Spring Time in Murcia

In one weeks time I will be back in Murcia for spring migration and some photography. With the poor weather over the last couple of months it will make a make a change to enjoy some sun and 25 degrees temperatures as apposed to recent rain and more rain. On my last visit in January the weather was simple fantastic with sunny days and warm temperatures of 16-18 degrees, but now being April it’s all changed bird wise with a return of the summer migrants.

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

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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

San Felipe Visitors Centre & Vistabella Road, El Hondo

After visiting the San Felipe Visitors Centre at midday on Saturday with unfavourable the light conditions I thought I’d have a return visit early morning to photograph the in decline Marbled Duck and also the breeding pair of Little Ringed Plover. On my previous visit the Marbled Duck had dispersed to the reserve by midday and the constant stream of visitors tended to spooked the Little Ringed Plovers, so the plan was to arrive around 7.30 am taking advantage of the more favourable early morning sunlight and lack of visitors

As I arrive the centre staff are scattering grain presumably to attract the birds closer for visitors, very soon Marbled Ducks had returned and were enjoying the free meal along with two very noisy Purple Swamphen’s (Galinulle), Whiskered Terns were feeding off the waters surface and a couple of Squacco Herons and an Egret were standing motionless in the reeds a lot closer than you would normally see and the Red-Knobbed Coot which have been reintroduction are busily feeding young. It’s now 9.30 am with all the shots I need I decide to try my luck getting some images of the plovers that had taken up residence in the roped off area on the centre approach

The male Little Ringed Plover is watching, occasional with a reassuring call to its mate, the female is further back in some scrub near the reedbed periodically brooding the small chicks, any disturbance sends the chick to cover, I sit motionless under the boundary path hedge in order to get some shots and leave satisfied that I may have one or two usable images. 

My next stop is the hides along the Vistabella Road on the southern boundary of El Hondo which is a new venue for me and very interested to see what it looked like, but first I call in at the "old football pitch" about a mile from the centre which is a “hot spot” for Roller. As I arrive I see a Roller sat on the closest goal post, as soon a I stop it fly’s to the next goal post, now there a four Rollers all sat in a row. With little chance of getting close I move on to Vistabella Road

Previously I had programmed the sat nav to arrive on Vistabella Road where the small irrigation foot bridge crosses the water channel, its quite close to the first hide so I set off along the edge of the reeds which must be three metres in hight, as I turn and head through the reeds towards the hide a Squacco Heron stood motionless on the path no more than tree meters in front of me, a truly unexpected encounter. Arriving at the hide I try to pick out the different bird calls through the wall of sound, Great Reed Warblers chattering, Coots clucking, Heron grunts, the unmistakable shrills of Little Grebe, Mallard and the constantly "pu-ii" calls of Black Necked Grebe. For the next tree hours I enjoy what reminds me a little of Leighton Moss, a hide all to myself in birding heaven.

Moving on to next location which has been recommended by resident birder, The Old Monastery on the Elche Road, as I arrive I see a resident Kestrel mentioned, I park up at the rear of the building, a Roller is inquisitively looking in one of the holes in the building, it see’s me and heads to and perches on a metal pole sticking out of the ground like a missile ready to lunch, it sits there for a few moments and then heads for a Palm tree further away which it descent lookalike moving from. 

Its now 3.30 pm, time for home.

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