Monday, February 14, 2022

It's official Spring has Arrived??


Friday's 11th

Well not quite?

It's still cold in the nights, but day time temperatures are nice and comfortable as long as is sunny

White-headed Duck

Mixed messages from the El Clot today, 50+ White-headed Duck some showing the blue bill and displaying, also there Black necked Grebe's doing there courtship display of walking on water, and just outside the hide a winter visitor? a Grey Wagtail,

Black necked Grebe's


Black necked Grebe's

 lots of Shoveler Duck,  Marbled Teal, Common and Red crested Pochard  a few Common Teal looking very smart, Great crested Grebe doing the courtship display, 3 Marsh Harriers, but no sign of any Gadwall or Fudge Duck?

Grey Wagtail


White-headed Duck 

No Crag Martins or any aerial migrants to report

Quite a few Cetti Warblers which were also displaying and singing, not the easiest of birds to see but today it was easy,

Grey Wagtail

And so migration is almost on it way and I'm wondering what's going to turn up this Spring

Have a great week

Cheers Bryan


Sunday, February 06, 2022

One Swallow doesn't make a Summer

Friday 4th

Beautiful Day nice and warm and in Tea Shirts and I should of put my shorts on?

And at El  Pinet I glimpse a Barn Swallow feeding over the water, it would be our first migrant of the year, but my claim was watered down as half a dozen Crag Martins  were flying over some pine trees close by? So i chalked it off the list? No big deal as we'll see them plenty of them due course but always nice to see the first one!

But anyway not a mega day but we did have some moment's? Around Santa Pola Salina's,  Great white Egrets.  Good numbers if Widgeon, but nothing out of the ordinary, Med Gulls, Audouin's Gull, Sender billed Gulls, Massive number of Cormorants and all the usual suspects.

Our day brightened up at the Monastery.  A  Blue rock Thrush stood its ground and put up with me taking a few photo's for a minute or two. This could also to be an interesting spot to watch as Little Owls have moved in and also Common Kestrel, so just wait till the European Rollers arrive could be fireworks over the nesting places?

Watch this space?

Little Owl
we can see you! 


 Blue rock Thrush


 Blue rock Thrush


Common Kestrel

Inland

Palm farm Road

Was crap 20+ Tree Sparrows Small groups of Meadow Pipits, Green Sandpiper, Linnet, Sky Lark, Blue Throat.

Of interest there were a few puddles along the track and around these puddles were hundreds of Bee's not sure what species of Bee and what they were doing?


Unknown Bee?


Unknown Bees?

We got as far as Santa Aguda

3  Common Snipe, 3 Blue Throat, Blackcaps singing, Fan-tailed Warbler some Booted Eagle and Marsh Harriers, Buzzard, Gloss Ibis.

And that was about it?

I've not mentioned every bird seen or heard

Have a great Day

Cheers Bryan


Thursday, February 03, 2022

international station

 Sorry no photos

Watched it for 4 minutes over Gran Alacant brightest image in the sky

So fast 17.000 mph west to East?

Amazing