The summer onwards was a damn sight better than the first half of the year. Physically and legally able to ‘get at it’ again was a real boost. Eventually and working hard at it I was able to boost Bryan’s cheerfulness to just over neutral! He’s always looking for that mega bird. But we had some great experiences. Sometimes just the two of us and sometimes with Michelle. Well it was no good that Coolpix 900 sitting at home was it?
I love the mountains and Monnegre gave us a family of Trumpeter Finches and also my second sighting of Alpine Swifts and a fly past of two Golden Eagles.
Clot de Galvany gave us a feeding frenzy of Gulls and Little Egrets that included a dark morph bird indicating a Western Reef Heron X Little Egret. Bryan's sharp eyes picked it out. That's not all as Kingfishers flew around us and we had so many marvelous views. The number probably indicating that they had bred here this summer. These beautiful birds are one of Michelle's favourite. There was stacks of other stuff too.
The lagoons close to the information centre at San Felipe Neri finally paid us back. They drained the water, exposed the mud and the birds loved it. Really close up views of Dunlin, Little & Temminck’s Stints and more besides. It is a conservation exercise and the water is back in.
Flooded fields are what we want and we get them from time to time. We have not seen so many Wood Sandpipers before in one season and all the other waders too. Our last trip yielded two Greenshanks with them and giving a wonderful clear close up image. They normally are on some shady edge across the lagoon.
This winter the large flocks of Serin are a joy to watch. They need checking out as there are Linnets, Goldfinches, Pipits and some vividly marked Green Finches. Skylarks also in flocks. Seeing the flocking birds is a marvelous sight.
Often over looked, Starlings, can be impressive. At Urba Nova they swarmed into the Olive Trees and then went up and I witnessed my first murmuration in Spain. Recently we saw a flock on the ground and we could see they were our winter visitors from up north with a few Spotless ones among them.
A few weeks ago four Golden Plovers were feeding on worms close to the road. They were gorgeous and yesterday some more in a field with over one hundred Lapwing. Another iconic bird.
Sierra de Toledo was a great experience and again we had clear views of Spanish Imperial Eagles and Michelle had her first day time view of an Eagle Owl.
So many to choose from, but my birds of the year have to be the family of Barn Owls that lived across the road from our front door. Gone now and hopefully they will be back. We saw one the other night flying.
So much to see and places to go. Clear images is what we look for and we get them most times. Here’s to another successful year and birding as well.
Meeting with like-minded people and spending time with them and then the birds is what I love doing. We live near a real and fantastic birders paradise. It's there to be enjoyed.
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