EL HONDO, PALM FARM ROAD TO LA MARINA

Two weeks have flown by since our last foray to see what species were heading south and which had arrived. We have had rain, locally in good measure, and with temperatures not much over 30 it was again time to see what was about.

On Friday 14th we headed out and reversed our usual route and headed straight for El Hondo and just after 7am we parked up outside the north gate and listened. Two Iberian Green Woodpeckers called in different locations and a Cetti’s Warbler too. It was very quiet.

We moved on to Visitor Centre area and with the improving light we walked out to the farthest lagoon. Without any strong sunlight the mosquitos were busy, but the hides were clear and later on they ceased to be a problem. We were pleased to see water in the lagoon and good muddy margins too and there were waders busy feeding. We saw:

Avocet
Black Tailed Godwits X 4
Black Winged Stilts
Kentish Plover
Redshank
Snipe
Wood Sandpiper

As you can see there were numerous absentees including most duck species and a total absence of Gulls and Terns. Two Reed Warblers flitted through the reeds.
Returning towards the boardwalk we inspected the other lagoon and saw only Mallard. Walking across the boardwalk a Little Bittern flew and an un-tagged Red Knobbed Coot fed with a Purple Swamphen in the background.

We were hoping to see more waders, Bluethroats and Kingfisher, but not today.

We travelled back across country towards La Marina where we observed numerous Bee-eaters perched on wires and hawking. We were surrounded by their calls. Maybe by next week they will have gone. Again we saw a Wood Sandpiper in the same small lagoon as two weeks ago and this time there was a Green Sandpiper too.
Wood Sandpiper

In a flooding field of artichokes numerous Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egrets fed. Two Common Kestrels dived about in the sky being harassed by Jackdaws. A single Marsh Harrier hunted over the reeds. We saw one passing Yellow Wagtail and a Northern Wheatear rested on a wire.




Another Iberian Green Woodpecker clung to the side of a palm tree before flying away. Barn and Red Rumped Swallows fed over the vegetation and all flying south.

At one point twenty Lapwing flew up from a field. That’s nice to see. A little later in sparse vegetation and arid soil a Stone Curlew hid, posed and walked away. They are not that easy to see normally or that close. The photos tell the story so well.



At El Pinet the lagoons yielded little except two Sandwich Terns . It was coffee time and at the beach we watched Gulls fly over in ‘dribs and drabs’ and we are able to say that there were many Mediterranean with some Black Headed amongst them. There were several larger Gulls which were probably Yellow Legged. And that was it. In terms of the number of species seen it was disappointing, but we did have excellent views of many birds. It is good to get out and about.

Butterflies were not very evident with only one small white and several Plain Tigers and a Banded Grayling.

All Photographs Copyright Bryan Thomas 2018