Rode down to the Clot today. Found the path flooded in places, but enjoyed cycling through these puddles, which were huge and often deep. Four White-headed Ducks from the main hide, and in the scrub hide overlooking the main lake I saw something which I thought adorable – three Marbled Ducks swimming around each other in a circle. I then went on to the N-332, but noticed a periscope poking out from the scrub, and realised it was a Purple Heron, the bird which eluded me last summer, and started blasting. Satisfied with the result after it flew overhead to perch in a very, very good spot, I then returned to the main hide. Suddenly, a gang of terns invaded the main lake, around 20 in number. These terns seem to have been the Gull-billed variety. As I prepared to leave, a flock of Swifts started circling the hide and teasing me. I can imagine what this looked like from the side, someone in a bike helmet wildly spinning their camera around. The screen was useless, so I had to rely purely on instinct and hope for the best, and eventually got a perfect and nearly head-on view of one of the Swifts. I then sped through the Santa Pola sierras, where a massive lizard managed to escape me. Nearly at Santa Pola, I rode past a Swallowtail butterfly. It was very non-obliging, but eventually I tracked it to a perch and got some good photos.
