Dr.Boletus
Well-known member
It was an early start today. Today my target bird was the common cuckoo. I didn't think I would see a short-toed eagle, or golden oriole. Either of these would be far, far better.
For a long time, I saw nothing. The first birds I encountered were two bee-eaters near a palm plantation, and then found my first common cuckoo of the year. It was rather distant, but very audible. I tried to see where it was perched, but couldn't see it anywhere. I moved on, hoping to see one elsewhere. There was also an Iberian green woodpecker
As I rode past the North Gate entrance, I caught sight of a very large bird of prey perched in the distance. I approached it, and took a few photos. It was a perched short-toed eagle, probably a young bird which was migrating through the area, although I hoped it would stay. They are quite rare in the region.
I continued on to the visitor center, where I had lovely views of glossy ibis and collared pratincoles. However, no cuckoos were to be seen anywhere, unlike 2, where I had two cuckoos singing about last year.
After failing to see or hear any cuckoos, I continued down the track, but didn't get very far when I got interrupted. A cuckoo flew overhead, and perched 5 meters away from me, looking at me intently. It wasn't the bird I was after- it was a great spotted cuckoo. Rather insane that I wasn't as excited by a scarce and sought-after bird as I would have been by the garden variety. It shuffled around a few times, but still sat phenomenally close to me.
It then flew off, and I continued down towards the southern El Hondo hides, passed them, and approached the El Molar area. I passed a rice field, where there was a swarm of egrets. There were 60 cattle egrets crammed onto this field, and about 20 glossy ibis!
Nothing was encountered here, no cuckoos of any kind sang of flew here, but there was a group of 7 very photogenic bee-eaters about which I took photos of. Hopefully I'll see the common cuckoo next time I visit- I was much too late for it here.
For a long time, I saw nothing. The first birds I encountered were two bee-eaters near a palm plantation, and then found my first common cuckoo of the year. It was rather distant, but very audible. I tried to see where it was perched, but couldn't see it anywhere. I moved on, hoping to see one elsewhere. There was also an Iberian green woodpecker
As I rode past the North Gate entrance, I caught sight of a very large bird of prey perched in the distance. I approached it, and took a few photos. It was a perched short-toed eagle, probably a young bird which was migrating through the area, although I hoped it would stay. They are quite rare in the region.
I continued on to the visitor center, where I had lovely views of glossy ibis and collared pratincoles. However, no cuckoos were to be seen anywhere, unlike 2, where I had two cuckoos singing about last year.
After failing to see or hear any cuckoos, I continued down the track, but didn't get very far when I got interrupted. A cuckoo flew overhead, and perched 5 meters away from me, looking at me intently. It wasn't the bird I was after- it was a great spotted cuckoo. Rather insane that I wasn't as excited by a scarce and sought-after bird as I would have been by the garden variety. It shuffled around a few times, but still sat phenomenally close to me.
It then flew off, and I continued down towards the southern El Hondo hides, passed them, and approached the El Molar area. I passed a rice field, where there was a swarm of egrets. There were 60 cattle egrets crammed onto this field, and about 20 glossy ibis!
Nothing was encountered here, no cuckoos of any kind sang of flew here, but there was a group of 7 very photogenic bee-eaters about which I took photos of. Hopefully I'll see the common cuckoo next time I visit- I was much too late for it here.
