Rambla de Almanzora & Vera Playa

Wednesday 22 May

What a amazing day's birding with the Arboleas Birding Group, especially the mixed heron family nesting sight.  Not just House Martins but, I see, the Bee-eaters and Spotted Flycatchers are back, always good news.  And summer may have arrived in Almeria but back in Blighty we are back to the wet stuff!

Rambla de Almanzora & Vera Playa: Wednesday 22nd May

As the Vauxhall Insignia was still in the garage with a knackered gearbox, I was driving the truck which meant Juda and I could drive alongside the Rambla de Almanzora.  We joined it just past the Desert Springs complex.  The first concrete weir contained some water.  We saw Mallard, Little Grebe, Black-winged Stilt and Moorhen.  Further shallow pools contained more Mallard and Stilts.  En route to the ford we added Bee-eater, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Magpie and House Martin.  The ford pool was devoid of any bird life as it was virtually dry.  There was lots of work going on by the sewage works and the Water Desalination complex.

Redshank (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns)

Alan was waiting for us as we parked up.  He'd found a Spotted Flycatcher in the shrubs just below the embankment.  Very active and constantly on the move!   Whilst waiting for Trevor to arrive we added Common Swift, Barn Swallow and Collared Dove.  Two Bee Eaters flew by.  With no sign of Trevor we moved off towards the beach, seeing a Red-rumped Swallow as we left.  There was no birdlife on the rocks or out to sea so we drove round to the far side of the estuary.  There was a group of eight Audouin's Gulls on the far side.  Alan found Turnstone, Ringed Plover and  Dunlin. I added a Little Egret, Grey Heron and a Kentish Plover.  Doing a scan around I spotted a very distant circling bird of prey being mobbed by smaller birds.  Alan managed to get his scope on it.  He's pretty certain it was a Sparrowhawk....it was VERY distant!  As we left for the cafe Alan heard a Nightingale in the reeds.

Spotted Flycatcher (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns)

Whilst having a coffee, I rang Trevor.  He answered but I couldn't hear what he was saying. We moved on to the dual carriageway overlooking the shallow pools opposite the Consum supermarket behind Vera Playa.  There were numerous Greater Flamingos, nesting Black-headed Gulls and Shelducks.  Alan added a Greenshank and some Common Pochard.  I'd just found a Red-crested Pochard when Trevor turned up.  He'd had a late night and slept through the alarm.  We moved to the other side of the hump where Trevor spotted a Redshank.  I saw a Cormorant landing over the far side.  Two Glossy Ibis flew over.  We drove round to the Aguaparc car park and crossed the road to the elevated viewing platform. There was a raft of Common Pochard and a Great Crested Grebe spotted by Juda.  To our left on a penisular of reeds was a small collection of nesting birds.  A pair of Little Egrets were building a nest on the top.  Below them there were three Cattle Egret nests, three Glossy Ibis nests and just next to them a virtually hidden Squacco Heron nest.  Wow! View the attached photo to test your powers of observation!

Nest building Little Egret (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns)

We ended up with 36 species.  Great birding in good company.  Summer has arrived...it was a tad warm!

Regards

Dave

Right....starting at 12 o'clock you have two nest building Little Egrets.

Bottom right you have a nesting Cattle Egret. A foot above his head 

and slightly to the right is a Glossy Ibis nest. Along the bottom slightly 

left of centre is another Cattle Egret nest. Between that nest and the 

far right nest is another Glossy Ibis nest. Far left, dead centre is the 

third Glossy Ibis nest. From that Glossy Ibis on a direct line to the 

higher left hand Little Egret, dead centre is a pale yellow patch in the 

reeds. That is the Squacco Heron on its nest!

(PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns)

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