Having had family visitors from Denmark for a week we left home at 5 am on Tuesday morning to catch up with a large ABS group who had met the previous day at Isla Mayor and continued on to Ayamonte on the Portuguese border. We caught up with them at 10 am heading out for Castro Marim across the Rio Guadiana which is the border with Portugal.
In the scrub at the entrance to the Reserve we had good views of a delightful Dartford Warbler and were noting many other small birds when a raptor flew over and veered off as he saw all the binoculars pointing his way. Was it just a Buzzard? it reminded me more of a Long-Legged Buzzard I had seen on a previous trip. I fired of a couple of snapshots but will await the verdict of others more knowledgeable than me to decide.
In the scrub at the entrance to the Reserve we had good views of a delightful Dartford Warbler and were noting many other small birds when a raptor flew over and veered off as he saw all the binoculars pointing his way. Was it just a Buzzard? it reminded me more of a Long-Legged Buzzard I had seen on a previous trip. I fired of a couple of snapshots but will await the verdict of others more knowledgeable than me to decide.
 Buzzard, Common or Long Legged? |  |
I won't list all the small birds noted in the scrub, preferring to leave that to our leader Bob Wright, but moving on to the marsh pools we did find a selection of waders including numerous Redshank.
Redshank
Kentish Plover featured quite prominently, one sometimes has to look closely to distinguish them from the more common Ringed Plover.
Kentish Plover
There were lots of Black Tailed Godwits, a very handsome wader in my opinion and always a pleasure to see.
By far the most numerous wader however was the ubiquitous Dunlin, and there were many. I was very pleased to get the following shot as it shows and contrasts a Little Stint amongst its larger Dunlin cousins. I have always had difficulty picking out Little Stints in isolation so it is useful to see just how much smaller it is and how the bill is much more delicate than the Dunlin's.
7 Dunlin and a solitary Little Stint
While sitting in the car eating a sandwich lunch near the Visitor's Centre we were entertained by a Pied Flycatcher making forays from the closest tree, so I took the opportunity to take a few photos. A nice way to pass a lunchtime break.
Pied Flycatcher
After lunch we continued birding around the marshes but the only other bird worth showing was a Turnstone, one of a couple that I had to wade through some heavy mud to get close to. In doing so I probably scared off all the other birds that the telescope brigade were watching, but I need to get close, it's the hunter in me.
Turnstone
