New Year's birding commenced at the Charca de Suarez, that excellent little semi-urban reserve located near the port of Motril which has been the site of so many fantastic sightings and photo opportunities. The day was bright and warm and I was lucky enough to capture this Little Bittern quite close in front of the Laguna del Tiraje hide.
Little Bittern - ixobrychus minutes (Adult female)
It is incredible to watch the telescopic neck being extended almost beyond belief, just where does it all come from? in repose the bird has almost no neck at all, so where it keeps that giraffe-like extension is a mystery to me.
Little Bittern sticking her neck out
The bird above is an adult female and below is the adult male, more black and white and with an almost completely yellow bill.
Little Bittern - ixobrychus minutes (Adult male)
Squacco Heron - ardeola ralloides It is not the only bird with this propensity for extending the neck. The Squacco Heron for example can also stretch it out a long way, ideal for capturing prey such as fish, frogs and small snakes on pond fringes.
These archive Squacco Heron shots from the Charca illustrate this quite well. The bird usually sits quite squat with virtually no neck shown, but every so often it extends the head to preen, hunt or simply to elevate its viewing height, an amazing transformation. Grey and Purple Herons fold their neck down in repose but the Squacco and the Little Bittern appear to retract the neck like a telescope.
These archive Squacco Heron shots from the Charca illustrate this quite well. The bird usually sits quite squat with virtually no neck shown, but every so often it extends the head to preen, hunt or simply to elevate its viewing height, an amazing transformation. Grey and Purple Herons fold their neck down in repose but the Squacco and the Little Bittern appear to retract the neck like a telescope.
Squacco showing that neck
Below is a Purple Heron at the Charca, we can clearly see the folded neck here.
Purple Heron - ardea purporea
Crakes and rails do not have such long necks. This Little Crake was resident at the Charca all Winter 2011/12.
Little Crake - porzana parva
No Crakes yet in 2015 but many and regular sightings of Water Rail this Winter, a furtive and difficult bird to photograph so I count myself lucky to have got some close-up shots at last. Spotted Crake has been seen at the Rio Velez recently (Feb 2015) but I never managed to find it. I have however observed the species at Fuente-de-Piedra, and also Baillons Crake at the Charca.
Swimming Night Heron
On a final note I don't recall seeing Night Herons extend the neck like a Bittern or Squacco. It is moderately long but in flight is folded not retracted. The shot to the right shows a Night Heron having a tussle with a Southern Smooth Snake at the Rio Velez. A battle that the snake lost. The Night Heron is the only one of this family that swims as far as I am aware as the shot above clearly shows. |  Night Heron - nycticorax nycticorax |
