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Marsh Tit Parus palustris |
Monday 24 November
I understand it might have been a little on the windy side back in the Axarquia area of Malaga province. Her, back in the Midlands of the UK, it was definitely a case of get on your thermals and as many other layers as possible. Old age shake is one thing bu then add on the minus four degrees and you start to winder why you even bother to get out of bed. Just think, a fortnight ago I was swimming in our outside, unheated swimming pool!
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Record shot of distant Redwing Turdus iliacus |
But it might be my last, or even only, opportunity to do some local birding so up and away to nearby
Rutland Water and, reaching the site, greeted by both
Carrion Crows and
Rooks followed by the resident
Jackdaw tribe. Something about
Robins back in Blighty; rather than fly away they cam and give you the once-over before disappearing under the car as if you have some sort of built-in trap door that automatically drops food. So, before buying mp pass for the morning and setting off to the distant Lagoons 3 and 4 a quick look at the feeding station where, as expected, I found numerous
Great and
Blue Tits but only the occasional
Chaffinch and no Greenfinches or Goldfinches nevermind something a little more exotic.
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What a lovely "Christmas" Robin Erithacus rubecula |
Then it was off to Lagoon 3 calling in at the hides overlooking the narrow Lagoon 2. No sooner away from the road and I had
Blackbirds and a
Pied Wagtail but, joy of joys, a pair of
Bullfinches feeding in the top of the bush alongside the path. The single
Song Thrush was also a very pleasant sighting. On the water I found
Mallards and
Shovelers plus a good number of
Cormorants with regular
Moorhen sightings. Lovely to see that the
Wigeons were about which saved me having to detour via the North Arm on the way home. The only
Gulls present were
Black-headed and, of course there were
Mute Swans to be seen at every stop. With limited birds seen from these hides, the
Grebe Hide turned out to be the most productive as I was in time to see a
Water Rail take to air, well at least a foot off the water, as it skittled round a corner and up the neighbouring channel.
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The ever-present and graceful Mute Swan Cygnus olor |
So on to the end of the path and approaching Lagoon 4 I had a small mixed flock of
Redwings and
Fieldfare in the bushes in front with more restless
Jackdaws above me. A tiny charm of
Goldfinches put in an appearance with yet more
Blackbirds and then I was looking out over an empty expanse of water with just a couple of isolted
Wigeon to keep me company.
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Plenty of Wigeon Anas penelope to be seen |
So on to the main (Shoveler) hide overlooking lagoon 3 to see what was really about. A good number of
Lapwing along with
Mallards,
Teal,
Shoveler,
Tufted Ducks,
Pochards,
Mute Swans and a few
Moorhens. Closer inspection also produced a couple of
Herons and even a
Little Egret, a local resident of Andalucia which had managed to evade me all through the current month. A few
Gadwall were noted and then my birding neighbour used his telescope to find one of the two
Red-necked Grebes that had been in residence for the past week, alongside a
Goldeneye. Meanwhile, the first
Egyptian Goose of the morning decided that one of the "aerial" nest boxes would make a suitable perch.
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Winter-plumage Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus (above) and Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus (below) |
Walking to the neighbouring hides duly produced more
Wigeon and a number of
Great Crested Grebes plus very many
Tufted Ducks and a single female
Reed Bunting.
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One of very many male Tufted Ducks Aythya fuligula |
Leaving the Shoveler Hide on the return journey I cam across a very relaxed
Dunnock that posed nicley at the side of th epath, had a good scratch and then went off in search of an early lunch. Then it was on to the
Information Centre, where I had a few minutes to chat to warden Tim Appleby, I managed to find more
Redwings plus a few
Starlings and a small number of
Wood Pigeons. Still plenty of
Blue and
Great Tits on the feeders but now also a handful of
House Sparrows and a single
Marsh Tit that made numerous brief visits to the same trio of feeders, mainly picking niger seed. Even a cock
Pheasant patrolling around on the half-chance of picking up dropped seeds.
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The very obliging Dunnock Prunella modularis |
A very short walk to Lagoon 1 picked up a small flock of
Canada Geese from the
Mallard Hide then I decided to make it back home as there was still shopping to be completed. Driving away from the car park I was able to add both
Collared Dove and
Magpie with a
Kestrel hovering alongside the road near Lagoon 4.Still not done as a
Red Kite crossed the road in front of me as I drove back towards Stamford alongside the Northern Arm.
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Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, the only wader on show during the morning |
Birds seen:
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Egyptian Goose, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Pheasant, Great Crested Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Heron, Red Kite, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Water Rail, Lapwing, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Robin, Pied Wagtail, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, Marsh Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting.
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Always guaranteed a Pheasant Phasianus colchicus at the feeding station |
Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information.
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