First Bud's of Spring

An Interesting morning,  you just never know how it's going to turn out do you?

So earlier this week John and I went to Montnegra more or less to confirm what we already knew? It was so quiet we hardly saw anything, a couple of Bluerock Thrush,  and a few Griffon Vultures, we cut our losses and headed back to the Clot de Galvany not much better there either, to many people and the hides full. But the Shoveler's and the Marble Duck are displaying.

Bluerock Thrush

And so today we went back to our normal route across the Santa Pola Salinas, quite a few Great white Egrets, Spotted Redshank, Redshank.  The Large flock of Widgeon are still present, distant Canteen of Spoonbill, Dunlin, Marsh Harriers, 

Flowing Almond Trees

El Pinet

Plenty of Mud

Looking good but today only 30+ Dunlin.

We ventured inland

A few Serin were flying around and displaying, the buds of spring are beginning to show,  even some early flowing Almond Trees.  We started seeing a few Booted Eagle's, and more Marsh Harriers, eventually ending up at Santa Agueda.  The Green Sandpiper was still there, it's been around about a month now. A confiding Bluethroat performed in front of us for 10 minutes which was good and 50+ Skylark in one of the fields close by.

I can see you Mr Eagle
Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Bluethroat 

San Felipe

We didn't stop long to much disturbance and headed off to the Spotted Eagle Tree and a cup of tea and buttery shortbread biscuits.  I didn't see this raptor coming, it was close before I picked it out,  only 150 meters high and I lost it in the sun, I call John what do you think this is?  It was right into the Sun, It didn't fit anything, might be pale phase Booted?  Marsh Harrier? No, it's an Eagle, it came out of the sun and took a few record shots, before it drifted away.

Juvenile Bonelli's Eagle

Juvenile Bonelli's Eagle

 looking on the LCD screen on the camera back and the Collin's Bird Guide it was easy, we've just seen a Juvenile Bonelli',s Eagle, thank God I got some photos or we may have never confirmed the ID and another good bird would have been lost.  I've not seen Bonelli's Eagle in that plumage before, only Adult Bonelli's

Juvenile Bonelli's Eagle

Of Interest

The common name of the bird commemorates the Italian ornithologist and collector  Franco Andrea Bonelli

Franco Andrea Bonelli

Some antiquated texts also refer to this species as the crestless hawk-eagle.

Its feathered legs marked it as a member of the Aquilinae or Booted Eagle subfamily.

Bonelli's Eagle can be considered partially opportunistic, is something of a special predator of certain birds and mammals especially rabbits, galliforms 

( Red-legged Partridge etc ) and Pigeons.

Back to Birding

A few moments later Michelle called Bry what's this.  It was only the Spotted Eagle coming in.  ( well done Michelle ) I quickly grabbed the camera, the bird was losing height fast, I didn't get a photo as I'd knocked a switch into manual focus, ( Oops) and we watched the Eagle swoop into a Palm Tree.

We could partially see the Eagle in the palm through the scope, a double dose of Werther's to celebrate, and we headed home.

We seem to be on a bit of a roll at the moment 

I've now put gaffer tape over the switch so that won't happen again.

Have fun

Cheers

Bryan

Photograph Review 2021

    

As promised my Gallery of photographs taken in 2021. Not a complete list,  Some photographs I've not published before ( mostly I keep the best back ) I've not included the date that the image was taken, but will include spring/summer/autumn etc and where it was taken.

True love 
I love this photograph 
 I  believe it's the only ever photo of true love between Trumpeter Finch
Amazing 

No Bins Bird Club 

We've had some Brilliant Birding days during 2021.  Spring was so very special again, of course, we had our Flip Flops days during the year, but gladly they were few and far between.

I've lost count of how many Werther's moments that we've shared in 2021? And we're eager to get Birding again in 2022 fresh on our success with the resent  G S Eagle.

 There was a point I thought?

I was getting good at it  (Rare Bird Photography) I was up there with the best ( it was a healthy league of legends to be in with ) 

 Steve Young, George Reszseter, Mike McDonald, Tony Collinson, Jack Levine, and the rest of the greats, forgive me if your name is not listed etc)

  I  realised now the camera and lens is just a tool. In the words of my friend Hadoram Shirihai, (it is just a tool to help the research and increase our knowledge )

Enjoy the photographs

Great-crested Grebe. Clot De Galvany.
 Summer.

Firecrest. Maigmo Mountain. Summer.

Moustached Warbler. Lo Monte. Spring.

Major Thanks to my birding Buddies.

Sardinian Warbler. Me Casa. Spring.

John Edwards, Garth Davies, Trevor Asley, Mark Etheridge, Malcolm Palmer.

Black-eared Wheatear. Montnegra. Spring.

Spectacled Warbler. Montnegra. Spring.

Dartford Warbler. Jijona. Spring.

Bluethroat. San Felipe. Winter.

Lapwing. Petrola. Summer.

Trumpeter Finch. Montnegre Spring.

Spotted Redshank. El Pinet. Winter.

The Moon? Up there.

Black Redstart.  Santa Agueda.  Winter.

Bee-eater.  Montnegre. Autumn.

White-headed Duck. Clot de Galvany. Spring.

Thekla's Lark. Yecla. Spring.

Tawny Pipit. CV830. Summer.

Temminck's Stint. San Felipe. Winter.

Common Crane. Vistabella Road. Winter.

Stonechat. Urbanonva Salinas. Winter.

Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Guadalentin. Winter.

Black Wheatear me Casa. Autumn.

Wryneck. Clot de Galvany.  Autumn.

Spoonbill. San Felipe. Autumn.

Greater Flamingo. Petrola. Spring.

Little Egret. El Pinet. Winter.

Bee-eater. Sante Agueda. Autumn.

Roller. The Monastery. Spring.

Redshank. Petrola. Spring.

Great spotted Cuckoo. La Marina. Spring.

Bonelli's Warbler. Higuerilla. Spring.

Rock Bunting. Maigno Mountain. Spring.

Melodious Warbler.  Benejuzar. Spring.

Woodchat Shrike. Palm Farm Road. Spring.

White-headed Duck. Spring. Clot de Galvany.

Woodlark Maigmo Mountian. Spring.

Nightingale. Benejuzar. Spring.

Sardinian Warbler. me Casa. Spring.

Little Owl. Catral.  Summer.

Water Rail. El Pinet. Spring.

This is my favourite image of the year
Jupiter and its Moons and Saturn and its Rings
It's so far away I am amazed I've even got an image.

Trumpeter Finch Montnegra. Spring.

Little Bittern. Clot de Galvany.

have a great day

cheers

Bryan