I Finally Make It - 3

Day 3, AM - Masiega

This morning it's a boat ride to a floating hide amongst the reeds on the edge of the main Elguna de El Taray, species to see with luck will be Great/Reed Warbler's, Bearded Tit and various wildfowl cruising passed, but only if you'r very quick.

I'm looking out onto a small "ribbon" flatten reeds which Reed Warblers, Great Reed Warblers and hopefully Bearded Tits are frequenting, but the light's not good enough currently as I'm shooting through tinted glass loosing about a stop of light and using the not so quick RF 100-500mm. 

A reed warbler appears crashing through the reeds it's a Great Reed Warbler, bold and brash due it's size, occasionally the smaller Reed Warbler appears but it's soon sent packing by it's bigger cousin, both visit on a frequent basis with the occasion fly pass including Purple Heron, Ibis and little Bittern. 

Just beyond is a water channel White-headed Duck and Red-crested Pochard cruise passed but the gap in the reeds is so small it's difficult to get advance notice of approaching fowl making it difficult to react quick enough. Finally a male Bearded Tit makes an appearance but it's way to close probably only 1.5m away...missed again. 

With more of the same over the next hour or so it's time to pack up ready for the boat ride back and looking forward to the afternoon session.

El Taray Map

Boat Ride

In order to get to the hide you need to get a boat ride.

Hide View

The flat area where all the action takes place and beyond the water channel where duck cruise pass but it's difficult to get any shot.

Great Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler

Day 3, Pm - La Vega

This afternoon it's Marsh Harriers, again, two a penny as they say !..but slightly different as this time the location is water and hence another boat ride, on route seeing more Purple Heron lurking in the reed fringes.

The afternoon heat is now is in the mid thirties, in the hide the temperature is way over forty degrees and I'm strip off, no shirt or shoes just shorts, sweating profusely. 

It's a long wait as the Harries don't seem interested but when one arrives the others also join in. Soon both male, female and juveniles are present, you can identify juveniles by the brown iris, the adults being yellow.

I'm trying to get behavioural shots where the BOP's mantel and are constantly calling making for a more interesting shot. I finding the whole experience quite fascinating seeing these birds of prey so close, normal only seen in the UK at distance.

It's time to call time and the boat back to terra firm looking forward to the relief of not being in a camped hide for the for the passed tree hours in forty degrees of heat.....oh and try not to drop the kit in the "drink" as you are getting in the boat.

Marsh Harrier

I Finally Make It - 2

Day 2, AM - Hoya de Linares

Our second day of the trip and this morning we are spending some time with a Lesser kestrels breeding colony. Lesser Kestrels visually not unlike the Kestrels seen in the UK the main difference being that are migratory and summer visitors to Europe and breed in colonies rather than solitary.

El Taray Map

Our location this morning is a raised tower overlook a traditional Spanish farm building roof with red and orange terracotta roll tiles which the Kestrels breed under, to the side there are are a few branched that Roller and Hoopoe breeding in the far end of the building land on from time to time.

Also present are quite a few jackdaws that hang around waiting for the kestrels to bring back food for the young which they promptly mug, bit like gulls mugging the Puffins on the Farn's.

Unfortunately we've only been present for about 30 minuets with the session brought to a close pretty quickly as about ten cars park up below the tower, it's a local bird ringing meeting ! 

We manage a few image shots before all the Kestrels depart off into the countryside...hey ho !

Lesser kestrel

Spotless Starling

The most common Starling on the visit in the region with literally thousands sat on wires or flocks in fields

Day 2, PM - Hide de Mochuelo

After a few hours rest up we are back out this this with Little Owls !...Little owls I can do these back home . The location is a farm ruin building which a pair of Little Owls have taken up residence, although it's passed 5.0pm the light is still harsh so quite challenging, still you have tho make the best of the situation.

Little Owl

Occasionally other visitors turn up, a Hoopoe and a couple of Rollers neither making for good images so I won't post any other than this portrait of the Roller.

European Roller

I Finally Make It - 1

I'm on My Way ! - Castilla La Mancha

A few years ago I'd arranged and booked a weeks photography trip to Finca De Laguna El Taray in the Toledo region of Central Spain, but due to the Covid Pandemic and all the restrictions that were subsequently put in place that was all canceled, wind on a couple of years I'm still thinking I'd like doing the trip.

Having read the most current reviews I came across a Dutch gent called Rene De Heer who was regular visitor to the very same place, contacting Rene he mentioned he was organised a trip and there was a place going if I was interested in joining up, I said yes.....I'm on my way.

The trip was to last a week arranging to meet up at Madrid Airport at 12.0 midday on Saturday and we would then pick up the minibus for the drive down to Toledo, but due to flights not aligning I'm having to stay Friday night in a Madrid airport hotel, it's ok....it's 4star ! 

On route to Madrid I'm doing some “celeb” spotting noting a BBC Breakfast Business presenter on the flight two rows back and in the hotel a former female Olympic gold medal ice skater, no name's but she's still on the TV and from Nottingham !

Now Saturday morning it's pickup time as planned and we're on the way down south to Quero for a hotel check-in around 2.0pm followed by a late afternoon session with Marsh Harriers. All the photography sessions over the next week are arranged for morning and late afternoons.

Airport Departure

El Taray Map

The map shows the general area of El Taray with locations I will be covering over the next eight days. Sessions are organised mornings and afternoons dependant on the angle of sun, starting at 5.0am returning to the accommodation for around 1.0pm then the evening session starting at 5.0pm through to around 9.0pm...so long days to say the least !

Casa de Labor

Each morning our start base is Casa de Labor which is marked on the map, we then make our way to our locations of the day, this afternoon we are La Mangada.

Day 1, PM - La Mangada - 17.07.2023

It's around 5.0pm and we're heading to a location called La Mangada on the edge of extensive wetlands and lakes, what you notice straight away is Marsh Harries are everywhere, not only over the marshes but also drifting over farmland by for the most common BOP on the trip.

Marsh Harrier - female

Cuckoo Calling - In At Elton

Elton Reservoir - 8.08.2023

There's a Cuckoo at Elton !.....interesting....but I've seen quite a few over the last couple of years in any case it's likely to be difficult to get close so I'll give it a miss....but it's a juvenile...really !.. I'm now getting interested as juveniles for me are few and far between seen only later in the year when adults have already left on migration back to Central Africa, as a bonus the juvenile is reported to be quite confiding coming really close...right I'll get my coat !

It's late afternoon around 5.0 pm when I arrive and boom the Cuckoo flys pass right in front of me. Making my way down to the horse paddock the location where the juvenile has been feeding on Cinnabar Moth caterpillars plentiful on the yellow Ragwort, I'm on the look out. Images I've seen have the bird perching on all sorts of vantage points, wood piles, walls, trees, even plastic chairs, but this evening the bird is now in an adjacent field.

Initially it's not a great shot, then it comes close it's way to close, further away it's on the ground amongst the clutter...doh ! but there's potential for a shot, a wooden post and a stone, it's just a case of waiting.

Eventually the cuckoo obliges landing on both and dialling down some negative exposure managing some shots in varying but nice light conditions.

Considering my initial thoughts it wasn’t worth a six mile trip it's been quite a success for such a short drive, below are some of the images. 

Common Cuckoo - juvenile 

It's That Time Again - Owls !

Long-eared Owl - 3.08.2023

It's been some months since my last blog post in the interim I've still managed some activity with trips down to Horn Mill and the big one out to Castill La Mancha in Central Spain. Anyway a short post on the successful not so far away breeding Long-eared Owls.

Every year there are several locations when there is a short time period for a must visit, like the Malham for Peregrines, Dee for Short-eared Owls, even closer fledging Long-eared Owls. I must say it didn't cross my mind to make the LEO trip this year, that’s until all the images started to appear on social media.

The weather over the last few days has been grim, grey and loads of rain, hard to see when there's going to be a period when a trip is going to be worth while. The weather forecast today is rain and cloud, looking out the window...that can't be right as all I'm seeing white clouds and some blue sky...so I'm off on the short drive to see what I can get.

Having been on site for maybe an hour half walking up and down the usual locations with little success when a couple of joggers approach, "are you looking for the owls" ? they give me the heads up..."they've been seen further down the track, we see them regularly"...really !...so back down the track.

Later in the evening the fledgling Long-eared Owls start calling for the adults for food making it a lot easier to locate. Soon there are three owls calling all with a small location, one sat in the open a the base of a small beech tree, with some manoeuvring I’m managing some great photo ops.

Having now spent a couple hours photographing probably UK's most rare breeding owl I have all the images on offer that aren't going to be repeats, time to call time. 

With a really good local encounter under my belt I might try again in a few days hopefully for something different, you never know what might turn up !

Long-eared Owl