11/09/2012

Tuesday the 11th september was my last day in Riet Vell, and in terms of birding probably the best one.

In the morning we went to extract Apple Snail, but I had already been at 8:00 AM at the hide.

There were many passerines (Willow Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Reed Warblers...), two Water Rails which showed quickly, a Little Bittern sitting on the reeds in front of us, Kingfisher and a wader that I wasn't  able to ID.

 Zitting Cisticola

 Little Bittern on the reeds

 Water Rail

Kingfisher

While extracting the snail, we saw a large flock of Glossy Ibis, a single Lapwing and many Whiskered and Gull-Billed Terns.

I also heard some Bee-Eaters, probably migrating.

In the afternoon before departing I had a some time to go birdwatching for the last time. I started taking pictures of the Flamingos and the Kingfishers.

I noticed a group of waders and I took a look with the scope. I saw the usual Black-Tailed Godwits, a Snipe, some Black-Winged Stilts, a couple of Ruffs and the wader that I had seen that morning that really looked like a Marsh Sandpiper.

I made some pictures and showed them to other birders. A couple of days ago I got it confirmed, a Marsh Sandpiper (lifer for me!).

 Last general view of the lagoon

 Pictures of the Flamingos

 Marsh Sandpiper with Ruffs 

A better picture of the Marsh Sandpiper

I hope you enjoyed my report as much as I enjoyed my days there.

I want to thank Ignasi Ripoll (the organizer) and all the volunteers that contributed to make my time there wonderful: Diane, Diana, Irene, Bea, Darío, Antonio, Rubén, Eva, Rebeca, Yanka, Evélia, Annika, Alejandro and Vojkan.

10/09/2012

Monday was our day off, so we decided to make a one-day trip to Morella, a medieval village about two hours driving from Riet Vell. Before departing Ihad been a short time in the hide and seen a Water Rail and the typical herons.

Water Rail

We arrived at Morella at aproximately 11:00 AM and immediately noticed the Red-Billed Choughs that lived in the village.
We visited two museums that morning. The first one about dinosaurs (very interesting) and the second one about the popular celebrations that are hold there every six years (sexenni).

After visiting this two museums we stopped for lunch outside the walls of the city. Several Griffon Vultures showed and also a pale Booted Eagle, I made some pictures but they aren't very good.

 Images of Morella

 Booted Eagle

Red Billed Chough

The afternoon we had planned to go to the castle, built in times of the arabs and reformed and expanded through the ages. The visit to the castle is really worth it.  Once on the top, with a really impressive view of the village and the surroundings another group of Griffon Vultures showed, but in the middle I saw a smaller, quicker bird. It was a Peregrine Falcon.

Views from out/inside/top of the castle

I really recommend a trip to Morella (Comunitat Valenciana) to everyone who stays nearby at the coast or who likes old villages and castles.

09/09/2012

On sunday the 9th we organized a birdwatching activity for everyone at three different points of the Delta. One team helped to identify the birds at L'Encanyissada (Pont de Través observation tower), another one at the Salines de Sant Antoni and the last one (where I was) at the Riet Vell observatory.

The day had started very well with some nice views of Willow Warbler and a Reed Warbler piccking out the insects from a spider web. Also a Kingfisher had stopped pretty well near of the hide.

We aproximately started the activity at 9:00 AM, but nobody came until 11:00 AM so I had a complete birding morning. It was one of the best birding days of all the week. The first two Cormorants of the year flew past, the same did some Little Bitterns and a group of Glossy Ibis.
The Kingfisher stopped quite close to the hide, I could make some very nice pictures of Reed Warblers and Willow Warbler. There were also many waders such as Ruff, Snipe, a Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Lapwing, Avocet, the usual Black-Tailed Godwits...
The best bird of the day was a Penduline Tit which was discovered by the photographers present at the hide. I took some pictures but it was really far away and they aren't very good.
The usual Common Terns and Whiskered Terns showd and also the Gull-Billed Tern was present a short time.
The last interesting observation was a Black-Winged Stilt that looked quite bad. It was "swimming" towards the hide but using it's wings (maybe a broken foot?). Anyway, it didn't look very good.

 Reed Warbler eating insects

 Penduline Tit, in the center

 Group of Glossy Ibis

 Willow Warbler

 Kingfisher (with fish)

 Little Egret

 Butterfly

 Squacco Heron

 Spotted Redshank with Ruff

 Sand Martin

 Injured? Black-Winged Stilt

Gecko

08/09/2012

Saturday the 8th was a very good day for passerine birds,

At the hide of Riet Vell I saw several Reed Warblers, a Great Reed Warbler who was litteraly posing for me, Chiffchaffs, Kingfisher, Barn Swallow, Sand Martin, Zitting Cisticola, Cetti's Warbler and the best bird of the day, a Willow Warbler.

The other usual bird species from Riet Vell were also present, such as Herons, Gulls/Terns, Waders, Flamingos, ducks...

I leave you for now with my pictures of the Willow Warbler and the Great Reed Warbler:

07/09/2012

The 7th september we had to go into the Riet Vell lagoon and cut the upper parts of the Typha angustifolia. If it isn't cut, this plant's seeds fly to the nearby ecological rice fields and completely cover them.
I had been at the hide that morning seeing the usual herons and waders.

As we entered the lagoon, all the ducks, Flamingos and other birds took off so we worked alone, only finding sometimes a dead duck (Teals or Shelducks) and three nests which whe still don't know what they are.

In the afternoon I spent some time at the observatory (Ruffs, Little Bittern, Kingfisher, Glossy Ibis...) and aproximately at 6:30 we made a short trip to the Punta de la Banya with nice waders (Kentish Plover, Grey Plover, Sanderling...) and gulls/terns (Audouins Gull, Sandwich Tern...).

The pictures are from the sunset over the salinas, but if you look close over the horizon (right side of the pic) you'll see a large group of gulls.

06/09/2012

Wednesday was my second birding day, in which I saw many species.
In the reserve I got almost all of the herons (Night Heron, Little Bittern, Grey Heron, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Great White Egret and a Purple Heron), some ducks as Teal, Mallard or Gadwall, and many waders: Little Stint, Wood and Common Sandpipers, Black-Tailed Godwit, Snipe...
Other important groups were gulls and terns (Audouins Gull, Common-, Gull Billed and Whiskered Terns) and passerines: with some migrating Pied Flycatchers, Sand Martins&Barn Swallows, Yellow Wagtail, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, and Zitting Cisticola.

 Juv. Common Tern

 Pied Flycatcher (In the middle)

 Little Egret

 Again the Juv. Flamingo

Sunset at Riet Vell