After a very successfull trip to Spain last July with Jules Sykes, i decided to visit him again this spring for 5 days.
I flew out from Belfast at 5.30am on 14th April and Jules met me at Alicante airport aound 10.am. We proceeded to the nesrby Clot de Galvany nearby.This is a fantastic small reserve and we proceeded to the hide by the small pool.Just in front of the hide a male and female White Headed Duck fished only yards away and Black Winged Stilts cavorted around the margins.Jules found a Willow Warbler in the reeds and soon we saw more White Headed Ducks along the far reeds. We decided to walk around the far side to get a better view. We we arrived we got great views of at least 8 birds and out off a patch of reeds came a Purple Gallinule. These birds are almost pre historic and we watched for 10minutes as the bird fed on the the bottom of reeds. 2 or 3 Red Rumped Swallows drifted past and the first of the meditterean specialists Sardinian Warblers and Serins appeared.Jules located an Iberian Green Woodpecker and as i was photographing it i found 2 Turtle Doves, they happened to be the only birds of the trips.A walk to the large pool produced Southern Grey Shrikes and Hoopoes. The lagoon was alive with Avocets, Black Winged Stilts and a Wood Sandpiper along the edge with singing Reed and Great Reed Warblers in the reeds. Jules found 6 Night Herons roosting which was a nice end to our first stop.
[QUOTE=DEREK CHARLES]After a very successfull trip to Spain last July with Jules Sykes, i decided to visit him again this spring for 5 days.
I flew out from Belfast at 5.30am on 14th April and Jules met me at Alicante airport aound 10.am. We proceeded to the nesrby Clot de Galvany nearby.This is a fantastic small reserve and we proceeded to the hide by the small pool.Just in front of the hide a male and female White Headed Duck fished only yards away and Black Winged Stilts cavorted around the margins.Jules found a Willow Warbler in the reeds and soon we saw more White Headed Ducks along the far reeds. We decided to walk around the far side to get a better view. We we arrived we got great views of at least 8 birds and out off a patch of reeds came a Purple Gallinule. These birds are almost pre historic and we watched for 10minutes as the bird fed on the the bottom of reeds. 2 or 3 Red Rumped Swallows drifted past and the first of the meditterean specialists Sardinian Warblers and Serins appeared.Jules located an Iberian Green Woodpecker and as i was photographing it i found 2 Turtle Doves, they happened to be the only birds of the trips.A walk to the large pool produced Southern Grey Shrikes and Hoopoes. The lagoon was alive with Avocets, Black Winged Stilts and a Wood Sandpiper along the edge with singing Reed and Great Reed Warblers in the reeds. Jules found 6 Night Herons roosting which was a nice end to our first stop.[/QUOTE]
Wow Derek, sounds like a great trip (i'm booking now) - but does this mean you are moving to Spain?
Hello Breffni,
Spain would be a fabulous place to retire/relocate to.The weather and especially the birds of prey are so different from here in Ireland. In 5 days we seen 172 species, it would take me most of the year to see that many in Northern Ireland!
Derek