Friday, December 04, 2020

Golden Moments


Thursday 3rd December 

Three visits to San Felipe in 8 days is a sort of a record for John and me, it's all to do with that glorious mud.

It's gone much colder and temperature have hit a new low of only 5 degrees at night time, I noticed on route to San Felipe, that in the low lying fields,  the potato crops had an air frosting and we're glistening frosty white as the sun came up.  I thought to my self this colder air will push some birds further south?  Maybe we'll get lucky with some Common Crane. John and I have been looking for them for a while now?

 San Felipe

Hoopoe

More of the same bird's. A Hoopoe posed at the entrance for a photo. Waders,  Dunlin, Little Stint, Redshank, Snipe, Temminck's Stint, Bluethroat, Little Ringed and Ringed Plover, etc.  It won't be long before its all gone and they reflood and all that lovely mud will be gone,  my guess is next week sometime? 

Temminck's Stint

 There was a moment when a Booted Eagle drop like a stone, wings folded up like a Peregrine Falcon, it flushed everything in sight, what a commotion and  hullabaloo it caused.  The noisy  Black-winged Stilts were not happy,  we watch the Booted Eagle fly off with nothing.

There's a few more Birders and Photographer out and about which is encouraging, good to catch up with Eddie Walker and Mark also Paul and Greta, who share some interesting info.

Same Route Different Day

Santa Aguada

Looking for Tonn the Great spotted Eagle again no sign! A different Temminck's Stint, on the pool, and a group of Little Stint landed.

Temminck's Stint

 we didn't stay that long but the work on the viewing platforms is progressing with a new concrete base and repair to the timbers. As we left Sante Aguada another Hoopoe posed but it was that close all I could do was to photograph was the head, it wasn't fazed and only left when the car engine was restarted.(see header photo) 

We like take our time checking the fields but sometimes another car turns up and comes right up your ass pushing you along and so it was, John had to speed up  " hang on John slow up" John pulled over, and we let this nitwit fly past, I twisted around to view 4 little blobs in the field?  I think there Golden Plover? Luckily there was a track by the side of the field which got us up close. 

Golden Plover

Golden Plover
The Early bird gets the Worm

4 Golden Plover performed point-blank, pulling earthworms from the soft ground, at this point we would normally have a Werther's and experience a golden moment of caramel

But NO they were in the boot of the car.  

Unbelievable 

Golden Plover 
Look what I've got

These Golden Plover are really Beautifully marked and I could of watched them for ages as they listened for the sound of the earthworms coming from under the soil "fascinating"!  I think they should be nominated for an Oscar for there performance, a magical birding moment. Not a rare bird I know, but it doesn't have too, to be appreciated, Also in the same field a major flock of Sky Lark.

Golden Plover
 listened for the sound of the earthworms

Not done yet we thought there was 4 Common Crane's flying low in the direction of Vista Bella Road, but lost them below the tree line,  we checked along Vista Bella Road but nothing, we were just about to give up, When i thought just one more scan, and there they we're  3 Common Crane looking for somewhere to landed, we relocated them in one of the side roads off the Vista Bella Road. Now the Werther's can come out, and what a sweet moment it was, at last, we found Common Crane.  I still think that we had a group of 4 maybe they've split into two groups?

Common Crane

 Now if we could just connect with Tonn and get a photo, I'll be having a bucket full of Werther's.

On the way home another flooded field this time with 10 Wood Sandpiper, Water pipits Meadow pipits, and full White Wags,

Let's see what next week brings

Have a great weekend

Cheers

Bryan


1 comment:

  1. Just recently discovered your excellent blog Bryan. I should be in Murcia right now - if not for lockdown - and enjoying the superb winter birding on offer, so it's nice to know the birds are there even if I can't be!

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