In search of the largest breeding colony of Little Terns in Spain

Today my trip to the Levante Beach in El Puerto de Santa Maria started with a mission: spotting Little Terns. I had read that this place is home to the largest breeding colony in all of Spain. However, at the beginning of my walk I saw everything except birds, only dog owners who let their four-legged friends run loose on the beach, ignoring the guidelines of a prominent information board. Of the six dogs I saw today, only two were on a leash.

Naughty dog. Or better yet, naughty owner!

After walking about three kilometers along the beach, I arrived at an area, demarcated by a fence, where I had expected to see Little Terns, but to my despair I didn't see a single bird. I had already more or less decided to move on to the furthest point of the beach to try my luck with the Kentish Plovers, when I suddenly heard the first Little Tern high in the sky. When I looked through the binoculars I saw more movement a few hundred meters away, more white birds flying up and down.

Finally, the first Little Tern!

When I arrived at that zone, I knew for sure: there was indeed a large group present here. I threw myself flat on the sand and waited patiently for the birds to come closer of their own accord. I witnessed a special mating ritual, in which the male offered the female a fish before proceeding to the act. However, the male did not always get his way and had to be very patient every single time.

A first gift for the female

'Good afternoon!'

"Can I offer you something?"

'A fish perhaps?'

Oops, not interested

Well, just a different approach then

This time the male has more success

She accepts the offer!

But the male doesn't get much time

The female runs off with the fish

A little further on a similar spectacle

Ultimately, the male's patience was rewarded

In total there were more than seventy Little Terns present. Many of them were already sitting on the sand, well camouflaged between the stones and shells, but I could not see from a distance whether there were any eggs.

Part of the colony on the beach

A Little Stint was also present

The Little Stint seemed to be breeding

Little Terns at their nesting site

At one point panic broke out in the colony and almost all the birds flew up in fright. I had seen that a larger bird had flown low towards the colony at full speed, but it was not clear to me which species it was.

A little later I saw what it was: a Peregrine Falcon! A few gulls also caused unrest in the colony.

A menacing Peregrine Falcon

It didn't take long before the Little Terns continued what they were doing: courtship and feather preening.

Valdelagrana beach in the background