I Finally Make It - 5

Day 5, AM - BOP's !

This morning I'm are at a location called La Vega one of El Taray's iconic areas for....BOP's. Eagles, Harriers, Kites and Buzzards are the targets this morning, some are residents seen through out the year so worth a visit even in winter. 

This location is probably one of the furthest away from the main meet up area on the El Taray Estate requiring about a thirty minuet drive, the location occupying a vast area of open scrub land and the lack of human activity probably the reason why this area is so attractive to raptors.

As we arrive already a large eagle is spotted sat on a large pylon increasing the our expectations of what to expect over the next few hours. We decant into one of three two man hides the raptors keep their distance but soon that will change when the bop's become more confident, squabbling, food robbing, the sights and sounds....but there's something already sniffing around !

El Taray Map

Red Fox

A Red Fox already knows what's about to happen and it's soon sniffing around looking around in the likely locations for food, when it finds some it grabs what it can trotting off to cash the food only to quickly return for more.

The eyes !

Bonelli's Eagle

Now I'm not the most experienced with Iberian raptors thinking this was a Spanish Imperial Eagle but I'm informed this is a Bonelli's Eagle. This pale eagle so dominant it's keeping the smaller harries well away until it had it's fill.

Marsh Harrier - male

By far the most common raptor in the location with females for some reason being the most common so nice to see this male up so close. Always squabbling and mantling food or risk being robbed, the interaction between the harriers providing different photo opportunities.

Marsh Harrier - female

Common Buzzard

Long way to come to photograph a Common Buzzard, on the day maybe just one or two present.

Rock Sparrow

Apart from raptors there's not a lot else to see in terms of passerines present other than the odd Rock Sparrow, superficially not unlike our House Sparrow but with a pale eye stripe.

Day 5, PM - Casa de Los Pastores

This afternoon I've been deposited fiver meters up a tower, the target...Rollers ! 

Unfortunately the Rollers this year have generally failed to breed due to the heavy wind and rain over the last few weeks never the less they're putting in an appearance on occasion as they are still are very much territorial of their site.

It's long wait and not looking at good getting any images of one of the regions most colourful birds, then unexpectedly a Roller zips in landing on a branch right in front of me, the shutter's now getting some serious action.

European Roller

Not intent in staying long the Roller with it's characteristic cackling call takes off over the reed bed, a brief ten minuet encounter, but quite happy with the results.

Spotless Starling

After more waiting the Roller dosen't re-appear having called it a day at this location but I did get a few other visitors, a Starling and no spots !

Eurasian Hoopoe

Egyptian Mongoose

Whilst waiting, in the corner of my eye I picked up what looked like an Otter, long, short legged with a long tail running across a bank, can't be an Otter can it ?... anyway back at base it appears it was an Egyptian Mongoose which I'm told are reasonably common in Southern Spain. 

I didn't get an image but here's one "nicked" from the Inter-web