There is that period between Christmas and New Year, a time of leftovers, clearing up, taking down the tree and general musings about what the new year will bring.
For some, it is a period of sacred holiday time, for others just another working day. For me, it's a bit of both. Major birding time interspaced with some calls and updates!
Common Kingfisher
Along the southern side of El Hondo, is a straight path which has four hides that are built out into the lake. If one visits every hide, you would need to walk a few kilometers, accompanied as you go, by Zitting Cisticolas, Goldfinch, Sardinian Warblers and Chiffchaff.
I started the holiday by spending a few hours at each hide, to reacquaint myself with the views and birdlife. On the first day and at the first hide, I immediately met this beautiful female Kingfisher. With my backpack still on my back, I excitedly started shooting pictures of her immediately. Gradually I realised she was staying to fish and unpacked the tripod and coffee, watching and fully enjoying her beauty, agility and speed.
It was a superb experience and I felt very privileged to have had that time with her. Only once did she manage to catch a small fish in the whole 30 minutes I watched. Much of her time was spent sitting on reeds or wooden posts with those tiny feet, doing that characteristic head bobbing, whilst scanning the shallow waters. How do they control the depth they dive into the water, it was only 6 inches deep at this location?
Recently there have been sightings of a rare Lesser Flamingo from the first two hides and I was keen to see it and ultimately add another bird to my year list, (which is currently at 142 species, 11 up on last year.) Sadly, during the several visits I made, I did not find this distinctive individual. Typically, I met lots of local birders who took great pride in telling me they had seen it, just yesterday! Sometimes I wonder.
This south side of El Hondo holds the major concentration of Greater Flamingos, far from the madding crowds, screaming children and barking dogs. I feel the same, crowds of people I avoid like the plague. I really don't believe dogs should be allowed onto these protected areas, even on leads. Apart from the often major disturbance, I have lost count how much we see dog poo along the paths lately.
Flamingos coming in to land on the lake
European Stonechat
There are lots of Stonechats about again this year, all seeking the highest perch in their territory as usual. The males with their black heads are so distinctive, nice and easy to photograph which helps. The other species that are back in abundance are the Pied (white) Wagtails (Motacilla alba). I cannot remember seeing as many as we are this year, they are literally everywhere. Drive down the road and every 200m there's another defending it's space.
Pied Wagtail
We are also seeing a lot of Pipits at the moment, climbing across fallen reeds in the water margins. This species can be difficult to identify and there are hundreds of web pages filled with explanations and discussions of how to distinguish them. The ones I am seeing are most definitely Water Pipits and the easiest way to ID them is from their colouring, patterning on their chests and the call they make. Seeing as they are not shy of coming close, it makes the job a lot easier! I recommend that you become accustomed to bird calls and songs, it goes a long way to being able to identify species, even before you see them. The classic is the hiding specialist, the Cetti's Warbler. Such a distinctive call but good luck in finding it buried deep in that thicket!
In this picture, you are able to see how much greyer the Water Pipit is compared to Meadow or any other. Beautiful to watch as they mover nimbly among the reeds, ignoring the Chiffchaffs flying around them looking for bugs.
Water Pipit
I had promised I would talk about Ground Effect, where birds fly low across the surface of water. I will write something in the next blog right away, so you get two in the same day.
Let me finish with a wide angle view of sleeping Flamingos from hide number 2, I do like the result, even if the birds are not really visible clearly.
Greater Flamingos sleeping
Finally, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope that 2024 is better for us all. Buen suerte 🍀
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