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

Lightning does strike twice

We planned to do our normal route we do this route often, as it's good indication of what's going on in the area?

Unfinished Business 

 The Great Spotted Eagle's favourite perch is where we decided to go and get some photos that I didn't take a week or so ago, more of that later.

And so our route across Santa Pola Salinas  produced a very nice Peregrine Falcon, 6+ Great White Egret, an amazing count of Widgeon 75+ a canteen of Spoonbills, 24+ a scattering of different Waders including Dunlin, Little Stint, Redshank, Turnstone etc,

 Turnstone

 at one of the Gull roost's there were good number Slender Bill, Black-headed, and Audouin's, Thousands of Greater Flamingo, hundreds of Avocet.

 Widgeon 

We headed inland to the Spotted Eagle Tree,  heading down the track and Bingo lightning does strike twice!   The bird was there, in the same tree, same branch, this time I took some record photos, terrible lighting almost straight into the sun but I think you get an idea of the size, and shape, still a way off but better and closer than going into El Hondo on a Saturday its a no brainer.

Spotted Eagle

Spotted Eagle

 Definitely a Werther's moment ?

but sadly no Werther's moments to suck on, so we had to make do with frangipane mince pies. ( it's a hard life )  John suggested San Felipe, ok let's go, "good call"  lots of Black-Winged Stilt,  quite few Snipe, 2 Greenshank, 6 Whiskered Tern, Wood Sandpiper, Temminck's Stint, Water Pipits, Meadow Pipits, Other birds seen Blue Throat Marsh Harrier Booted Eagle, Buzzard, Skylark.

Wood Sandpiper

 Temminck's Stint

 Temminck's Stint

Not mention ever species seen

San Felipe

It was busy there lots and lots of campervans, people sunbathing, making lunch,  why oh why do they cycle around the boardwalk on electric bikes, also walking a yappy dog around, 

unbelievable

I know it's a visitor Centre but it's also a Bird Reserve

Very annoying!

Whiskered Tern

 Very Happy New Year to Everybody.

Glossy Ibis

Massive thanks to J E

Sub Ad Great Spotted Eagle

It's with regret is didn't lug the 12 + kilos of lens & camera down the track?

I'd mention on route to John, I've got a good idea where we should start looking for Spotted Eagle and the Common Cranes?

It was quiet as a graveyard hardly any birds flying,  No traffic? small birds keeping low and temperature at only 12 degrees. It felt colder in the brisk wind, and with the exception of European Starlings in their thousands and Crag Martin, there was very little else.

We arrived at the place, i'd thought would be as good as any to start the search?

And so as first breakfast was brewing, and thick slab of lemon drizzle was waiting, and I wander off down a track, but after 200mt or so I stopped!

A large raptor was perched in a dead open tree? It was a long way off.

I sort of guess what it was? It was big.

I Tracked back to John, first breakfast was put on hold, we grabbed the scope and quickly set off. Its the first time in a very long time for John to get a tramp on?

We work our way back down the track with john's Swarovski Telescope, and got closer and then closer, but still a bit distant but excellent views in the scope, we had great views no doubt it was a Sub Adult Spotted Eagle. Although it was back on to us for all the time it was perched up, we took turns viewing through the scope, we could easily see all the features needed to confirm the ID and even the pale patch in the mantle.

A Major Result

(Well for us anyway)

And now the search for Common Crane, 

 lucky for us being in the right place right time, 10 birds flew towards us over our heads and away!

1st flypast

 they flew a long way away and almost landed? But amazingly they turned around and headed back towards us

On their way back

 and eventually came right overhead yet again, we could hear the sound of their wing beats and the wind passing through them.  A moment to remember,  cronking as they went on their way as they struggled against the strong headwind.

It reminded me of a similar moment in time, with Trevor at Monfragüe with Griffon Vulture that was forever Magic.

Getting closer

Closer still?

Above us

 Unbelievable

I love it when a plan comes together.

Sorry about the photos there just crap. In my excitement,  I forgot to change the exposure setting, again operator error,  sometimes there very little or no time to react but just hope and press, must try harder?

Kama

Not a big bird list, Who Cares!!!! We see what we see 100 percent.  A few other raptors and waders were also seen

See John Edwards blog for a different view on today's events link below

John Edwards 

Have fun if you can 

Get jabbed

Cheers Bryan