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A couple of years ago I was fortunate in being able to live in Spain for a 14 month period. I was based at the University of Lleida and worked on some streams in the Pyrenees. My work focussed on the ecology of some invertebrates in these streams, but of course I was in a great place for birding. Lleida is very close to some of the steppe habitats and conveniently close to the coast and the Ebro delta, where I spent many a long weekend looking at waterbirds. This post shows some images from my time in Spain. The camera and lens I had in those days was not so good (a Canon 30D with a 100-400 lens) but the good light more than made up for my lack of skill and the less-than-perfect kit. The bird above is a Calandra lark.
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Southern Emperor dragonfly
Anax parthenope, near Lleida
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Great Spotted Cuckoo, Lleida
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Squacco Heron, Ebro delta.
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Chicken, Ebro delta
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Southern Grey Shrike, Lleida.
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Chough, Lleida
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Subalpine Warbler. This photo was taken in the park in the middle of Lleida, a great place for passage warblers in the spring.
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Calandra lark, Lleida.
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Pin-tailed Sangrouse, Lleida. The lush spring vegetation is what makes this photo.
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I spent several weekends with the ringers (David Bigas, Albert Cama and Joan Ferrer) on the Ebro delta. Orphean warblers are rather scarce here, so this one was a nice surprise.
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Lesser short-toed lark, Candasnos.
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Thekla Lark, Candasnos.
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Lesser Kestrel, Fraga.
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Lesser Kestrel, Fraga. Males are stunning birds, especially against a bright blue sky
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The same male
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Black Tern, I'vars
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Monties Harrier
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Black-necked Grebe, Ebro delta
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Griffon Vulture, Pyrenees
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Short toed Eagle. This photo was actually taken from the balcony of the house we rented.
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One of Tarragona's pigeon-eating
michahellis; this remains one of my favourite pictures
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Red Kite, Lleida rubbish dump. Red Kites were always outnumbered by Black kites here, but this one came close enough for some photos.
2 comments:
Birds reminds me the time there was dead bird at the entrance of the church, the other day I found a pill of Generic Viagra on a bench in the church., how strange. I always find things that someone else set down somewhere Buy Viagra Cheap Viagra.
Very beautiful pictures!!!!!!
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