I spent a nice day at S’Albufera today. I arrived at 8am, only to find that opening time is now 9am. I took a chance and went in anyway, and had the privilege of being alone until well after 9am (I did go to the visitor centre to get a permit once they were open).
Highlights included a flock of c15 spotless starlings flying past the Sa Roca new hide (I met a birder who had an early entry permit, and he said that he’d disturbed quite a large flock from trees there at 6.30am, and believed they’d been roosting there). I had a stone curlew, moustached warbler and commuting glossy ibises from the platform on the track to Ses Puntes. I saw several purple herons over the reed beds, and one (possibly two) squaccos over the main canal. The pools at Es Cibollar are dry and consequently pretty deserted. There were lots of showy great reed warblers all over the reserve, and I heard three reed warblers. Sadly I saw and adult and a tiny young red-eared slider. I can understand that people found the small ones endearing, but how irresponsible to release them when they outgrow an aquarium!
There were several lesser emperor and emperor dragonflies around, and from the main bridge there were lots of small red-eyed and blue-tailed damselflies. After a lot of effort I was able to identify three or four goblet-marked damselflies among them (a new insect for me).
Later I drove down to the power station end of the Cami des Polls to check out the dragonflies there. I was astonished to come across an impressive new observation tower along the entrance track, next to a large lagoon. Today it held a loafing group of yellow-legged gulls, but it looks full of potential. In any case, it’s well worth visiting for the wonderful panoramic views in all directions!
I parked next to a dyke which held three scarlet dragonflies. The Cami des Polls itself was very disappointing. The “pool” at the end of the trackside dyke is severely overgrown, and the dyke edges are also overgrown, making viewing the water all but impossible. There were plenty of Norfolk hawkers and black-tailed skimmers but little else. I did see yet another Plain Tiger butterfly here. Bird-wise, three Eleanora’s falcons were hawking overhead and two purple herons were over the reeds.
As I walked back along the entrance track to the car, I was dumbfounded to see a pine marten walk across the track about 50m in front of me! It had prey (possibly a young coot or moorhen) and just slowly looped across. In my very limited experience of pine martens in Scotland I would say that this animal was overall slightly darker, with a less bushy tail. In any case, it was by some way the highlight of my trip so far!
Stew
