![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0txnez5-5bKSwA-yw3PzUs2Oz40JHpsx0uMFuZMMjhV1roFGGCv0YQTLd7XLJsGBGlS9jC0O4zWqHksRZAq3lpE267xVAN9e2nL7OQj0gSsnMPP6lGyLOvWHQdGiTnVScmfia7Nn1kxo/s320/Yellow-legged+Gull+080709-3484-a.jpg)
These Salinas lay on the side of the main Alicante road and make for an easy lay-by stop, on the one side there is a large expanse of water leading off to the Hondo reserve area and on the other it is more of a salt marsh before the coast line.
We saw an abundance of species so I will detail only those of more interest; a large colony of Greater Flamingo is ever present (over 100 birds), Purple Heron, Squacco Heron, Glossy Ibis, Marbled Duck, Black-winged Stilt (breeding population), Collared Pratincole (larger number of these can also be found nearer La Marina), Audouin’s Gull, Yellow-legged Gull (often feeding on the Black-winged Stilt chicks), Slender-billed Gull, Little Tern and Whiskered Tern, to name but a few.
As a side note, in the evening, heading north of Santa Pola on the same road we took turning to the lighthouse and after several unsuccessful years saw Red-necked Nightjar in the late evening light along with Little Owl.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLSqTZx0zsTooND21ihJg8LdmbMBeujK7bw21JrQF7lkmHYy9U2lBlotYkq1o7aHVRloJ728Hcb3SJZi47lbZu5qMRdrHqRSjhgUMIdvJI9MN6vtZDrecGcMJJiSReh_kdoVKtSjlpNk/s320/Little+Tern+210408-8346-y.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbqw-hSdagZqxfUEzh1i-KPImlDFLSQJ2E71Lui7xtCagtQS7yaaXMOMmJ5DPehhEyYO0Z5G83pS5Ee_oPCP6_sJcg5b2k9rAMe1GlcyMUIls6_LnDN7Y4Is6WYVymfvTvVdMCmiGWyM/s320/Greater+Flamingo+0806-16-a.jpg)
Life bird count: 389 Year bird count: 217 Month bird count: 59