoying the Spanish sunshine.

Chatting to another birder its obvious its lean pickings bird wise, then I spot a wader alongside two Black Winged Stilts, looking down the long lens its a Spotted Red Shank showing the characteristic kink at the end of its bill. Positioning myself with the best sun angle available its going to be a bit of a waiting game, the two stilts move alone the mud bank and the redshank follows but it still a little unsure about doing what it's known for....wading, preferring to swim instead.

Occasionally the waders get spooked by a passing cyclists but they soon return to the small mud bay but the Spotted Redshank all the while prefers to swim occasionally giving the alternative standing on the mud shot. Another cyclist this time the waders have had enough and disappear to the other side of the salinas.

After a slow start its been a good close encounter with a wader I haven't seen a lot of recently and a new tick for the trip. Looking forward to later in spring when this location always produces, right off to look for flights

Spotted Redshank

BirdGuides Photo of the Year 2018

BirdGuides Photo of the Year 2018 Competition

Just found out that my image of a Short-eared Owl with its mouth wide open is a finalist in the BirdGuides Photo of the Year 2018 Competition. Shortlisted from the 52 weekly competition wining images by 45 photographers, a big honour for me in my short photographic career in just a little over two years.

You can read the BirdGuides article by "clicking" the link below and voting for your favourite image

https://www.birdguides.com/articles/birdguides-photo-of-the-year-2018/

These are the ten shortlisted images, I have picked my three favourites but I'm not saying what they are, please go and vote.

Costa "Twitch"

Cabo de Palos, La Manga - 21.1.19

Today I'm heading down AP7 motorway to Cabo de Palos which is located at the start of the La Manga strip to do a little Spanish "twitching" of a Brown-necked Raven. Normally a bird of the North Africa desert the Raven has travelled the relative short distance presumably up from Morocco to taken up residence around the rocky outcrop of the lighthouse. Reading a few local birding blogs on locating the Raven it's would appear its a case of making your way up to the lighthouse and waiting... fingers crossed.

I've now made my way up the short climb to the lighthouse and as you would expect its a little breezy but at least its pleasantly warm in the Spanish sunshine a little different to the current cold weather back home. An hour has passed and out of nowhere the Raven appears from behind me croaking as to say...you've missed the shot again as it glides off in the direction of the port....the waiting continues.

Now there's not a lot of large black birds on La Manga, Yellow legged Gulls yes, so when I see a black crow like bird heading towards me in the distance I'm at the ready. The Raven circles the lighthouse and to my surprise lands on the lower part of the lighthouse building, still a little high up on the building but it's still an acceptable shot, the only issue I'm shooting directly into the bright sky.

Obligingly the raven marches up and down on a building ledge croaking all the time, eventually making its way to the end of the ledge and with one flap takes to the air. I recon I've taken maybe fifty images in what can only be a less than a minuet, with luck I'll have some images worth keeping.

I finish off the session with some flight shots of the Raven which performs its full range of acrobatics, diving and rolling as it disappears over the rooftops and into the distance, the same direction I'm heading shortly....back up the AP7 motorway

Brown-necked Raven

I've just been on the BirdGuides site and to my surprise I've got another success in a "Notable Image" for the shot of the Raven in flight. I don't normally post that many images on BirdGuides but its alway nice to get some recognition for your efforts when you do. Thank you BirdGuides.

BirdGuides "Notable Image" - January 2019

Heading South

Los Urrutias, Mar Menor - 21.1.19

On my way to Cabo de Palos to see the Brown-neck Raven I'm stopping off at a new location at Urrutias Port to see if I can photograph a Great White Egret that's been present in the area for some time. located on the south end of the Mar Menor the area in front of small port has a small expanse of weed and mud that can attract birds such as waders, terns, herons and egrets, and as a bonus you can do all your viewing by remaining in your car using it as a mobile hide.

On arrival a quick scan I quickly pick out about thirty noisy Gull Bill Terns fishing in the clear blue water further out, also present are numerous Slender Billed and the ever noisy Black Headed Gulls. Further down the coast line and quite close to the shore edge a single Little Egret and a Great Egret are busy fishing for the abundant shrimps along the weed line, exactly what I've come to see.

Moving the car slowly opposite each egret in turn I spend the next hour or so getting some great images in some lovely low sunlight directly behind, happy with efforts I move on and see what else is about.

Back near the port entrance I locate a Greenshank flying low up the coast line and it very obligingly lands opposite the car....this is turning out to be a super site ! The wader takes some time out from its activities and rests standing on one leg and tucking its with bill under one wing, occasionally workmen repairing a nearby road startle the wader jumping to attention giving some alternative image poses.

Now having spent around two hours enjoying shooting some nice images its time to continue my journey to Cabo de Palos, a tip to anyone visiting this location the afternoon is by far the better time to visit when the sun angle will be directly behind the shooter facing the sea.

Club Regatas & Marina

Looking South

Great Egret

Little Egret

Greenshank

Return To Murcia

Lo Romero Golf Course - 20th January 2019

Its the day after my arrival in Murcia and the weather is cloudy with the occasional drizzle so I don't fancy venturing particularly far hence I'm going Local. First stop is only a kilometre down the road amongst the orange groves where Stone Curlew winter in numbers of up to fifty or so, but they are so aware of your presence you have to remain in the car or enter "commando mode" to get any shots at all. Time to head for Lo Romero Golf Course

Lo Remero Golf Course being still in construction has quite a lot of scrub area anything can turn up such as squirrels, woodpeckers, finches and shrikes all being common. Oddly even thou the majority of housing is still under construction the roads are all complete giving easy access around the golf coarse and ideal when using the car as a mobile hide.

Entering the course it always best to setup before you move around the course, windows down and the camera mounted on a bean bag, hold on to the camera and drive slowly which is easily done as this part of the course is deserted.

My first target is an Iberian Red Squirrel busy collecting pine cones, twenty or thirty shots and its gone. Within fifty meters I next encounter a Grey Shrike sat on a fence it's using as a lookout, then flying to the ground and grabbing some insect and returning to the fence, plenty of photo ops here.

In the scrub area a male and female Stonechats are flitting about, I've always found them to be less approachable than in the UK so remaining in the car is always your best option. As I'm photographing the chats I spot a grey blob thats gone my attention, bins up...its a Little Owl. I grab some shots and it gone....you get the idea ! why its always best to be ready with the camera hanging out of the window.

Giving the grey damp condition this has been one of the best first bird photography days to date giving plenty of photo ops.

Looking forward to the rest of the week.

Little Owl

Female Stonechat

Male Stonechat

Iberian Red Squirrel

Stone Curlew

Southern Grey Shrike