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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Birding in Alicante Province (3 Viewers)

Will be in Mercia from Saturday 21st for a number of days, will be working bird photographic locations from Vistabella Road down to the Salinas at San Pedro with the camera gear, not necessary out and out birding.

Give me a nod if seen..

Will post daily images subject to wifi access

Paul S
 
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Will be in Mercia from Saturday 21st for a number of days, will be working bird photographic locations from Vistabella Road down to the Salinas at San Pedro with the camera gear, not necessary out and out birding.

Give me a nod if seen..

Paul S

Will need a good camera to capture it from the English Midlands 8-P

The Sociable Plover was last reported on the 29th December; both Pallid Harrier and GS Eagle were noted last week at El Hondo. Keep an eye on http://www.rarebirdspain.net/
 
Common Phil....East Midlands..discuss?

In danger of thread drift here!

The boundaries of the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms embedded and flowed over the "Dark Ages" but Mercia broadly covered from the Welsh borders to Cambridgeshire; from Berkshire up to Manchester / Leeds (its capital was Tamworth) i.e. a greater Midlands.
 
Vistabella road hides have been flooded out since the record rainfall in December, there's a little less water now and I'll check later this week to see if they're accessible again. The fields to the South of the road have been very productive but usually most of the sightings are quite distant.

There are at least 2 pallid harriers around, the sociable plover is still being seen but not reported. Currently there's some good photo opportunities at Santa Agueda where there's water in the small lagoon by the entrance attracting plenty of waders. Temminck's stint there last week. The water level is dropping but hopefully should still be OK next week - there's the added bonus of Tonn the Spotted Eagle usually visible (sometimes quite close) from the left-hand platform.

Even some of the Hondo visitors centre hides have been flooded out!! but I just heard that people are starting to get through again.

The best source for up to date information from the area is Graham Critchell's site.

http://www.finesystem.co.uk/birdwatchingcostablanca/sightings.html

I've been birding the area since November by bicycle but I'm away from the 22nd for 5 days so may miss you.

If I hear anything else I'll let you know.

Best of luck :t:

Phil
 
Phil

Just had a look on google, I can't seen to find the location you refer too in Santa Aqueda, maybe the map is out of date?.

I would be very grateful for some directions

Thanks
Paul S
 
Hi Paul

Although most birders out here refer to the site as the Santa Agueda platforms I believe it's actually called Aula de Naturaleza, Catral.
It's at the end of the road leading from Ermita Santa Agueda, Catral. If you have access to Google Earth both should come up with a search.

It's very easy to get to from the Vistabella road, I'll post directions later.

Just got in from a chilly visit to the North Gate where highlights were 2 Spotted Eagles and a juvenile Bonelli's Eagle.

Cheers

Phil
 
Just booked my flights for the first two weeks in April. Looking forward to a more expansive visit this time, hopefully migration will be in full swing together with some nice sunny weather !
 
A trickle of migrants already, swallow, house and sand martin arrived in the last week or so (first house Martin on Jan 24th) The hordes of crag martins that have been ever present through the winter have largely disappeared.
Moustached warblers have started singing and some of the black-necked grebes are displaying.

Still good numbers of bluethroat (some singing), booted eagle and the spotted eagles should be around for another couple of weeks.
 
Lots of action around Tres Fuentes, near Pinoso today. 3 Rock Bunting, Chough pairing up, 3 pairs of Black Wheatear, Crossbill, lots of Serín, Sardinian Warbler, Black Redstarts still about. Single Griffon Vulture high above the salt mountain.
 
... and lots of action now on the migration front! In the Clot de Galvany over the past few days, a pair of Garganey on the scrape (which is satisfactorily flooded after recent heavy rain), lots of Willow Warblers calling from the scrub, and excellent views of a migrating Redstart, along with a Subalpine Warbler. I heard my first Cuckoo and Bee-eaters of the year yesterday, also there seem to be good numbers of Red-rumped Swallows again.
 

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Thanks for the update Mark. I'll be there on Monday

Never been to the Clot, it would be good to get some images of the Garganey, what is the best way to approach without startling the ducks

Regards
Paul S
 
It is not a problem to approach the ducks providing you are fairly quiet going into the hide, the only problem is that the reeds are growing rapidly now and you will have to be patient to see them.

There is a side pedestrian entrance to the reserve along Avenida del Carabassi, see my Opus article on the Clot for directions. Turn right from the entrance and the first hide is just 1 minute walk, the Garganeys are favouring the right-hand side of the pool and were there again just yesterday. They seem fairly settled and don't seem too bothered by occasional noise from the nearby urbanisation.

Good luck!
 
Didn't manage to get the Garganey at the Clot, but on my return to the uk the very day after I managed to photograph this bird five miles from home !
 

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Well the good news is I'm back out in three weeks, looking to venture a little further this time!

Just to get me back in the mood, here's some images from my trip last week

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I finally managed to get some good shots of a Nightingale yesterday, this is the first time ever I have had clear and uninterrupted views, usually the bird is hidden in dense foliage. The sound from a singing bird at less than 10 yards is unbelieveable! Took me about an hour of patient waiting, pity it was overcast...

Location (for those who know the area well) - the bridge over the canal by the Palm Farm west of La Marina.
 

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