Thursday 12 December 2013

Baikal Teal at Last


Yesterday I got the chance to try again for the drake Baikal Teal that has been showing at Marshside RSPB.  I say again because I've been no less than three other occasions in the last fortnight and failed miserably each time.  Having emailed Jeff Hazell,  a recent participant on our "November Costa Blanca Tour " to tell him of my failing he was quick to reply and tell me he had already been up and seen the bird.  At seventy something years old Jeff, you are a legend.  As you can see from the picture below,  I finally managed to see the elusive bird and well worth my trouble it was  - Mark 


 Wigeon
 lots
 and lots of
 Wigeon
 Baikal Teal there somewhere
Oystercatcher
Pink-Footed Geese

Wednesday 4 December 2013

Spain Costa Blanca Tour

Here are some of the images from of our recent Costa Blanca Tour, that I have found time to process; a full trip report will be available soon on the main website. I'm sure some much better photos will also surface, as two of the three trip participants were very skilled amateur photographers. A combined trip total of 117 species were recorded, not bad in 5 days hey! 

Highlights included - Greater spotted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Black Wheatear, Spectacled Warblers, Bluethroat, Calandra Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark, White-headed Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Red-knobbed Coot, Purple Swamphen, Penduline Tit, Zitting Cisticola, Moustached Warbler, Spotless Starling, Rock Sparrow and many many more!

If you like the sounds of our five day Spanish Tours, you should check out what additional species you can see on our spring dates! April 7th-12th and April 21st-26th. For further information please click here to visit our website or e-mail info@aquilabirdtours.com

 Dunlin
 Spotted Redshank
 Kentish Plover
 Sanderling
 Sanderling & Little Stint
 Yellow Legged Gull
 Greater Flamingo
 Ruff
 Avocet
 Ruff
Nine Marsh Harrier on Vista Bella Road
 Ruff
 Common Crane 4 of 22 seen
 Spectacled Warbler
 Audouin's Gulls
Audouin's Gulls
Slender Billed Gull
 Common & Green Sandpiper
 Black-Necked Grebe
 Black-Necked Grebe
 Greater Flamingo
 Greenshank
 Joined by Water Rail
 Monk Parakeet
 and again
 Black Redstart
Great Bustard four out of 91 seen
 Greater Spotted Eagle (Tonn)
Greater Spotted Eagle (Sub Adult)