A morning's return visit to the rice fields between Estombar and the River Arade. This patch is becoming a particular favourite as it turns up interesting birds on each visit. Although access is very limited due to it being agricultural land, the landscape is so open, enabling birds to be seen both on the ground and in the air, over a considerable distance. The access track after Sitio do Fontes is probably no more than 300 metres long but it still permitted me to see over 50 species, in the course of the morning. Additionally, I didn't see a fair number of species seen on previous visits - Goldfinch, Linnets, Osprey, Kestrel etc. I made an excellent start as I couldn't help seeing a large egret in the first rice field. The egret was across the field at some distance but its size gave it away as a Great White Egret. Complete with long yellow bill, it patrolled the edge of the field, at times being pursued by a Grey Heron. I later found a second Great White, even further away in a field looking towards the far hills. The Glossy Ibis flock has moved on and only single birds flew in, as if checking the fields out again. A single Spoonbill flew in, Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets passed through and Grey Herons were seen throughout the area. The Marsh Harriers were giving an incredible courtship display, vocally and hurtling through the sky with steep dives and 360 degree loops. Five Harriers were seen in all and a pale Booted Eagle was not far from them. The small watercourse which runs parallel to the track had two Kingfishers passing up and down and it was in the tall reeds here, that I heard the thin wheeze of Penduline Tits. There were three feeding here and later, another four were seen by the old brick building. This was the first time I have seen Penduline Tits here and watched them stripping the bulrush heads. Purple Swamphens were very vocal, with all sorts of raucous noises and nine were noted, five feeding together in the rice field. The bushes and trees forming a backdrop behind the track held a variety of finches, thrushes and surprisingly, a Sparrowhawk drifted along the tree line briefly. I expected a few more hirundines but only saw single Crag Martin and Swallow. I staked out the small pool by the brick building for a while and a Little Grebe swam past me without noticing. Two Moorhens came out, a brief glimpse of a Water Rail across a channel and then my only sightings of Yellow-crowned Bishop - one of two females shown below. Towards the end of my session, I heard the familiar call of a Reed Bunting, which is by no means common here, as it is in the U.K. I located the bird well out in the main reed bed and fortunately not obscured by reeds.
Comments are closed.
|
|