Our train...right on time.
So what the heck does that title mean? Deb and I are off on an adventure to a Nature Park about 15 kms from Cadiz. We love exploring the city of Cadiz but I feel the need to see some birds with the sun, water and wind in my face.
So....I get all the information online.
We will catch the 0840 hr train that takes us to the San Fernando Bahia Sur train station. From there a taxi can take us to the Visitors Centre which is about 5 km out of the town of San Fernando.
It opens at 9am we will be there shortly thereafter.
Perfect.
Oh my gosh....it is past 9am when the taxi driver pulls up to the visitors centre and the gates are closed!! I tell him no problem and pay the 8 euros it costs. When I am out of the taxi panic sets in...a bit. Why aren't they open? Is it only opened during peak seasons? Not all information online is correct....oh no.
DON'T PANIC!!!
Maybe they open at 10 am.
Ok...regroup....I can see the ocean from the gate....let's go for a wee walk and put in an hour before it opens....I hope.
It's gorgeous today. Not too hot....only about 21 Celsius and a refreshing cool breeze.....
I'm excited about this plan. Let's do this.
This whole area is a parkland/wetland. As we walk towards the ocean there is such varied vegetation, birds and flowers....and tons of people running and cycling.
A wee rabbit that when it stopped hopping it sat soooooo still that it didn't look real.
Thanks for posing little fellow.
This is an European Rabbit which I have learned is labelled as 'Near Threatened' on the World Conservation Union. The primary reasons it's numbers have declined so rapidly are two different types of diseases that are killing them, as well as over hunting (bad form) and loss of it's habitat. In the Nature Reserve he definitely has a safe and plentiful area to live and hopefully multiply.
The Visitors Centre is surrounded by wetlands.
Bahia de Cadiz Natural Park is on over 10,000 hectares in the province of Cadiz, established in 1989.
I'm pretty sure Deb and I walked all of it....just kidding.
But by the end of the day, we had walked 25,000 steps according to my FitBit watch.
That's about 12 km???
Our feet felt like it when we got home.
A wee House Sparrow posing for his close up. I have to be so fast because they are flitting all over the place this morning.
We have no idea what this sign means because we use our Spanish Translator on the computer...which is in the apartment. Maybe a caution for the tides? I will definitely translate it when we get home.
We finally make it to the ocean and how stunning is it. Never disappoints to be sure.
The tide is going out, and the designs it makes while exiting are quite intricate and interesting.
Quartz pebbles that look like gems found on the beach. Our luggage is going to be soooo over in weight because we have quite a bit more than a handful of shells and quartz pebbles coming home.
The view down the ocean beach....glorious. Big surf waves.
Some very flat round rocks also in the sand and this find....I think it has some interesting forms on it.
Fossils?
Between the above photo and the one below, I don't how this wreck and huge boulders came to be on the beach. The boulders on the beach are part of a structure, not ancient, but old. The above photo looks like a ship wreck?
Interesting that while we were near this area we could hear what sounded like thunder? But the sky was crystal clear. It seemed the ground vibrated with each boom we heard.
Very weird....we started to head back to where we started.
The cool design these rocks are making as the tide tugs them back to the waters edge.
Deb found a shell completely intact....and she gave it to me.
Loving this time on the water. Refreshing salt air....no birds, no people, no animals, just Deb and I.
Curious.
We have the entire beach and ocean to ourselves.
We decide to head back to check if our Nature Reserve is now open. It's after 10 am.
Oh but now way off in the distance I see fisherman preparing for their day.
We make our way safely back and once we cross this stream we are back within sight of the Centre.
A very crafty Red Legged Partridge who lives amongst the brushes with at least a dozen others was trying to hide from the paparazzi.
THE GATES ARE OPEN!!!!!!YIPPPPPPEEEEE.
A European Stonechat bird hanging on the the end of the branch.
A wee lizard that's colouring was so much like the wood that I had a hard time seeing him. He was very flat and small. No more than about 4 inches long.
It is absolutely free to walk all the trails and enjoy the park and it's facilities.
Gorgeous water with mostly all seagulls. No ducks. Plenty of fish because you could see them come right up to the surface.
WHAT bird made that footprint in the mud? A prehistoric pterodactyl?
What is LD looking at?
It's miles and miles of mud plains left from the tide going out.
A boat on the dry mud bed.
When I look down...something is moving all over the mud bed. What the heck?
I use my camera to zoom in and this is what is moving......
......thousands of Atlantic Marsh Fiddler Crabs. Quite unattractive and very dirty.
Looking close I can see them all scurrying.
Apparently these crabs life span is limited to only about 2 years. The large claw/arm they have is used to attract the female during mating rituals. He waves it at her.
These two photos are kind of hard to see but they are harvesting salt from the ocean. Actually that is what attracts the Flamingos. They digest it which in turn gives them beautiful plumage.
They are called salt flats. These flats surround the Bay of Cadiz.
This has been in production since the 1700's.
Workers scrape the top layer of salt, by hand, before it sinks to the bottom of the salt pan.
A Common Chiffchaff hiding and now preparing to fly away out of the flower shrubs.
Butterflies....this one was huge.
I believe it is called a 'Painted Lady'.
It's wing span can be 58-74 mm.
A small wee Corn Bunting bird eying us up as we quietly pause to take his photo.
Those trees and shrubs along the path are very tall. I'm always watching, waiting, ready for a bird or lizard to show itself.
More birds were found closer to the centre than out on the marsh. We are going to venture a little further after we get directions from our lovely gal who is working at the centre today. Her English is quite excellent compared to our Spanish.
She has given us clear instruction how to get to where the Flamingo are. I have never seen one before. I hope they are there.
Off we go.....it's still early in the day and we are up for a bit more walking.
NOTE TO SELF: Apparently we are near the Spanish Naval Station. The sign on the beach.....it was a warning of a Military Shooting Range Area and I think the thunder booms we heard might have been shots or mortar bombings. Oh my gosh. Thank you God for keeping us safe from harm. We will not let that happen again.
We are continuing our search for the Flamingos......"Come on LD....just a little farther."
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