A Couple of Lifers in Murcia

I visited Murcia in Spain for a 2 week course, the course was quite intensive with long days so I only had a single days birding which was our rest day.

I stayed relatively close as there were so many sites to visit, I started at the El Hondo which is a Marshy Lagoon which is a Special Protection Area due to its importance to birdlife, both Marbled Teal and White-headed Duck nest here - I saw neither....

 

The day was unbelievably hot so I was unable to stay long as you couldn't stand still in the sun for too long without passing out.  The first bird I saw was a juvenile Greater Flamingo, I only saw 2 on site.

 

Flamingo

Flamingo

 



The only ducks were Mallard and Red-crested Pochard. I saw a single Purple Gallinule but wasn't quick enough to get a photo as it skulked in the reedbeds.

There were quite a few terns flying around, I found Common Tern, Little Tern and I believe Whiskered Tern.

Common Tern

Little Tern

Whiskered Tern (Possible)

Also present were plenty of Black-winged Stilt, a few Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron and my first lifer of the day with Squacco Heron (of course no photo..).

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

 

I had my second lifer here with a single Collared Pratincole, although I had great views through the scope my photographic exploits are dire, it was about 150m away.

 

Collared Pratincole

 

I also had distant views of 2 Hoopoe on the approach gravel pit which were a year tick.

 

I then moved down to the Mata National Park where I watch Buzzard and a large flock of Siskin, ever better was the number of Crested Lark

 

Crested Lark

 



I had my third lifer of the day with great views of an Iberian Grey Shrike, what an amazing bird.

Iberian Grey Shrike

 

The shallow water had a lot of waders, mainly Redshank, Greenshank and Common Sandpiper.

 

There were plenty of Red-rumped Swallows, when sat on my balcony at the end of the day, visual migration was fully evident with Swallows, Red-rumped Swallows and House Martins streaming over, I presume they were arriving at the coast ready for the hope across to North Africa first thing in the morning. Of course there were the usual House Sparrows and Collared Dove, the odd Starling but that really was it.

 

Red-rumped Swallow

Red-Rumped Swallow

 

The had one more lifer on the trip which was on the beach right next to the hotel, this was Audouin's Gull of which were the most numerous gull species on the beach they shared with Black-headed Gull and the odd Yellow-Legged Gull.

 

Audouin's Gull

 

Full Species List: El Hondo: Red-rumped Swallow, Barn Swallow, Kingfisher, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Squacco Heron, Black-winged Stilt, Greater Flamingo, Coot, Moorhen, Purple Gallinule, House Sparrow, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, Little Ringed Plover, Collard Pratincole, Mallard, Red-crested Pochard, Black-headed Gull, Hoopoe. Mata NP: Buzzard, Siskin, Crested Lark, Iberian Grey Shrike, Turnstone, Avocet, Greater Flamingo, Redshank, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Blackbird, Swift, Robin.