Flying the Nest

June in Cordoba is often unbearably hot and not conducive to birdwatching. However this year temperatures have been lower and so I took advantage of this with a trip down to the river in the centre of the city.

House Martins and Swifts were hunting their prey above the water and Reed and Sedge Warblers were busy in the reeds along the banks. At this time of year there are lots of juveniles around. Young Night Herons, with their brown streaked plumage, lined up on the south bank. On the north bank a young Little Egret was patiently waiting for its lunch and a juvenile Glossy Ibis was busy preening itself. Glossy Ibis aren’t normally found on this part of the Guadalquivir, so it was a bit of a surprise to find one here. The Latin name, Plegadis falcinellus, refers to their distinctive downward curving bill and means ‘scythe’ or ‘sickle.’

Glossy Ibis

The juveniles lack the purple tinge of the adults and have some white feathers on the neck. When this one decided to explore the shallow water around the reeds it was quickly chased away by a Moorhen, who was protecting her young.

Glossy Ibis 

Bee-eaters, Yellow and White Wagtails and Spotless Starlings were also seen as I walked along the bank towards Puente del Arenal and the resident Kingfisher flew past. Goldfinches were foraging on burdocks and Greenfinches could be seen coming down to the water for a drink.

Greenfinch

I also spotted a male Little Bittern on the edge of the reed-bed. Normally quite a secretive bird this one could be observed for some time as it hunted in the shallow water. It is also, as the name suggests, incredibly small.  At about 35cm in length it is the smallest member of the heron family. They are migratory, normally arriving in April and returning to Africa in October.

Little Bittern

Before leaving I stopped at the Balcon de la Guadalquivir where there is a small mudflat. A Little Ringed Plover, with its distinctive yellow ring around its eye, was feeding in the mud before being forced to flee by another aggressive Moorhen.

Little Ringed Plover