A mixed day around the plastic lands of the Roquetas del Mar area and an equally uninviting spot on the Granada Coast.
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| Little Terns (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons). |
Lynn, Steve and I set off for the salt pans just to the west of Roquetas around the reserve of Punta Entinas-sabinar, on the way in towards the reserve we saw several Collared Pratincoles (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola) skimming the reed beds feeding and again whilst we were driving in along the main track more were seen but during the rest of the day we did not see a single bird let along get one in front of the camera.
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| Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus). |
As we went in to the reserve it became apparent it was a great deal drier than the last time I was there, even so we continued on down to some of the salt pans where there was water and found Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Little Terns (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons), Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).
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| Lynn returning after her stroll to the distant lighthouse. |
We drove further down the pans to an area where there were several derelict salt pan buildings and scanned the rocky bars there looking for Terns and found plenty of Common (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo), Sandwich (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Whiskered (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus) and more Little Terns, as well as Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Slender-billed (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia) and Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus).
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Steve looking very professional.
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On the way out of the site we added
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica),
Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator),
Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis),
Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia),
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus),
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos),
Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).
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| Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria). |
As well as several Dragons including Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea).
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| Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres). |
Once we were out of the reserve we drove around to a spot on the far side of the pans and walked in along a reed fringed track seeing several Long Skimmers, masses of Lesser Emperors and good numbers of Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii).
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| Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus). |
Birds included more
Whiskered,
Common,
Little and
Sandwich Terns,
Slender-billed Gulls, along with
Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea),
Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa),
Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus),
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus),
House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica),
Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and
Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis),
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea),
Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus),
Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae),
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala),
Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).
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| Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus). |
Once we were back at the car we found a very newly emerged
Black Pennant (Selysiothemis nigra) which perched well for the camera, once we photographed this insect we headed back along the coast to a spot near to Castell de Ferro where we searched an area of
Wild Caper (
Capparis spinosa) plants for the uncommon Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) butterfly which we found at the furthest point along the track.
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| Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo). |
By the time we had finished we had found three insects and had managed to photograph a couple.
From here we moved on and made our way back to the house.
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| Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope). |
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| Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo), Slender-billed Gulls (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei) and Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus). |
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| Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii). |
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| Black Pennant (Selysiothemis nigra). |
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| Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore). |
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| Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore). |
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| Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore). |
