FAREWELL CRANES

This morning we went to the tail end of Rosarito reservoir, arriving just before dawn with Little Owl calling and cranes trumpeting. A group of about 150 grullas flew right over our heads at first light (spinechilling). As the day waxed we saw 1 Sparrow Hawk, 20+ Pintail, 10 Little Stint, a mixed flock of 80 Spanish Sparrow / Rock Sparrow, 1 Bullfinch (heard), 6 Greylags, 1 Great White Egret and about 500 Cranes in all, some of the last of the year. But the weirdest bird of the morning was a leucistic Great Spotted Woodpecker. Its plumage had the normal pattern and even the red underbelly but all the parts that are normally black were a milky brown colour. I paste below a testimonial photo so you can see how strange it looked. After it flew off a Wryneck arrived in the same tree but, idiot that I am, I had already put away the camera becuase of the bad light...

Leucistic Great Spotted Woodpecker

Then we went to a nearby lake where we saw Cranes doing their mating dance, something we always love to watch

Cranes doing their mating dance

Some of the first Swallows

Southern Grey Shrike