Monday 2 April 2018

Maro, Nerja

Monday 2 April

Nerja this morning to get an upgrade for the computer so with a couple of hours to kill I wandered up to the wooded car park at the Maro caves. Not a lot about but I picked up Barn Swallow, House Martin and the usual as I approached and walking around the area added Collared Dove, Chaffinch, Serin and Goldfinch.  However, when a Wood Pigeon decided to perch high above me on a branch, but in deep shadow, an opportunity to play around with the camera and see what sort of result I could achieve with ISO settings of 800 and 1000 respectively.

Woodpigeon Paloma Torcaz Columba palumbus high and in deep shade using an 800 ISO setting and 5.6 appature

The same bird with the ISO now up to 1000

The, following a coffee, I had time to drive up the track to the picnic area. Lots of hikers about which which is more than can be said for the birds.  Arriving I had more Chaffinches but then watched a pair of Nuthatches intent on, as is their want, applying mud to gaps in a nest box squeezed high in a fork some ten metres up.  Not sure where the nest was going to be but presumed in some sort of gap above the box as the original entrance hole seemed clean and large enough to accommodate a Jackdaw.  But, again, a chance to try once more to get a shot with a high 800 ISO setting.






Our Nuthatch Trepador Azul Sitta europaea undertaking some DIY on its new home
 
Away from the nest and the ISO back to its usual 400 level

One thing I can see from enlarging the photos is that the Nuthatches are building their nest to the right of the main box, possibly utilising extensions to the original box and the tree itself.

One thing for sure, I am seriously thinking about upgrading to the latest version of my camera so need to replace the existing Canon 7D.  Anyone interested at a price of about 350 Euros so that I can afford the Mark II version?

Birds seen:
Rock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Blackbird, Nuthatch, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, 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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