
Black-headed Weavers were still present but no brightly coloured black and yellow breeding males, I think they must have already lost that striking breeding plumage.

Raptors were mainly represented by Marsh Harriers which were abundant, but we also saw Hen Harrier, Kestrel, Osprey, Common Buzzard and surprisingly a group of ten Griffon Vultures.
One abiding spectacle was that of a dozen or so Purple Swamphens fleeing before the rice harvester. I was so absorbed by this sight that I forgot to take a picture. I am happy to report that the birds did seem to be able to outrun the machine, at least the ones that we could see anyway.


One bird I have not yet added to my life list is the Penduline Tit, but they are obviously breed here as I photographed one of their beautiful nests hanging in the same tamarisk tree as several weavers nests.
The ponds were full of life. Blackwinged Stilt, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Flamingo, Glossy Ibis and Lapwing being the most abundant. The drainage ditches held large numbers of Green Sandpiper and a few Night Herons. Lapwing flocks were a common sight in England when I was a boy. Sadly their numbers have declined drastically with intensive agriculture, so it is always a delight to see and hear them now. We called them Peewits in those days, an onomatopoeia derived from their distinctive call. |
