The first week of April was taken up with a surprise weeks holiday in Costa Blanca, Spain, organised by my splendid wife, to an area that I have visited regularly over the past twenty years or so.
The weather was good, sunny with a daytime temperature of about 20c and perfect to get out and about birding.
My first port of call was to El Hondo, about a forty minute car journey away. The reserve is the prime birdwatching location of the whole area and is productive throughout the year. Amongst the many birds seen were, Marbled Duck, Collared Pratincole, Purple Swamphen, Temmink's Stint, Booted Eagle, Whiskered Tern, Slender Billed Gull, Short Toed Eagle, Melodious Warbler, Crested Lark and Red Rumped Swallow. The sky was full of Barn Swallow, House and Sand Martin, Common Swift, Pallid Swift and a few Alpine Swift.
Other places that were visited during my stay were, Campoamor golf course, San Pedro Del Pinatar, Laguna De La Mata and Los Balcones.
On my second visit to El Hondo were, Kentish Plover, Great Reed Warbler, Glossy Ibis, White Headed Duck, Iberian Yellow Wagtail, Short Toed, Lesser Short Toed and Thekla Lark and Zitting Cisticola.
At Los Balcones, which was only fifteen minutes away, were twenty or so Azure Winged Magpie, apparently, the area is a stronghold for them. Whilst watching the Magpies, I saw out of the corner of my eye, a large bird pass by and by the time I had turned my head, I had just enough time to see that it was a splendid male Montagu's Harrier, before it disappeared over the reed beds. Other birds there were Monk Parakeet, Hoopoe, Serin, Spotless Starling and Iberian Green Woodpecker.
On the last morning as I was loading the car to leave for the airport, six Red Rumped Swallows landed on the telephone cable a few yards away and were quite happy to sit there whilst I watched and photographed them, a perfect ending to the week.
The weather was good, sunny with a daytime temperature of about 20c and perfect to get out and about birding.
My first port of call was to El Hondo, about a forty minute car journey away. The reserve is the prime birdwatching location of the whole area and is productive throughout the year. Amongst the many birds seen were, Marbled Duck, Collared Pratincole, Purple Swamphen, Temmink's Stint, Booted Eagle, Whiskered Tern, Slender Billed Gull, Short Toed Eagle, Melodious Warbler, Crested Lark and Red Rumped Swallow. The sky was full of Barn Swallow, House and Sand Martin, Common Swift, Pallid Swift and a few Alpine Swift.
Other places that were visited during my stay were, Campoamor golf course, San Pedro Del Pinatar, Laguna De La Mata and Los Balcones.
On my second visit to El Hondo were, Kentish Plover, Great Reed Warbler, Glossy Ibis, White Headed Duck, Iberian Yellow Wagtail, Short Toed, Lesser Short Toed and Thekla Lark and Zitting Cisticola.
At Los Balcones, which was only fifteen minutes away, were twenty or so Azure Winged Magpie, apparently, the area is a stronghold for them. Whilst watching the Magpies, I saw out of the corner of my eye, a large bird pass by and by the time I had turned my head, I had just enough time to see that it was a splendid male Montagu's Harrier, before it disappeared over the reed beds. Other birds there were Monk Parakeet, Hoopoe, Serin, Spotless Starling and Iberian Green Woodpecker.
On the last morning as I was loading the car to leave for the airport, six Red Rumped Swallows landed on the telephone cable a few yards away and were quite happy to sit there whilst I watched and photographed them, a perfect ending to the week.
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