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

CRANE ROOST IN ROSARITO RESERVOIR

Here in Villanueva de la Vera we’re lucky enough to live only 9 km from a Crane roost, in Rosarito Reservoir. They’re here from October to February though the roost size each night is very variable. On the best nights up to 6000 or more come in. When the flocks fly honking and trumpeting overhead, against the backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of Gredos, it’s a stunning spectacle of light and sound, which we try to enjoy as many times as possible each winter. Trouble is, despite being declared as a SPA, the roost is given no protection whatsoever and the birds are often pestered by quads, motorbikes, 4X4’s or fishermen who insist on driving their cars right to the water’s edge. We visited the roost last night and only about a thousand birds came in. Let’s hope it’s just a one-off dip and not because of all the nuisance they suffer.

Crane flying above my head