Mega Rarity trip.
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| Dawn on the Odiel. |
Before I went to the Pyrenees for a week the news broke of a Mega rare Ancient Murrelet (Mérgulo Antiguo / Synthliboramphus antiquus) but unfortunately I was not able to get there as I had too much going on getting ready for the trip up North.
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| Ancient Murrelet (Mérgulo Antiguo / Synthliboramphus antiquus). |
After a really good trip I was surprised that the bird was still around so on the Monday morning I was up at 03:00 and on site by 07:30 where I found Julian Thomas who had flown in from the UK for the bird already searching.
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| Looking up the river. |
About 20 minutes later he said I have got a small Auk out on the main channel but sat with it's back to us but going on the size alone it could be nothing but the Murrelet and after a few minutes it turned as it drifted on the dropping tide and we had good views of the bird side on.
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| Ancient Murrelet (Mérgulo Antiguo / Synthliboramphus antiquus). |
The bird drifted quite quickly off down the channel on a quickly dropping tide but before it disappeared it fly up and passed us and then dropped back onto the water near a car park further up stream so the group that had now gathered relocated and from this new point we had good scope views but always into the sun unfortunately.
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| Ancient Murrelet (Mérgulo antiguo / Synthliboramphus antiquus). |
Other species seen at this spot were Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Little (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons) and Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) x5, Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) x5, Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).
Unfortunately I needed to be back home for a delivery in the afternoon so I started to make my way back home, on the way out I picked up White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and then at a small roadside pool I added Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus).
As I drove back home I added Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) and Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).
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