Parque Natural de Hondon. I know that summer is here, but I wanted to see what this important birding area has to offer throughout the year and so I spent another Saturday morning there. I have been paying attention to the Moustached Warblers (Carricerin Real) that arrived in April and nest here. I watched a female with food in her beak and continuously calling. Somewhere there must be fledglings about, but I did not see any and perhaps they were still in the nest. There was a lot of activity with adult birds frequenting a low point in the reeds. I heard at least two males singing.
It was quiet there, more so than usual, but that does not mean it is not worth going to. I find it is better to concentrate on certain species rather than go for quantity. Highlights were not many. Whiskered Terns (Fumarel Cariblanco) dived, Bee-eaters (Abejaruca Común) hunted low over the water and a Southern Grey Shrike (Alcaudon Real) was perched in the distance. On the far lagoon there were two families of Great Crested Grebes (Somormujjo Lavanco) each with three young. They are great to see especially when one is hitching a lift.
Apart from Harry Bailey I was almost on my own. We shared the spaces and watched the warblers. Afterwards a stop at La Mata yielded one flying male Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo) and then on to see the Azure-winged Magpies. Again we were in luck as there was a nest with a sitting bird. We had good, close up views and I left him with his camera to get a good shot.
Earlier a small warbler flew and dive around in the reeds and in a Eucalyptus. I am hoping that one of Harry's photos will help with identification. It was very pale underneath, brown and with a black feather on the edge of the wing.
Hopefully there will be photos to follow courtesy of Harry.
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