A flock of Greater Flamingos, Phoenicopterus roseus, flying above the Marismas de Barbate, Andalucía, Spain, on a misty morning. The town of Barbate is in the background, at the bottom of the photo.
The Breña y Marismas de Barbate Natural Park is Andalucía’s second largest coastal reserve. The Pinar de la Breña was created in 1984,m and the 2,500 ha Marismas de Barbate, which added to the park in 1994.
Various birds use the Marismas during the year, both for breeding and overwintering and as a stopping off place for migrating birds like waders. Passerines on migration often stop on the bushes which surround the marismas.
There are Greater Flamingos in the Marismas for most of the year, but they are often far away. This was the case on my first two visits, but ‘third time lucky’ as on my third visit, the birds flew past.
The top photo on this page is available to license as a Rights Managed stock photo from my Alamy portfolio.
