Flying High!

Thursday, 4 July 2013

That's All Folks!

As the title says 'That's All Folks'! This is my last blog post for the foreseeable future. I feel that over a couple of years or so a blog can become too repetitive! I have this year found that I am struggling to find the incentive to put together a post in what I would call 'real time', therefore a few posts have been 'old news'! Time for a rest from blogging methinks.

My thanks are extended to the people who have kindly commented and also to anyone who has 'looked in' from time to time.

My last couple of images will be of something a little 'different'!

It is a Magpie that I spotted on Tuesday (2nd July) whilst on a shopping trip! I first spotted it on a traffic island and later on nearby embankments along with 'normal' Magpies!

A 'pretty' leucistic Magpie in my humble opinion.

Take care folks!

Tuesday, 2 July 2013

Tavira images....13th - 20th June 2013

As I mentioned in my previous post the hotel was conveniently situated by Salinas (salt pans). Several hours could have been spent walking around the salinas but the hot temperatures of the first few days of the holiday put paid to walking no more than a couple of hours. An Autumn/Winter visit to Tavira would be an ideal time of year for longer exploration of the salinas.

Species regularly seen on and around the salinas.

Black-winged Stilt

Greater Flamingos

Little Tern

Little Egret

Kentish Plover

Zitting Cisticola

Spoonbills

Black-tailed Godwit and Avocets

Bee-eater

Avocets

Slender-billed Gull

Yellow Wagtail

Over the border to Spain, in the Doñana area.

Nesting White Storks were a lovely sight to see, especially the ones in the following image! It was surprising to see that on some posts/poles they were occupied by 2 or even 3 nests!

Purple Heron

(Black-crowned) Night Heron

Short-toed Eagle

Glossy Ibises, Cattle Egrets with smaller numbers of Little Egrets, Squacco Herons, Little Bitterns and (Black-crowned) Night Herons. A few Purple Herons were also viewed feeding their young. There were many more trees and shrubs behind and alongside the ones in the images that were almost dripping with the named bird species! Standing room only!

This spectacle was amazing, to see such special birds in such good numbers was very, very special!

Glossy Ibis roost.

Whiskered Terns

Corn Bunting

Cattle enjoying a drink!

Cattle Egrets enjoying a lift!

Quinta do Lago

Azure-winged Magpie

Crested Lark

Little Grebe chicks!

Views of the Ria Formosa from Cacela Velha.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacela_Velha

Tavira

Gilão River

Colourful fresh fruit and vegetables in the market! Fish stalls with all shapes and sizes of fish plus delicious looking Honey and preserves were popular stalls in the market.

One of the picturesque squares to relax in and watch the world go by whilst eating a cooling ice cream!

This 'Street Artiste' was very good! In his left hand he held (hidden) a tub of bubbles and wand, when anybody gave him a few cents or if he was lucky euros he would blow a few bubbles and then blow a kiss! So funny!