Colour back in the marisma

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

After a long and wet winter colour is coming back to the marshes (marismas) of the Guadalquivir. The blue of the water is now giving way to the green of the aquatic vegetation and many migratory and nomadic waterbirds are arriving to make the most of the superabundance of food to breed. The photographs in today's post were taken on Sunday (14th March). Driving across the marisma was like pushing into clouds of gnats, mosquitoes and other small insects. All good food for the newly arrived Black-winged Stilts and Yellow Wagtails.


Black-winged Stilts with migrant Redshanks (above) and mating (below)



Black-winged Stilt with head fully under water while feeding (above). Male Spanish Yellow Wagtails (below) in splendid plumage on salt marsh



Below: Greater Flamingoes, Red-crested Pochards, Spoonbills and Avocets are among the birds giving colour to the marisma