Wiki Denise Milani Real

Exit No. 6, February 2010, Ciudad Real. Departure

With 355 miles to Alcazar de San Juan and 4 hours away, the February 6, 2010 we early morning Veguilla Lagoon, next to Alcazar de San Juan.

What we saw exceeded our expectations: a large lake full of birds. Both wealth, as wealth, the gap was filled with life and movement. Just stuck to the town of Alcázar, receives water from its sewage, maintaining sufficient water levels throughout the year.

Veguilla Workshop lagoon

Form part of the natural reserve called "Lagoons of Alcazar de San Juan", which is formed by it and two lakes: Laguna del Camino de Villafranca and the lagoon of the Mares. Are designated as SPAs and RAMSAR wetland. Observed a total of 25 species, highlighting some black-necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) and Gadwall (Anas strepera) and Colorados Duck (Netta Rufina). Several marsh harrier (Circus aeroginosus), in full courtship, flying synchronizing their physiology to the vital reproductive time to come.

Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis)

Although
common here, Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), were one of our goals. Can easily see several large flocks flying in the area. In Murcia it is easy to see them as though they are cited by the Atlas of the birds of Spain (1975-1995) in a couple of districts, at least in Cartagena is certainly not existed for many years. The other, the northwest, is unknown, although Miguel Angel Esteve et al in 1986, not quoted anywhere in Murcia. The full list is: Little Grebe, black-necked grebe, Grey Heron, White Stork, Pink Flamingo, Goose Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard Pintail, European Spoon, Colorado Duck, Pochard, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Common Coot, Lapwing, Common Snipe, Cetti, Chiffchaff Common Magpie, Sparrow, Mourning Dove, Greenfinch and Reed Bunting.

Marsh Harrier (Circus aeroginosus) male on Lake

Veguilla
Then we went to the Big Lagoon Villafranca.

Laguna Grande de Villafranca

the mustached (Panurus biarmicus) our second objective, lives here. Coinciding with the celebration of World Wetlands Day, we had the good fortune to coincide with Toledo banders who had captured several individuals, can enjoy them up close.

mustachioed (Panurus biarmicus) ringed in Laguna Grande de Villafranca

In the afternoon, we went to view the sunset at Coldstream tables.

Coldstream Tables

Sunset in Coldstream

At this time the cranes entering the roost of the table, it is an optimal time to enjoy their flights and voices without disturbing them. But there were not many dozens that, conveniently located at the observatory on the island of Pan, presented us with your flight and ground exhausted.

waiting Workshop Cranes entries in the Pan Island

Cranes (Grus grus) come to roost Coldstream

With a Park National water packed, not surprisingly, so was the people. We have never seen so many people in the Tables. This was disappointing as it meant that the wildlife was not visible. Only Boars, rooting in the mud beside the cane, were seen. So the best thing we had to do was go to dinner.

rental car to the brim with Visitor Centre in Coldstream

Workshop Group dinner at the hotel (Coldstream)

For this reason, the next day Very early we were back on the table. Had not reached the "weekenders" and shared the wilderness with a single car parking a photographer.

Hotel (Coldstream), early (freezing) preparing for the boards of Coldstream

Workshop Tables, early and foggy

The large wetland area was spectacularly beautiful. A thick fog had taken over the water and vegetation, allowing to observe the wetland and behind a thin veil, showing only timidly a landscape rather cold and mysterious.

Coldstream Tables the fog

Some cranes and ducks were allowed to see and hear. Tare the forest, its branches filled with water pearls, hosted our tour that may well have been the ride of the first settlers of this ancestral place. A delight for the senses, with a cold that we soaked to the bone.

The mist between vegetation

The icing on the cake was a visit to the lagoon of acclimation: Colorado Duck, Marbled Teal, Ferruginous duck, White-headed Duck, Purple Gallinule, geese, whistling, friezes, ..., and all at low 5-10 meters, a delight for photographers (if the light had accompanied).

Colorado Duck (Netta Rufina)

Photographing birds in the lagoon of acclimatization

Later we went to watch the sinking rains and runoff had resulted in the field, upstream of the "old" Guadiana at its mouth in the Tables. These collapses were the result of spontaneous combustion of large quantities of peat, dry yesterday, accumulated in an ancient land of water and green pregnant. The roof of the holes left this combustion are collapsed under the weight and force of water that becomes, if only for a few days, running through the channels early and take their original space. Here we come face to face with the sad reality of Coldstream: a flow of tens of liters per second foul water from the sewage treatment plant of Coldstream, forming a frothy cataract entered directly into the aquifer of Coldstream, just 10 meters the course of the current "gutter" of the Guadiana.

sewage input to the aquifer of Coldstream to a collapse Taves

A true environmental scandal, another one, which Ecologists in Action partners and other NGOs trying to report, apparently without much success.

But we could not leave this land with the taste, or smell better. In the afternoon we had the good fortune to accompany us Xurxo Pineiro, an expert in the area who taught us the SPA in the fields of Calatrava.

Xurxo Workshop and Pineiro in SPA "Campos de Calatrava"

A paradise of steppe birds. The heart of the Ganga Iberico (Iberian) and his cohort of bustards, little bustards, Ortega, Larks, Calendering, Partridge, ...

Ganga Ibérica (Pterocles alchata)

flight of a side made up of more than 300 Sison and fired about 250 Sandgrouse our successful visit Mancha.

Bando of Sison (Tetrax tetrax) and Sandgrouse