In Search of Bonelli's Eagle - Day 3

Day 3, Golden Eagle...or not - 29.1.20

Another day of photo opportunities of eagles, this time Golden Eagle. A new location for Turia Hides thats just starting to give good results for a late afternoon visit, I wouldn't say being new was work in progress but on this occasion it was a bit of a "dip" for me...thats the way it goes sometime.

That day starts in a local Passerine Hide with lots of the usual stuff including Rock Sparrow that I just couldn't get the camera on, but managing some nice images of Sardinia Warble, Coal Tit, White Wagtail, Black Redstart and disappointingly an out of focus displaying Siskin !!

Sardinian Warbler - female

Coal Tit

Black redstart - female 

Now 10.0am it's time to head up into the mountains on the edge of the Parc Natural de la Serra Colderona hopefully for views of Golden Eagle. It takes around 45 minuets to drive the twenty or so miles with the final few along dirt tracks. After unloading the gear its a short scramble up a small hill where the hide is located. Gear all set up and the bait rabbit in place it's now all about waiting.

As you can imagine it's quite up on the tops with the wind blowing and just the croak of the odd Raven in the distance, Yanni says the local area has resident Dartford Warbler population and as it's outside the breeding season she would play the call on the iPhone to try and entice a bird into the open, after a number of attempts a warbler pops out scuttling around deep in nearby bushes, then it fly's and perches on a twig of a small bush completely out in the open....boom the best views ever of a Dartford Warbler, the camera bursts into action but not that quick as its a 5D4.

After more waiting it's now well past 5.30pm, with the sun low in the sky and probably an hour to sunset we are advised to call it a day, a little disappointing but thats the way it goes sometimes but happy to get some cracking Dartford warbler Images. Maybe next time.

Dartford Warbler