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Looking for the Black-tailed Godwit in the Cetina Marshes

I set off early in the morning to arrive around sunrise at Cetina Salt Marshes. Summer has arrived in the south of Spain, so because of the high temperatures I didn't expect to see many birds really. My only goal was to spot Black-tailed Godwit, a species I had not seen before.


This is really an amazing site. If you arrive early enough to avoid the afternoon heat, you get to see so many interesting species. The starts of the morning were a whole colony of Kentish Plovers, I think I saw more than twenty of them. Just lie flat on your belly and let them come to you to get some amazing shots.



Kentish Plovers
Some Kentish Plovers

As they are a protected species, quite a lot of them were ringed. I did not see any breeding activity today.



A Kentish Plover pair on a small rock
A lovely Kentish Plover pair on a small rock: male on the left

Kentish Plover running
A cheerful Kentish Plover running towards me






Kentish Plover hiding on the ground
Female Kentish Plover hiding on the ground




A ringed Kentish Plover
Another ringed Kentish Plover

Kentish Plover flying by
Female Kentish Plover flying by

Kentish Plover
Male

Between January and June the difference between male and female Kentish Plover is well visible: the male has a black frontal band.


Another remarkable species present here was the Pied Avocet. There may easily have been a few hundred of them. It's always fun to see how they chase much larger birds away from their territory. This time some gulls were mobbed until they left.



Pied Avocet showing some karate skills in mid-air





Things got even worse for the gull as the Avocet got help from a wingman …




Eventually the Avocet backed off

Time to relax

As for my targeted species: I did see them and managed to photograph them in the water as well as in flight. One of them seemed to have an antenna attached.



Blacked-tailed Godwit
Blacked-tailed Godwit

Blacked-tailed Godwit in flight
Blacked-tailed Godwit in flight

Another amazing sight was a flock of Yellow Wagtails in a bush: around twenty of these birds together.



A flock of Yellow Wagtails
A flock of Yellow Wagtails

Yellow Wagtail in flight carrying food
Yellow Wagtail in flight carrying food

There were so many more species to spot. Below are the most interesting photos of the morning.



Hoopoe
Hoopoe

Zitting Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola

Collared Pratincole
Collared Pratincole

Collared Pratincole in flight
Collared Pratincole in flight

Collared Pratincole simulating injury
Collared Pratincole simulating injury

Black Kite
Black Kite

Black Kite
Black Kite

Black Kite
Black Kite

Grey Heron
Grey Heron

Common Swift about to eat an insect in flight
Common Swift about to eat an insect in flight

Another worthwhile visit to this place during which I spotted thirty different species. Next time I go to the Cetina Marshes I really should bring a hide or come late in the evening to photograph the flamingos against the orange glow of the summer sunset.



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