After the intense summer heat and humidity in Spain we took a couple of weeks visiting family in London, so there has been very little opportunity for bird watching and not much photography to post. There were one or two days out however, not least a walk around the Rio Velez with Bob before we departed for England., and a visit to the Charca de Suarez today.
At the Rio Velez we enjoyed watching a pair of Cettis Warblers engaged in some kind of ritual. One bird buzzes it wings furiously and displays in a very agitated manner for the benefit of the other. This lasts for ten for minutes or so during which time the birds seem oblivious of anything else around them, like me with my camera for example. I have seen this behaviour before and think it is probably a pre-nuptial ritual as both birds eventually fly off together. However it could be a territorial male Cetti warding off a competing male. Whatever the reason they put on a very good show.
At the Rio Velez we enjoyed watching a pair of Cettis Warblers engaged in some kind of ritual. One bird buzzes it wings furiously and displays in a very agitated manner for the benefit of the other. This lasts for ten for minutes or so during which time the birds seem oblivious of anything else around them, like me with my camera for example. I have seen this behaviour before and think it is probably a pre-nuptial ritual as both birds eventually fly off together. However it could be a territorial male Cetti warding off a competing male. Whatever the reason they put on a very good show.
Cettis Warbler - cettia cetti
| Cettis are polygandrous, ie males mate with several females which will raise two or more broods in a season, so mating does take place in August. Cettis are also highly territorial and will act aggressively towards other males, so the verdict is out on the reason for such strange behaviour. |  Cettis Warbler - cettia cetti |
Cettis Warbler - cettia cetti
On the way to the Charca Eagle-eyed Elena spotted the bird of the day in a tree along Turtle Dove Alley, a stunning Black Shouldered Kite, very rare in these parts, in fact we have never seen this species here before which made it all the more interesting.
Black Shouldered Kite - elanus caeruleus
Once inside the Charca we were treated to a display of "Reed Walking" by the resident Little Bittern, It was right out in the open in good light, so we clicked away happily as it performed in the long grass.
Little Bittern - ixobrychus minutes
Little Bittern - ixobrychus minutes
Little Bittern - ixobrychus minutes It looks like a precarious business this reed walking, I can verify that a Little Bittern can do "the splits" and it must be extremely agile to contort and stretch in its efforts to stay above water.
There was plenty of evidence of successful breeding going on with tens of Blackbirds, a pair of juvenile Flamingos, a young Woodchat Shrike and two two young Night Herons seen amongst others.
There was plenty of evidence of successful breeding going on with tens of Blackbirds, a pair of juvenile Flamingos, a young Woodchat Shrike and two two young Night Herons seen amongst others.
 Young Woodchat Shrike  Young Spotted Flycatcher |  One adult & two young Night Herons roosting |
Red Avadavat - This male Avadavat looks resplendent in his full breeding plumage, silver studded deep red, a "Grass Ruby". Evidence that this introduced species is breeding.
Another welcome addition to the Charca is this young Red Knobbed Coot, one of a successful brood from an introduced adult pair.
Another welcome addition to the Charca is this young Red Knobbed Coot, one of a successful brood from an introduced adult pair.
Kingfishers were seen several times flying around the ponds. The image below was from our previous visit but I post it here as it is much better than anything taken today, why waste a good shot?
Kingfisher - alcedo atthis
Other non-bird items of interest include this rather large and handsome Chameleon that Elena spotted in the trees above our heads....
Chameleon - Chamaeleo chamaeleon
....and this Long Skimmer that had taken another dragonfly species as prey. It was visibly devouring the Iberian Bluetail damselfly as we watched. The Long Skimmer is known to be very aggressive and it frequently preys upon other smaller dragonfly species.
Long Skimmer - orthetrum trinachria, devouring a damselfly
As a footnote to this blog, while enjoying a delightful meal on Bob & Jenny Wright's terrace in Algorrobo Costa we watched our first Willow Warbler picking tidbits from the neighbours shrubbery. And what was the high speed, scythe-like sillhouette that flashed across my view, too big for a swift, too small for a dove or a kestrel, square tailed? could it have been a Merlin? I'll never know.
