Overview
El Pinet lies at the southern end of the Santa Pola Salinas but belongs adminstratively to Elche, whose authorities have created a separate nature reserve from the disused salt-pans, providing nesting islands for a number of Pied Avocet, terns and Collared Pratincole.The area also covers an expanse of sand dunes and the nearby beach.
Birds
Notable Species
Pied Avocet, Collared Pratincole, Kentish Plover as well as Common, Little and Whiskered Terns all nest on the man-made islands. There is often a large number of waders during the migration season, and the tree-covered dunes provide resting places for smaller migrants during the winter. Most times of the year this area is good for Slender-billed Gull and Audouin's Gull which are on many birdwatcher's "want" list! Good sea-watching is also to be had from the nearby El Pinet beach, which can include Balearic Shearwater, Gannet, divers, scotas and skuas.
Rarities
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Great Cormorant, Mediterranean Shag, Squacco Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Common Shelduck, Mallard, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Osprey, Common Kestrel, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Eurasian Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Red Knot, Sanderling, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Arctic Skua, Little Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Audouin's Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, Little Owl, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Hoopoe, Mediterranean Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Eurasian Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Northern House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, Spanish Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Eurasian Robin, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Western Black-eared Wheatear, Black Wheatear, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Savi's Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Common Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Iberian Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Common Starling, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Linnet
Other Wildlife
The dunes contain Ocellated, Red-tailed and Iberian wall lizards, Montpellier Snake, Field Mice and Pygmy Shrew.
Site Information
History and Use
The pools are a part of the Santa Pola Salinas complex which fell into disuse. The whole area around the reserve (apart from the unapproved urbanisation nearby) has been cleaned up to revert back to its original state; this involved the removal of a ramshackle camping site from beneath the trees on the right as you approach the parking area, and the fencing off of the lagoons to prevent intrusion.
Areas of Interest
Access and Facilities
The reserve is accessed from the N-332 Alicante to Torrevieja road; after passing the Santa Pola Salinas going south, take the exit to La Marina. At the crossroads approaching the town centre, turn left down to El pinet beach, and take another left turn at the T-junction, you will see the reserve parking area on your left as you approach the lagoons, with an information board (in Spanish) about the reserve
From the parking area there is a short boardwalk to the first hide, and you can continue on through the dunes to a second hide further along which overlooks more man-made islands. From here you can continue onwards and turn right into the dunes, and an observation tower with more information on the dune ecosystem.
The road continues on from the parking area down to El Pinet beach, where there are a couple of good restaurants but this beach becomes quite crowded in the summer months. La Marina has plenty of shops and restaurants along the main street.
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Mark Etheridge
