In the Basque coast , Zarauz.

Hello again.

This time some wader watching from the Basque coast in northern Iberian peninsula, more precisely in Zarauz village, famous for his surfing ocean and long and beautifull beach.

I stayed three days in vacation with my family and every morning quite early , I managed to make a tour to the INURRITZA reservoir, a small but very valuable intercoastal habitat.

Dates were good for bird migration  (21,22,23,24/04/17) and I managed to see nine different wader species. Personally the Kentish plover was a nice observation and also the quality of the Grey plover sighting with a prolongate viewing during his feeding actions. Wont forget also the cute sanderlings in the beach always with their funny runnings alongside the shoreline.

Sanderling.

Redshank with the rare here BWstilt.

A group of sanderlings (6 ind)

Sanderling

Common sandpipers (4 ind)

Dunlin (max 5 ind)

Dunlin feeding at hide tide.

Five birds darting in the sand.

I saw five Ringed plovers resting during their migration.

Dunlin with a little moult still to moult.

I saw them in every walk a made those very nice sping mornings.

Little ringed plver. This one breeds here. Hope it has success with his brood this season.

The redshank always present in the sandy shore of the river.

Dunlin feeding.

A whimbrel feeding in the intertidal stones with his grey plumage was very hard to detect.

A group of ten whimbrels appeared flying from the south, but unfortunatelly didn't stop because there were many golf players in the adjacent golf course.

Those two whimbrels were feeding early in the beach and a cleanning truck preparing the sand for the people scared them and the birds around ( various gulls YL, and a ringed plover..).

One of my best sights of the holidays Kentish plover, always a special bird in Zarauz.

Elegant and quick it mantained the security distance with me ( a let him alone and respècted that distance).

Those migrational waders suffer a lot from people and their dosgs in the beaches. Dogs should be carried with leads in those periods where the birds need shelter and food for their long journeys.

Common redshank.

And now a few pics of this magnificient northern traveller ,the grey plover:

Feeding quite confidently facing the sun.

Late april but still with the winter feathers.

Same period but clearly a different plumage moult sequence!!

Feline manner stalking...and a quick plunge to obtain the recompense.

Handsome bird with his almost complet nuptial plumage.

A whimbrel with a crab in the beak ready to make its morning lunch.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day!!