After last Monday's amazing birding day I decided to head up to the lagoon again at Piedra. I arrived at 8.45am and there was no one in sight. Great!, I thought. But to my disapointment there were not many birds in sight either. I couldnt believe the contrast from the previous Monday when there were flocks and flocks of waders everywhere! 
Now there was a few on the various ponds.
Now there was a few on the various ponds.There was a group of flamingoes nearer to me than last week so I spent some time watching them and was able to get a nice flight shot. The pink underneath their wings is beautiful, an amazing looking bird!
There was a couple of Avocet, a few Dunlin feeding away, and the usual Redshank. Went to see if I could see the Red-crested pochards again, but they seem to have vanished too. The Curlew Sandpipers were still there, as were the Ringed Plovers, but really not much else. On the wooden bridge a very tame Swallow kept flying and landing on the bridge, and came withing 10 feet of my lens.
I think it was a Marsh Harrier that flew past in the distance over the lagoon, and then at 10.30 a coach load of school kids started to walk towards me. I decided at this point to head somewhere else....and so decided to go and see if the dipper's were still at Alhama de Granada.
I think it was a Marsh Harrier that flew past in the distance over the lagoon, and then at 10.30 a coach load of school kids started to walk towards me. I decided at this point to head somewhere else....and so decided to go and see if the dipper's were still at Alhama de Granada.
I took the road from Antequerra to Granada instead of down to Malaga, passing Archidona. I had heard there are Short-eared Owls in this area, and thought about an evening visit there sometime. Turning off the main A92 toward Alhama the scenery this time of year is wonderful, rolling green fields of grasses and wheat. On the way saw Woodchat Shrike, Kestrels galore, and also a Sparrow hawk.
When I got to Alhama I excitedly started to walk the path through the gorge. 
I could hear the waterfall in the distance and as I got to the small pond saw the Dipper fly toward the waterfall. I got in position and waited. Had my sandwich and coffee out of a flask and was enjoying the sun on my back whilst listening to the sound of running water. The Grey Wagtails I had photographed some weeks earlier came to visit me again, this time they brought their new family with them. The baby one was so small and was happily churping away, waiting for his mother to come and feed him. Just then in the back undergrowth there was the dipper. I was looking at him through the camera lens waiting for him to get into a better position for a photo, but he was too busy bashing a small fish on the rock. He was trying to kill this fish for about 3 mins and when all life was hammered out of the fish he flew away again in the direction of the waterfall...fish in mouth. 
I saw the dippers fly up and down the river atleast 15 times but they never stopped on the rocks to where I could get a nice shot.
I could hear the waterfall in the distance and as I got to the small pond saw the Dipper fly toward the waterfall. I got in position and waited. Had my sandwich and coffee out of a flask and was enjoying the sun on my back whilst listening to the sound of running water. The Grey Wagtails I had photographed some weeks earlier came to visit me again, this time they brought their new family with them. The baby one was so small and was happily churping away, waiting for his mother to come and feed him. Just then in the back undergrowth there was the dipper. I was looking at him through the camera lens waiting for him to get into a better position for a photo, but he was too busy bashing a small fish on the rock. He was trying to kill this fish for about 3 mins and when all life was hammered out of the fish he flew away again in the direction of the waterfall...fish in mouth. 
I saw the dippers fly up and down the river atleast 15 times but they never stopped on the rocks to where I could get a nice shot. Just as I was about to call it a day, in between a rock and the log on the embankment, I noticed some movement. Just then a baby dipper appeared! I was so excited, I couldnt find him through my lens and when I went to have another look, he had gone. Just then his mother made a brief appearance on the log and flew off. I didn't even try to get a photo this time, just wanted to savour the moment, even though it only lasted 2 seconds! I was so happy I had been about 8 feet away from a dipper and it's chick.
Driving home just before Zaffaraya, I saw my first Azure-winged Magpie outside of Donana, so all in all a good day really with 30 species observed.
Birdlist: Black-winged stilt, Avocet, Redshank, Dunlin, Common Tern, Goldfinch, Corn Bunting, Pochard, Coot, Moorhen, Ringed Plover, Flamingo, Marsh Harrier, Curlew Sandpiper, Kestrel, Sparrow Hawk, Blue tit, Great tit, Dipper, Nightengale, Woodchat shrike, Sardinian warbler, Azure-winged magpie, Jackdaw, Grey wagtail, White wagtail, Robin, Blackbird, Blackcap, Serin
No comments:
Post a Comment