What a Difference A Week Makes ?

Same route different day

Friday 11th December.

Our plan was to see what's changed at San Felipe, has it been reflooded?  or was that lovely Mud Still there?

I'll cut to the quick, it was crap! compared to how it has been, it's back to being not worth the effort of going there.  it's now in the process of being re-flooded,  the reed strimming has been completed.  There is hardly any muddy margins, and the cuttings from reeds have now covered what margins there was. 

Now at least you can see around the area, its a shame San Felipe couldn't be better managed and with just 2 Dunlin a Common Sandpiper and a few Western Swamp Hen, that was the best it could offer, we didn't stay long.

 There and back was a different story.

Across Santa Pola Salinas

There's an influx of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, loads in fact, in one roost over 30 birds and plenty more in different places, a few Sandwich Terns hunted for food across the Salinas,

Waders

Grey Plover, Greenshank, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Kentish Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Little Stint, Avocets, and Black-winged Stilt, and at the Standing Stones, the normal canteen of Spoonbills at roost.

 Spotted Redshank

Plenty of Marsh Harriers, today 12+ and the same for light phase Booted Eagle but only one dark phase seen, no sign of Tonn the Great spotted Eagle. There are big flocks of Finches in the fields, Linnet, Serin, Goldfinch, which was good to see them in such big numbers also in smaller groups, Greenfinch.

Greenfinch

 Worth a mention are the huge numbers of Skylark around Palm farm Road and it seems more Stonechats have arrived and less in number of Black Redstarts,

Stonechat

 at least 10 hoopoes and several family groups of Red-legged Partridge.

 Skylark

Red-legged Partridge

In the flooded fields, lots of Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret and Little Egret,  Huge numbers of White Wagtails, with the odd Water Pipit and Meadow Pipit, and Bluethroat.

Little Egret

The cold spell has come to and end and yesterday's temperature reached a crazy 25 degrees, and John and I were back to tee shirts, and the forecast is for more clear sky's and sunshine.

Bluethroat

Blue Throat

 We could do with some rain and some is forecast for next week

 "hopefully" if the rain turns up? It lashes it down. 

Have fun

Cheers BT