Dr.Boletus
Well-known member
The first sign that the morning of 02/01/25 was going to be wonderful was an osprey which flew overhead almost as soon as I arrived. As I tried to photograph it, the osprey turned and flew back overhead again, but this time at a much lower altitude than before! The photos I took were easily the best I have ever taken of this species, not seen properly since 2023.
After this, I went over to a hide overlooking a eucalyptus forest. There was a massive New Year thunderstorm recently, and the normally nice track turned into a bog with the stickiest mud I have ever seen. Riding a bike through that was impossible, and eventually the mud got everywhere, forcing me to clean it off before I left again.
I entered the hide, where a pair of fools were disturbing wildlife by playing a tape lure so loudly that it hurt my ears. I am categorically against tape lures, and have been ever since seeing a sign at my local lesser spotted woodpecker site asking people to never use it under any circumstances. I didn't stay for long, and on the way was really upset to see a glossy ibis fly nearby with a badly injured leg. Something else which flew past was a marsh harrier. Later on, after the best part of the day happened, I was somewhat pleased to realise that the two fools never got good views of the star attraction- all they would have ever obtained were two dots in the distance and at high altitude.
After I left, my head ringing, two cranes flew overhead
By this point, booted eagles were up, and I began cycling all over the place, refusing to leave until I saw what I wanted. After a track nearby failed to produce any cranes or eagles, I turned back and was cycling along the Vistabella road in an easterly direction when an immature greater spotted eagle flew over the road and began circling. I accelerated to get closer to the bird, and stopped at a point in which the eagle circled overhead, either looking at me or looking elsewhere. When I stopped, it was flying parallel to the road, but then banked towards me and flew closer.
The bird was spectacularly close- and appeared to be of the rare fulvescens morph. I briefly thought it might be a lesser spotted eagle, but quickly ruled that out due to both a good look at the mouth of the bird and the extreme rarity of the lesser spotted eagle anywhere in Spain.
As I watched, the bird began calling- the same call I once heard a golden eagle do in the Sierra Espuna back in September 2024. An adult greater spotted eagle with jet-black plumage flew up, and they began circling each other.
I left then. Beyond satisfied.
After this, I went over to a hide overlooking a eucalyptus forest. There was a massive New Year thunderstorm recently, and the normally nice track turned into a bog with the stickiest mud I have ever seen. Riding a bike through that was impossible, and eventually the mud got everywhere, forcing me to clean it off before I left again.
I entered the hide, where a pair of fools were disturbing wildlife by playing a tape lure so loudly that it hurt my ears. I am categorically against tape lures, and have been ever since seeing a sign at my local lesser spotted woodpecker site asking people to never use it under any circumstances. I didn't stay for long, and on the way was really upset to see a glossy ibis fly nearby with a badly injured leg. Something else which flew past was a marsh harrier. Later on, after the best part of the day happened, I was somewhat pleased to realise that the two fools never got good views of the star attraction- all they would have ever obtained were two dots in the distance and at high altitude.
After I left, my head ringing, two cranes flew overhead
By this point, booted eagles were up, and I began cycling all over the place, refusing to leave until I saw what I wanted. After a track nearby failed to produce any cranes or eagles, I turned back and was cycling along the Vistabella road in an easterly direction when an immature greater spotted eagle flew over the road and began circling. I accelerated to get closer to the bird, and stopped at a point in which the eagle circled overhead, either looking at me or looking elsewhere. When I stopped, it was flying parallel to the road, but then banked towards me and flew closer.
The bird was spectacularly close- and appeared to be of the rare fulvescens morph. I briefly thought it might be a lesser spotted eagle, but quickly ruled that out due to both a good look at the mouth of the bird and the extreme rarity of the lesser spotted eagle anywhere in Spain.
As I watched, the bird began calling- the same call I once heard a golden eagle do in the Sierra Espuna back in September 2024. An adult greater spotted eagle with jet-black plumage flew up, and they began circling each other.
I left then. Beyond satisfied.
