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.





Wood Sandpiper

I had free day so thought I'd head down to RSPB Lycthett Fields as a Wood Sandpiper had been found that morning and this represented a lifer for me, I've never heard of Lycthett Fields so had to do a bit of research first.  Turned out to be reasonably easy to find though but is one of those sites with no parking or facilities, not saying that's a bad thing...

First thing I noticed as I crossed the style were the number of butterflies about, there where loads of 'Whites' plus Speckled Wood, Peacock, Meadow Brown and Large Skipper, also saw a single Red Admiral.

Large Skipper

Large Skipper

 

I managed to connect with the Wood Sandpiper and had good but distant views so no photos, also present were Oystercatcher, a couple of Little Ringed Plover, Curlew and a number of Common Tern.  I was very happy with the Wood Sandpiper being a lifer I've been after for some time now.

 

On the route back to the car I found a large flock of Linnet and a very obliging pair of Stonechat which are always a pleasure.

 

Male Linnet

Male Linnet

Female Stonechat

Female Stonechat

Male Stonechat



Reserve Du Teich - France

A long weekend visiting friends in Arcachon near Bordeaux makes a visit to Reserve Du Teich (Twitter = @RO_Teich) essential, this place is amazing, the variety of birds is incredible, hardly anybody there and my favourite part...... dogs are not allowed!!

My last visit was back in October so I was looking forward to some sun walking around this time.  The visit started with some weird sounding Frogs, took me ages to realise what was making the noise.

 

First birds of the day where White Stork which nest at the reserve and are quite numerous.  It was great to see them with chicks in the nest.

 

White Stork

 

Even better was amazing close up views of Water Rail to the point they seem almost tame, the reserve has a very healthy population, when I walked around last October I counted no less the 20 birds calling. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see them with young.... and so close.

 

Water Rail

 

There were numerous waders out on the scrapes, plenty of Grey Plover, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt (also all with young/on nests), Spoonbill and 3 Spotted Redshank.

 

Black-winged Stilt - on nest

 

Black-winged Stilt - with chicks

 

Spoonbill

 

Black-tailed Godwit

 

Avocet

 

My target species for today was Bluethroat for which the reserve is famed, however it wasn't meant to be, another species which is abundant and almost impossible to not see is the Nightingale, I saw 5 today, the first 4 I had what would be consider great views in the UK, i.e. they were about 1 metre away showing quite well but still obscured. I then found another which gave great views but at a distance.  I wasn't quite prepared for the one sat out in the open by the entrance to the reserve, I observed for over 20 minutes but had to leave to catch my train, my usual photographic prowess doesn't do the experience justice though.

 





Nightingale

 

I was fortunate enough to get a lifer today in the form of Blue-headed Wagtail.

 

Blue-headed Wagtail

 

Plenty of other species seen around the site including Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, loads of Kingfisher, a couple of photos of other animals seen.

 

Coypu

Great Crested Grebe

Red Squirrel

Terrapin

 



 













Hudwit

We had friends over at the weekend so I never thought I'd get out geeking the local patch never mind get a twitch in...

On the Saturday night I took some of them to a local badger sett which I'd been raving about, after waiting patiently for about 40 minutes I was convinced the badgers weren't going to perform, but then one was spotted outside the furthest hole.  We ended up having an adult and 3 cubs to watch which was awesome.

The following morning I was up at 06:30 and off to Somerset for the Hudsonian Godwit, there are some amazing photos of it on Twitter, this is not one of them...

Hudsonian Godwit

For those sharp eyed among you, if you combine that with great imagination you will of course by telling me the right hand bird is a Ruff, you obviously don't need me to tell you due to my mastery of the camera, that the bird in the centre is the Hudsonian Godwit.

I had a few NFY's which is always nice, the first being a beautiful male Garganey, he was way too far out for me to entertain the idea of a photo.  I then had Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Swift and Kingfisher.

Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat seemed to be in every tree trying to out sing each other.

Sedge Warbler

 Sedge Warbler

Whitethroat

Blackcap

 

This Woodpigeon was feeding her two chicks from her crop.

 

Woodpigeon

 

 On the way home I stopped at my local patch and found Swift again which was a patch tick, I didn't stay as the weather had turned.

Pied-billed Grebe

I didn't go for the Pied-billed Grebe found just South of Berkley power station yesterday as timing was a little too tight.  I was working in Gloucestershire so locality was perfect but I was picking the kids up from Hereford and couldn't be late.  That said, I had 1.5 hours free so I decided to visit Wellington GP near.... well..... Wellington!

I haven't been here for years, not since I lived locally, you used to have to park at the GP reception and book in but there are a few public footpaths crossing the site affording some decent views.

I parked in a layby next to the big red arrow (which isn't actually there!)

The first thing I noticed was the number of Sand Martin over the first pit, must have been a few hundred, I managed to pick out a few Swallow but there weren't many.  There were a lot of Lesser Black-backed Gull on the opposite side.

It was a reasonably sunny day and this had brought the butterflies out, I had 4 year firsts:

Green-veined White

Holly Blue

Orange-tip

Peacock

I was hoping to catch up with the Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear that were on the recent sightings page of the Hereford Ornithological Club website.

I found singing Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and my first Whitethroat of the year flying up to catch bugs from the top of a tree.

I also managed to connect with a Wheatear on my way back to the car, I took a photo which I posted on Twitter but it was awful.  I was about to walk away content when my eyes focused beyond the Wheatear, there in a direct line behind it, sat atop a buoy was my first Common Tern of the year.

So I didn't get to twitch the Pied-billed Grebe but I did pick up 3 year ticks, I left happy, plus I saw the Pied-billed Grebe in 2013 when it was a lifer for me along with Ferruginous Duck and Ringed-neck Duck all on the same day...!

I only had the Friday night at home as today (Saturday) I had to travel to Southampton ready to run tomorrows 1/2 marathon.

Luckily the sky was overcast so my priority was to get the moth trap out, feeding the kids was on hold..

It turned out to be my best night of the year even though I only had 15 moths of 13 species.  I bagged 5 new species for the year (NFY) and a lifer with the impressive Mullein.

Trap List

 

2007 - Swallow Prominent

2221 - The Mullein