A medium sized bird with a white a light golden brown body, neck and top of the head. It has a long pointed beak with a blue base and and a black tip. It has long strands of feathers coming from the back of its head. It's facing the right, and standing in shallow water surrounded by green and brown reed stems.

For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #Paddling, birds standing in water, I've got a Squacco Heron | Garcilla cangrejera (Ardeola ralloides) complete with head plumes for your delectation. 😊
#birds #EastCoastKin #Arrocampo #Extremadura #Wildlife #Photography @everyheron.bsky.social

A medium sized bird is facing to the left. It has large yellow feet, and long yellow legs, one stretched out in front, the other only just visible behind it. It is mostly light brown, with black wings, back, and top of the head and a tinge of white towards its tail. It has a long dark yellow beak with a touch of orange at its base. There are a few green reed stems to the right, but mostly the background is a tangle of dead brown reed stems.

For Alan's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #walking I've chosen this Little Bittern | Avetorillo común (Botaurus minutus) stepping stealthily through the reedbeds at #Arrocampo in #Extremadura, SW Spain. 😊
#birds #EastCoastKin #WildlifePhotography

To the right of the photo a small bird is perched on a thin dead stem. It has its back to the camera, and is looking to the left. Its plumage is a mixture of light and dark browns, and the feathers on its head look slightly ruffled. It's surrounded by out of focus stems and seed heads.

The #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #Quietmoments, peaceful captures of #birds. Here's a Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) from the wetlands at #Arrocampo, #Extremadura, SW Spain taking a break from its repetitive and insistent "zit" call.
#WildlifePhotography #EastCoastKin
@alan678.bsky.social

A large bird with long legs stretched out behind it is flying from left to right. Its broad wings are spread, and its neck retracted in a kink with its long yellow beak very obvious. The background is clear blue sky with blurry green vegetation and an undulating tree line at the bottom.

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #HeronsandEgrets with the alternative being #birdsandrocks. Here's a beautiful Purple Heron | Garza Imperial (Ardea purpurea) in flight over the #Arrocampo wetlands in #Extremadura, SW Spain.
#birds #WildlifePhotography #EastCoastKin @alan678.bsky.social

A chicken size bird with long pinkish legs and very large feet. It has shades of blue, purple, and black plumage, with a bright red chunky beak which extends to a red head plate. it's pictured standing on a patch of straw coloured dead reed, with dense dark green reed behind it and to its right.

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Coots&Moorhens. As @ianparsons.bsky.social reminded me, the Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is closely related to Moorhens, though rather larger and more colourful. A bird more often heard than seen!
#birds #Arrocampo #Extremadura #Spain #WildlifePhotography

Con estas golondrinas de #Arrocampo despido al buen verano que he tenido respecto a fauna, viajes y finales de ruta inimaginables.

Golondrina común (Hirundo rústica).

#arrocampo #arrocampobirdwatching #canonespaña #extremadura #golondrinacomún #golondrina #otoño #finaldelverano

A medium size bird with long yellow legs and large feet is striding purposefully through a dense patch of reeds. It has a long yellow beak with a black tip, golden brown neck, stomach and upper wings. Its upper parts are mostly black. There's a white line running under its throat, and a white patch on the back of its wing. It's facing the left of the photo.

This Little Bittern | Avetorillo común (Botaurus minutus) may not have been exactly skulking through the reedbed, but it was doing a great job of staying hidden most of the time!
#Arrocampo, #Extremadura, SW Spain. #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birds #WildlifePhotos 📷 @everyheron.bsky.social

✅ Ubicado en la Reserva de la Biosfera de #Monfragüe🏞️, el Parque Ornitológico de #Arrocampo en Saucedilla es perfecto para los apasionados por la naturaleza, la observación de aves🔭 o la fotografía📷.

Cáceres, #livinglavidarelax
@diputacioncc.bsky.social

Otra novedad para mi en #Arrocampo ; aguilucho lagunero occidental 🦅 #birding #Extremadura

Vuelvo de una escapada por #Monfragüe y alrededores. Uno de los bichos que más me gustó encontrar, mi primer buitrón 😝 en el embalse de #Arrocampo en #Saucedilla #birding

A large mostly dark coloured bird in flight. The head is drawn back, and its long legs trail behind. The background is a blue sky with defocussed trees and a strip of golden vegetation along the bottom.

A real joy to see so many Purple Herons | Garza Imperial (Ardea purpurea) at #Arrocampo in #Extremadura, SW #Spain, though most were just too far away for a decent photo. Until this one flew right in front of us! Well worth the wait!
#Birds #Nature #WildlifePhotography

A real joy to see so many Purple Herons | Garza Imperial (Ardea purpurea) at #Arrocampo in #Extremadura, SW #Spain, though most were just too far away for a decent photo. Until this one flew right in front of us! Well worth the wait!
#BirdsSeenIn2024

A small bird to the right of the photo against a blurred background of sedges.

A Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) looking very distinguished in the #Arrocampo wetlands around the Almaraz nuclear power plant in #Extremadura, SW #Spain.
(As an aside, when the nuclear plant is finally closed, the species that rely on its warm water will disappear...)
#birds #nature

A white and light brown bird, with yellow legs, and a blue beak that darkens to black at the tip. The background is green reed.

Squacco Heron | Garcilla cangrejera (Ardeola ralloides) from #Arrocampo wetlands, #Extremadura, SW Spain. Fabulous looking birds!
@everyheron.bsky.social
#nature #photography #birds #wildlife #Spain

A bird with long pinkish legs and very large feet. Its underparts are black, changing to blue above, and it has a ref beak and a curious looking red "shield" above the beak covering the head between its eyes. The surroundings are distracting green reeds behind it, and straw coloured reeds under its feet.

More memories of summer.
Purple Swamphen | Calamon Comun (Porphyrio porphyrio)
I've heard this bird so many times, but never seen it until this chance encounter at #Arrocampo wetlands, #Extremadura, SW #Spain earlier this year. So difficult to photograph!
#birds #nature #photography

Don’t suppose there’s any chance of an ID for this splendid looking #wasp? #Arrocampo (wetlands), #Extremadura, SW Spain.
#IDRequest

This is a bird I’ve heard many times, but never seen, let alone photographed until yesterday. The usually secretive Purple Swamphen | Calamón Común (Porphyrio porphyrio). 😎
#Arrocampo, #Extremadura, SW Spain. #BirdsSeenIn2023

Juvenile Little Bittern | Avetorillo común (Ixobrychus minutus) I believe. Another lifer for me.
Seriously small, shy and secretive! Spotted while we were watching Purple and Squacco Herons. It was quite a morning!
#Arrocampo, #Extremadura, SW Spain.
#BirdsSeenIn2022

Squacco Heron | Garcilla cangrejera (Ardeola ralloides).
A lifer for me, and not a bird I ever expected to see, never mind get close views of. Absolutely thrilled!
#Arrocampo, #Extremadura, SW Spain.
#BirdsSeenIn2022

Can someone help me out with an ID for this dragonfly please? From the colour and clear wing bases I've got stuck on a male Skimmer of some kind, but can't get any further. Taken in SW Spain a couple of weeks ago.
#dragonfly #ID #Arrocampo #Extremadura

A rather startled looking Zitting cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) from last week. Such an impressive name for such a small bird!
Thanks to Martin Kelsey @casaelrecuerdo for the ID.
#Arrocampo #Extremadura SW #Spain
#NaturePhotography #birdphotography #TwitterNatureCommunity

Almost a year ago to the day, a rather uncooperative female Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) at #Arrocampo, #Extremadura, SW Spain. #worldodonataweekend @Britnatureguide