Birds A few favourites from San Pedro

[Unframed Dave]

Coldish and a fesh breeze meant there wasn't as much life as normal.

This green finch was very obliging and posed very nearby, these shots are very nearly full frame.

• ILCE-1
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/2500 sec
• ISO 400

• ILCE-1
• 500.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/2500 sec
• ISO 400

Spring was definitely in the air for the Flamingoes yesterday, I did get a distant shot of two mating, but it isn't brilliant.

• ILCE-1
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/1600 sec
• ISO 320

Plenty of Black winged stilts about.

• ILCE-1
• ISO 320

This is an immature Horned grebe, I've yet to see one in mating plumage, they are spectacular.

• ILCE-1
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/1250 sec
• ISO 320

One of my favourites, the Sanderling.

• ILCE-1
• ISO 800

Wherever there's a tidal margin with debris being washed up, you're likely to find Turnstones, another lovely bird to see. They were sorting through this aquatic sea grass known as posidonia. A natural indicator of very high water quality.

• ILCE-1
• ISO 800

Crested Larks are fairly common in this part of Spain, this one was sifting through the posidonia flower husks looking for left over picnic remains.

• ILCE-1
• ISO 800

 

[Tim Mayo]

Very nice collection of shots there Dave. Are the green finches in decline over there too? I’ve not seen one in our garden for a while now.

 

[Unframed Dave]

Very nice collection of shots there Dave. Are the green finches in decline over there too? I’ve not seen one in our garden for a while now.

Hard to say Tim, passerine numbers generally are down. Spain has had two very warm winters followed by two very dry summers. Insect numbers are down and everything knocks on.

That said, I hear plenty singing but this is only the second I've seen since we've been here. So on balance, maybe? I'll let you know next year, this winter is definitely colder.