I was awake at 5 o'clock, looked through the bedroom window to a Heavy Sea Fog and visibility of only a few meters and our plan to stay local and bird our patch might have, to be a rethought. John, Michelle and I weighed up the options. We bit the bullet and hoped the fog would burn off quickly.
We set off across our local patch Santa Pola Salinas, our first stop we couldn't see anything but could hear plenty of Little Terns, by the time we reached the Salt tower the fog had lifted a little and a Purple Heron flew overhead, a few Yellow Wagtails we're seen, Whiskered Terns were common,
The Standing Stones
It was now misty and burning off fast another pair of Yellow Wagtails and that was it, besides the residents breeding birds.
El Pinet
All the usual suspects there and good numbers of Avocets, Black-winged Stilt, Slender-billed Gulls, Sandwich Tern, the odd Kentish Plover, 15 Collard Pratincole, Stone Curlew, lots of Little Tern, and Common Tern, 2 more Purple Herons flyovers. Common Swift, Pallid Swift, House Martin, Red Rumped Swallow, Barn Swallow.
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| Avocet Early days but already showing the sign of moulting and breading fatigue. |
Lower La Marina
Happy Days
A Mega moment of the day was a pair of European Rollers at about 5 meters. Perched on the top of the fence taking in the heat from the warming sun.
It was almost an emergency stop." Well done John"
( John was a driver, for the Police rapid response team so his training kicked in )
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| European Roller |
I didn't spot them till late hence our closeness, we must have had this pair of Rollers for the best part of 15 minutes the birds were completely content with our close presence, even falling asleep in front of the busy cameras. A massive moment, I don't think I (we) have ever been allowed this very honoured privilege to be so close and observe them so closely for so long, "simply a wonderful moment" and never to be forgotten. A few times they responded to the clicks from the camera shutter noise.
Unbelievable.
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| European Roller |
Also in the surrounding area 2 Great-spotted Cuckoo and a total of 7 Rollers in that area, a few Bee-Eaters on wires and a few more Turtle Doves, Gull-billed Terns, and Stone Curlew and just a single Nightingale and a stunning flock of Green Finch. ( I don't know why they don't split this bird to Iberian Green Finch, as I think they are so much brighter and bigger) who knows they must have done the DNA test?
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| Turtle Dove |
It's getting hot and with high humidity.
It's a bit Sweaty and there are plenty of mosquitoes about.
Have fun
Make some news
have a great week
Go Birding
Cheers Bryan
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