Spain 2016 - Isla Canela - a little exploring (flora and fauna)

After breakfast Mum and I walked across to the other side of the harbour and did a little shopping at the supermarket over there, really just to see what they had. There and back and the grocery shopping took about 45 minutes so it is a nice, easy, flat stroll to take.

Ringed Plover seen on the way back.

There aren't masses of flowers like the resorts in the Caribbean but there are bushes in bloom and wild flowers around.

No idea what it is but its growing as a hedge on the property.

 We ate lunch and then went to Neptuno for cafe con leche, from there I decided to walk out to the beach and Mum and Dad decided to go for a drive. I walked out along the breakwall to the ocean.

A lovely yacht moored just outside the entrance to the marina.

A Sanderling. Its a good job Mum and Dad bought a bird book with them.

It was difficult to get a picture of them but there were thousands of fish, swimming upstream next to the breakwall. They were 18 inches to 2 foot long, silver underneath and I have never seen so many fish in my life.

They were all swimming close to the surface and every now and then would swirl so you could see their undersides.

When I reached the end of the breakwall I was still amazed by the sheer numbers and size of these fish. I spoke to a fisherman. Of course my limited Spanish was totally useless in asking "what are all these fish?" and his English was also non existent. So with many gestures and facial expressions this is what I learned:
Its called Lisa in Spanish. On the internet it translated this as Mullet.
He gestured to his mouth and to the garbage at his feet. I translate this as either "it is garbage to eat" or "it eats garbage". Either way he didn't seem as impressed as I was.

My fish consultant at the end of the breakwall.

It wasn't a particularly attractive walk, at this point, but I amused myself with the fish....

the returning fishing boats...

and the birds. A Cormorant.

A Turnstone.

I walked back along the breakwall and on to the beach.

Beach from the breakwall

Flowers on the beach

Between the beach and the developed area is a wide swath of land that is being returned to its natural state.

Naturalization is resulting in some lovely flowers.

I walked across one of the broadwalks,

after passing one of the unoccupied lifeguard stations. No- one is swimming this time of year although some are wading into the water to fish.

The naturalized buffer zone is full of birds. All flitting around, singing and very difficult to see.

An English Robin

A Magpie

A rather blurry Black Redstart.

Not sure about this one, maybe another Redstart?

Its very flat but great to be walking around. We have "sussed out" some Tapas Bars that we may try this week and by reports the area is supposed to be more lively on the weekend. Weather has been in the 20s during the day but with a cool north wind. Down below 10 at night. But it is early February and I am sure we will get warmer weather as we move into March.