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Pintail Anade Rabudo Anas acuta |
Sunday 1 April
The promise of a sunny morning so over to the
Charca de Suarez in Motril in time for the opening/locking of the gates at 10 o'clock and the reduced visiting time of only three hours recording a resting
Kestrel as I approached the site. No sooner through the gate and I headed off to the
Laguna del Taraje and, as I approached along the wooded track, I could see a lone
Purple Heron perched at the top of a tall tree on my right. On reaching the water another four individuals rose and moved about the laguna before disappearing for the moment. Also present a couple of
Purple Swamphen,
Coot,
Moorhen and a single
Little Grebe.
Cetti's Warblers were singing loudly and upon arriving at the new hide at the far end not only more
Moorhens and another
Purple Swamphen but also a rather handsome
Pintail.
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Purple Swamphen Calamon Comun Porphyrio porphyrio |
Then it was on to the
Laguna del Alako Blanco recording a very small flock of
Serin on the way along with
Great Tits and another couple of
Blackbird. Once in the hide I could see it was going to be a "Heron Morning" as I looked at three
Squaco Herons sunning themselves right in front of me and I was pretty sure I would also pick up a
Grey Heron before the morning was out. Also on the water a pair of
Black-winged Stilts and a number of
Moorhen. Watching a female
Teal steal away from behind the island of dead vegetation I then noticed the well-camouflaged sleeping
Snipe on said island. Lots of time watching the
Squacco Herons as they sought differing resting spots in the same basic area in front of the hide.
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Two of the three Squacco Herons Garcilla Cangrejera Ardeola ralloides |
The Laguna de las Aneas looked somewhat barren on first arrival, not so much the lack of bird but the island in front of the hide had been cut back of its vegetation and without any occupants gave a very deserted feel to the site. However, I was soon noticing the feeding
Barn Swallows over the water along with a few
Coots and
Moorhens. To the right a pair of both
Mallard and
Shoveler and towards the back more than a handful of
Common Pochard. Just possible to pick out the pair of
Red-knobbed Coots at the very back and to the far right a single
Cormorant. Next to the last a trio of resting
Grey Herons. Whilst scoping the far side to my left I found three of the previous
Purple Herons and they were then joined another individual.
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Purple Heron Garza Imperial Ardea purpurea |
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Guess who is wathcing the Grey Heron Garza Real Ardea cinerea on the right |
Now on to the
Laguna del Trebol but not before a little wander round the memorial tree plantation which, on this occasion, produced my first
Nightingale of the year. As I was about to continue on to the new water I looked u in time to see the adult
Night Heron passing overhead so completing the quartet. Once in the hide as expected the were many close sightings of the breeding
Red-knobbed Coots along with yet another
Purple Swamphen and the "missing"
Purple Heron. Also
Common Coots and
Moorhens present and no sooner had the female
Marsh Harrier paid a visit to this pool than I saw a pair of
Waxbill flit down the side and disappear into the reeds at the far end, very close to the resting
Mallards. Whilst here I was joined by local birder, George Lamb who informed me that just after I had left the Laguna del Alamo Banco, whilst trying to take a photograph of the distant Snipe, a Spotted Crake walked in front of the lens immediately next to the Snipe and then seemed to run rather than swim away to the grasses. And they even had stills and video of the bird!
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Wonderful Marsh Harrier Aguilucho Lagunero Circus aeruginosus |
With a lone
Yellow-legged Gull overhead I made my way round to the hide at the far end of the pool discovering a feeding
Chiffchaff and many calling
Great Tits on the way. At the last bend I heard my first
Reed Warbler of the year and upon arriving back at the
Laguna del Trebol actual saw a pair of these small aquatic warblers. Not only
Reed Warblers and the occasional
House Sparrow but also a late
Bluethroat which came out of cover for the briefest of moments to feed at the water's edge. Also present,a few metres away from the hide, were a pair of
Chameleon, one black and one green plus a tiny
Leaf Frog.
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The missing Squacco Heron Garcilla Cangrejera Ardeola ralloides |
With time running out I made my way back to the
Laguna del Alamo Blanco in the hope that I, too, might catch a sight of the visiting Spotted Crake that has been on site for at least the past fortnight. No such luck but one of the
Squacco Herons was now much closer to the hide and a pair of Green sandpipers had arrived on the scene. The last species was a single White wagtail and then it was time to pack-up and make my departure escorted off the site by a handful of Goldfinch.
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White Wagtail Lavandera Blanca Motacilla alba |
Home via the back road and down "Turtle Dove Alley" which is now more like driving through a dense forest of Pampas Grass and the only bird picked up was a lone
Cattle Egret. A final total of
37 species and not one Spotless Starling or Rock Dove!
More Photographs from the Charca de Suarez
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Black-winged Stilt Ciguenuela Comun Himantopus himantopu |
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Green Sandpiper Andarrios Grande Tringa ochropus |
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Little Grebe Zampullin Comun Tachybaptus ruficollis |
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Red-knobbed Coot Focha Moruna Fulica cristata including a very industrious Dad |
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Purple Swamphen Calamon Comun Porphyrio porphyrio |
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Record shot of the Nightingale Ruisenor Comun Luscinia megarhynchos |
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Too close to really focus on the black Chameleon Chamaelo chamaeleon
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Birds seen:
Mallard,
Shoveler, Pntail, Teal, Pochard, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Night Heron,
Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Marsh Harrier,
Kestrel, Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Coot, Red-knobbed Coot, Black-winged
Stilt, Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, Collared Dove, Barn
swallow, White Wagtail, Nightingale, Bluethroat, Blackbird, Cetti's
Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, House Sparrow,
Waxbill, Serin, Goldfinch.
Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information
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