Birding with Mike Jeffrey

 

Today 23rd January 

A very pleasant day birding with Mike. A British Birder now living in Holland, an accomplished Birder with an impressive world bird list. So no mean feat to find a new bird and a tick in the Book of Life.

We planned to do all the hot spots around  the local area and give Mike the best opportunity and maximize the species list, Mike already has a substantial list of birds of Spain and adding to it was going to be challenging. 

Not an early start and with rain overnight which was not forecast, we set off to a damp start at 9 o'clock, headed to Santa Pola Salinas. A little cloud cover and looking promising for the day as it was forecast to be full Sun. 

First stop good number of Lesser black Gull, Audouin's Gull, almost a full summer plumage Mediterranean Gull, Black headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, and a few distant Waders. Our next stop produced distant views of  Great white Egrets, and about 20+ Spoonbill, some Marsh Harriers quartering the Reed Beds.

El Pinet 

A waste of time water levels's too high and flooded due to the resent heavy rains hardly a bird there.  Mike wanted little Owl, which we got at lower La Marina Tracks, and a few Meadow Pipits, Southern Grey Shrike. It was hard going, but we persevered.

I said to Jeff we should do Palm Farm Road, I explained this area historically has turned up some great birds, but recently it hasn't performed well but I was reluctant to pass it up.

Unbelievable the Great Spotted Eagle showed very well being mobbed by a Booted Eagle and a Marsh Harrier, no photos from me as I just watched the performance,  we got back in the car chased the flying door as it drifted away and unbelievably it turned and headed back our way briefly, we watched it for 5 minutes or more till it drifted away. So a very lucky connection with the Flying Door it's a massive Bird of Prey and always great to reconnect with.

En route to San Felipe we connected with Zitting Cisticola a few times which was on Jeff's to see list,

San Felipe 

It was good, all the usual suspects Red knobbed Coot, Marbled Teal, Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Water Pipit, Glossy Ibis and a great ariel aerobatic performance from Craig Martins and in the mix was single House Martin.  At St Aguada and lunch time and the sun had now come out we watched Little Stint, and a probable Temminck Stint, we briefly stopped at the Bellavista Hide but all that was there were Greater Flamingo maybe a few thousand and Cormorant 

Clot de Galvany. 

Red crested Pochard

White headed Duck

Ferruginous Duck

Gadwall,

Teal

Shoveller 

Sparrow Hark

Grey Wagtail

Last stop and close to 4 o'clock it was time to called it a day

Nice days birding and many thanks to Jeff. Our stand out moment of the day has to be the Great spotted Eagle I've not seen this bird for a while and had forgotten just how big this bird is

I've not mentioned every bird seen

Have fun go Birding

Cheer's Bryan