Pyrenees Adventure: day 1

Whiskered Terns Chlidonias Hybrida

 Saturday 27 May

An early start from Malaga and travelling via the Loja area of Granada Province where we collected Mick Richardson and made our way due north to Daimiel.  Needless to say many sightings on the four hour journey north with "specials" including both Red and Black Kite, Turtle Dove , Raven, Little Owl and Iberian Magpie (the formerly-named Azure-winged Magpie).

Avocets Recurvirstra avosetta

Once in the town time to visit the nearby Laguna Nevaseca where the water level was much lower than that seen on previous visit. Indeed, a local resident informed us that a crack had appeared in the bottom of the main pool and the water was gradually draining away.  Seemed unlikely to me given the actual depth of water in that part of the reserve.

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius

All the usuals present including many Flamingos, Greylag Geese and Black-headed Gulls along with a range of ducks including Mallard, Shelduck, both Common and Red-crested Pochard, White-headed Duck and Gadwall. All three grebes plus both Moorhen and Coot and to add to the Grey Heron we also found a Night Heron, Little Egret and a White Stork flew over.

Distant Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Overhead raptors included Booted Eagle and Marsh Harrier.  In addition Common Swifts, Barn and Red-rumped Swallow plus House and Sand Martins then an appearance put in by those lovely Bee-eaters. 

A few of the gathered juvenile Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica

With a large reedbed immediately in front of us we were soon hearing and seeing some of the many Reed Warblers and ere long we also added Great Reed Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Cetti's and even a Savi's Warbler.  Lots of Nightingales and a Hoopoe is always a joy to see.  A few more "specials" included Little Ringed Plover, Penduline Tit, Glossy Ibis, Purple Swamphen and a Little Owl.  And then there were the breeding Whiskered Terns and a couple of Back Terns.  No wonder we were ready to check-in at our local hostel and dream of the adventures to come.

First night meal with great friends: Barbara and Jerry Laycock, Derek and Barbara Etherton, Sonia and Ricky Owen and Mick Richardson

Birds seen:

Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Gadwall, Mallard, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, White-headed Duck, Red-legged Partridge, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Night Heron, Glossy Ibis, Grey Heron, White Stork, Red Kite, Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Buzzard, Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Coot, Stone Curlew, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Turtle Dove, Little Owl, Common Swift, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Iberian Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Nightingale, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cistcola, Savi's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Penduline Tit, Iberian Magpie, Magpie, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Waxbill, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Serin, Goldfinch, Linnet, Corn Bunting.

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

Black-winged Stilt H.himantopus and Avocet R.avosetta with Whiskered Terns Chlidonias Hybrida

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