Salinas Local II

Salinas de San Pedro - 7.11.19

Normally I wouldn't post images of the same bird so soon after a previous post but the early evening light and the close proximity of a group of juvenile flamingos, well just I couldn't resist another session.

It's not been a very productive afternoon and with sunset around 5.30pm I have maybe 45minuets left of the "golden hour" when a I notice a group of maybe twelve flamingoes near the road, they are probably a little to close for the big white so I move further back and wait to see what happens.

The light is just fantastic but the birds aren't doing much just sleeping so it's a case of waiting to see what happens, then, as per usual a car pulls up and out pile a group of people with phones in hand wanting pic of themselves with the birds in the background, the flamingoes are not having none of it and off they go to the other side of the salinas.....but not before I manage some images.

Greater Flamingo

Old Favourites

Salinas de San Pedro - 6.11.19

The more I go to the local salinas out of migration season the harder I find getting images of a type that I've not posted previous, mainly down to the fact that the waders aren't just around. It's a place where a few of the commoner species hang out over wintering from the colder north such as Dunlin, Greenshank and Sanderling but theses are can hard to pin down with the large number of water pans so sometimes you have to go back to the old favourites.

Avocet and Black-winged Stilts are common on the salinas and if your patiant and remain still it can prove quite fruitful. These images were taken whilst in the same location as the previous post of the Greater Flamingos, the water colour is a reflection of a mud bank that only appears early mornings with sun angle over your shoulder.

Avocet

Black-winged Stilt

Greater Flamingo

Dunlin

Salinas Local

Salinas de San Pedro - 6.11.19

This will be the first visit of the trip down to the local salinas, the last trip visit it was pretty quiet so I'm hoping for a little more action this morning. Arriving around 8.0am the sun has just cleared the horizon, it's a red ball in the sky not like whiteout it will be in a few hours time.

The first stop is my usual "favourite" first stop location and to my amazement a "tourist" with small camera has trotted out on to the reserve to try for closer images of the Flamingos in the process scattering the waders to all parts of the salinas...doh ! so with my plans scuppered I opt for plan B and walk the salinas road for a bit of old fashion birding.

Now an hour or so later I'm back quite near to my "favourite" location and yesss....the waders have returned along with a group of juvenile Greater Flamingos, feeling a lot better about the possibility of getting some images I start scanning for possibilities.

The flamingos preoccupation seem to be sleeping, a bit of feather maintenance and the odd stretch, so with a chance of some behaviour shots the waiting starts. The action is little and not so often, nevertheless I''m  happy to get some shots as flamingos although tolerant of people to some extent they usually remain way out in the middle of the salinas.

The sun now beaming down the light is a little harsh, a good time to move on.

Greater Flamingo - juvenile

Late Afternoon On The Mar Menor

Los Urrutias - 3.11.19

As a treat we spent the day over at Cabo de Palos enjoying the panoramic sea views on a very windy day around the light house in some great weather, and as we were passing Los Urrutias called in to see what waders were about on the mud flats around the yacht club. Greenshank, Turnstone, Dunlin, Ringed & Kentish Plovers were all present in good numbers, a group of Sandwich Terns from the colder northern Europe sat close by out on a sand bar, and a first for me in Murcia...a Grey Plover.

Photography at Los Urrutias is always best late afternoon so it's a quick initial visit to see what's about with the intension to spend a couple of hours on my return. I've always found this location problematic when it come to focus and image detail, maybe it's the water reflection couple with the sun angles but improves if I manage to get a little near.

With the sun low in the sky it's there's a light yellow hue over the water, it's different but I still prefer a nice cloudy day in good light but there's no chance of that today it blue sky all the way. The tide has now changed flooding the mud flats seen earlier the waders now further along the shore, nevertheless I managed some images but I'm just not sure the image quality is as good as I would like....hey ho !

Greenshank

Dunlin

Ringed Plover - juvenile

Grey Plover

A first for me in Murcia but I'm sure they are common on passage migration.

Ha...Sunshine !

Murcia - 30.10.19

This time tomorrow I'll probably be sat in some seaside bar enjoying a nice beer happy to be back in the sun, that's not to say currently we're note enjoying sun at home but it's a bit chilly 8 degrees in the UK not 30 degrees that's alway beneficial to a dip in the sea.

To start the trip off here's a few images of a Kentish Plover one of the birds I always look on my return to Murcia, so watch this space

Kentish Plover

Autumn Colours

Cheshire - 23.10.19

After a late night attending the presentation by the renowned BBC cameraman Doug Allan up in Burnley I thought I'd have a lie in this morning, but all good plans can change. Opening the curtains it's looks like sunshine all the way today, then I reminded that the Red Deer rutting season won't last for much longer...Mmm, fifteen minuets later I'm loading the gear in the car and I'm on my way to a Red Deer site locally.

When visiting this location I always like to head out to the less busy wild end which flanks the perimeter of the Park, here the ground is rough long grass and woodland, but it's a bit of a slog getting there.

Work in progress....

Red Deer - stag