Bob Wright and I decided a trip to Tablas de Daimiel would be a good idea now that provincial boundaries have been unlocked. So after a leisurely breakfast we did the four hour drive with a stop along the way to look around Padul Reserve near Granada. Here we spotted about twenty species including a circling pair of Booted Eagles and a quartering Marsh Harrier, Waxbills were busy nesting and Nightingales were prolific and in good voice.
Nightingale - luscinia megarhynchos
Continuing onto Daimiel we started birding at Laguna Navaseca which fortunately was blessed with plenty of water. There were lots of birds large and small, from Flamingos, White Storks, Marsh Harriers and Glossy Ibis through the gamut of waders and wildfowl down to the diminutive warblers, the most interesting of which was the Savi's Warbler which we could clearly hear but not see, being too well hidden in the reeds.
Glossy Ibis - plegadis falcinellus
Avocet - recurvirostra avosetta
The Avocet is a vey elegant wader which is always a pleasure to watch. As a young boy I dreamed about seeing Bee-eaters which are rare visitors to the UK. Little did I know then that they would become daily sightings in Summertime in my adopted home in Andalucia. This pair perched on a wire by the lagoon were making regular sorties for winged insects.
Bee-eaters - merops apiaster
After Laguna Navaseca we checked in to our country hotel then made our way for an evening visit to the Tablas de Damiel reserve.
Great Reed Warbler - acrocephalus arundinaceus
Birds of the reedbeds can be very satisfying to photograph. They are often in exposed positions on reed stems and in Spring the males sing their hearts out to attract a mate. These pictures of a Great Reed Warbler are typical examples.
Great Reed Warbler - acrocephalus arundinaceus
Reed Bunting Male - emberiza schoeniclus
Reed Buntings are in decline in many places due to loss of wetland habitat so it is good to see a healthy population in the reedbeds here. Water levels were very low but still enough to provide cover, food and nesting sites for this delightful bunting.
Reed Bunting female - emberiza schoeniclus
Common Reed Warblers and Linnets were abundant.
Linnet - Linaria cannabina
Linnet - Linaria cannabina
and Iberian Yellow Wagtails provided a splash of colour in the reeds.
Iberian Yellow Wagtail - motacilla flava iberiae
Out list total for two days birding came to 87 species which is quite respectable. It had been a very pleasant interlude after the confinement caused by covid19.
Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Garganey, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Tufted Duck, White-headed Duck, Red-legged Partridge, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Night Heron Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Flamingo, Griffon Vulture, Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, Little Owl, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Bee-eater, Roller, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Blue-headed Wagtail, White Wagtail, Nightingale, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Bearded Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Golden Oriole, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Waxbill, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting.
Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Garganey, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Tufted Duck, White-headed Duck, Red-legged Partridge, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Night Heron Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Flamingo, Griffon Vulture, Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, Little Owl, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Bee-eater, Roller, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Blue-headed Wagtail, White Wagtail, Nightingale, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Bearded Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Golden Oriole, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Waxbill, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting.
