AN INVESTIGATIVE MORNING

In the ultra high temperatures of Spain I met Bryan at 7.15am as the sun was struggling to get through some heavy clouds. The chances of rain was up to 40 per cent and the likelihood of us getting some was slim, but somewhere could have had a soaking!



We stopped at the lagoons opposite Las Brisas, The Salt Tower and the small pull-in past it. Little, Common and Whiskered Terns were evident. And one Sandwich Tern did fly over us. There was not one wader in sight and this emphasizes the purpose of today to see what was going on. We knew that the migration had started from reports of northern breeding birds being seen at Slimbridge and on the Isles of Scilly. We were out and about to see what we could see.

El Pinet normally yields some excellent species and on an island and on the far bank were good numbers of Collared Pratincoles. Again not one wader.

However, our ‘bag’ of the day, was caught in a bush. It had flown, by whatever means, from a seller of fish in Santa Pola and handed to a supporter who has a diet of fish and who is a user of plastic.



The irony was in the logo. How can we stop the ‘ingestation’ of plastic? Let's grate some more on to my pasta, it saves on the Parmesan! We have muslin bags and the price labels do adhere. Honest.

We moved on taking the caminos towards San Felipe Neri. We had hoped for good numbers of both Rollers and Bee-eaters and apart from three distant Rollers that was it with not one bloody Bee-eater to be seen. Both Bryan and I have heard their burbling when in our respective homes. So where are they as they are not due to depart yet.

A mixed group of over two hundred Gulls came up from a tilled field, flew around and landed back. There were Yellow Legs that were easily spotted and not one Lesser Black Backed among them. Amongst the Black Headed were at least six Mediterranean and one bird with the black hood was easily seen. Many would have been juveniles.

Palm Farm Road and Sandpiper Alley was not worth the diesel except we put up about three Green Sandpipers. Some fields had been irrigated as the Alfalfa/Lucerne was in various stages of growth. Some had been cut and was waiting to be bailed. Over one of these we saw both Barn and Red-rumped Swallows with some House Martins. On other occasions we did see Swifts, but they were flying high and heading south.

As we progressed a flock of about 200 Glossy Ibis flew with a number of Cattle Egrets amongst them. They had been feeding somewhere presumably where a field had been irrigated and through the morning we did see other Ibis too.

We called in to the Visitor Centre and took the boardwalk. There were some margins, but again no waders. On a couple of occasions we heard a Little Ringed Plover and a Common Sand calling. Our prize bird of the day was a Purple Gallinule that fed within meters of us! What great iridescent blues and the striking red crown showed so well.

Small birds were scarce and not one Raptor to be seen. Two Common Kestrels only, probably summed up, our morning. But it was great to be out and by mid morning we were heading back to Gran Alicant and a cold beer.