[Bob Biggs]

Got back on Tuesday from a few days in an area called La Marina Urbanizationes [about 20 minutes drive South of Alicante airport]. Wet, cold and windy for 2 days but sunshine for the other two . What a difference the sun makes to birding. We stayed in an apartment on this massive estate and watched Crag Martin fly over, while Chiffchaff sang and Spotless Starling perched on the top of TV aerials, watching the Black Redstarts fly up and down from fences and garden walls. All very nice.

At the bottom of the estate, there's actually a large piece of land where there is no building work. On the sunny days, I went for a walk and saw several Great Grey Shrikes, Fan Tailed Warblers, the odd Stonechat, lots more Black Redstarts, Grey and White wagtails and Crested Larks amongst others.

Away from the "New Town", I had a couple of trips to the near-by Santa Pola Salinas, where thousands of birds were present. It's not easy to obtain great views as the main road slices through the pools but Flamingoes and Gulls are there in vast numbers. I got reasonable views of Slender Billed and Audouin's Gulls and also Black Winged Stilts and Kentish Plovers. More common waders were present in large numbers.

On Tuesday, we went to El Hondo Reserve. I went there with high hopes of bagging three lifers - White Headed Duck, Penduline Tit and Moustached warbler. I still need them but my wife [ Bless her!] has now seen Penduline Tit. What a great piece of gripping off. We're still not speaking.

We were unlucky [I think] in that the main building and hide were closed. The Reserve is certainly closed on Mondays [ as we had found to our cost on the previous day] but I got the impression that we should have pre-booked as the Guide said to let them know we were coming next time. Can anyone confirm that you have to be escorted around the main Reserve?

From the area we could access, we saw a number of hirundines and Yellow Wagtails, plus a few Bluethroats and Water Pipits. Two Osprey were also at the Reserve, together with several Red Crested Pochard and Avocet, but both species were distant.

In a field close to the Reserve, we came across a swarm of hirundines, including Crag, Sand and House Martins and Swallows. I also saw at least one Red Rumped Swallow at the Reserve.

All in all, a nice break and it was great to see so many migrants early on. As I type this in Northumberland, the snow makes it all seem a long time ago!

[HelenB]

Originally Posted by Bob Biggs

On Tuesday, we went to El Hondo Reserve. I went there with high hopes of bagging three lifers - White Headed Duck, Penduline Tit and Moustached warbler. I still need them but my wife [ Bless her!] has now seen Penduline Tit. What a great piece of gripping off. We're still not speaking.

Bob - if it's any consolation, my husband got King Vulture in Costa Rica and I missed it because I was busy getting photos of a pair of Groove-billed Anis which had finally come out of the bushes to pose for me!

[Grousemore]

Nice one,Bob.Despite the indifferent weather you saw some good birds and thanks for sharing the experience.

[nirofo]

Hi Bob

Glad you had a good trip, I've spent many happy hours around the areas you mention, I've got many great bird photo's to prove it, I tend to look at these with some nostalgia when I'm putting together a talk for one of the local societies.

nirofo.

[Rob Smallwood]

Sound good!

I've not long returned from a few days at San Pedro del Pinitar which is south of the area you were in near Murcia.

We got a very similar list but I have to say that the Salinas here were very easy to watch and close views of most birds could be obtained from the various roads/tracks - well worth a visit if you are in the area.