I'm not into bird photography at all, but idea visiting one of the Worlds largest Flamingo lagoons today sounded great.
We were on our 4th or 5th day traveling around region of Andalusia in Spain. Somehow small town of Fuente de Piedra popped up in our radar (well, obliviously because of flamingos) and my first bird photography session begun.
Keep on reading to learn how it failed after all.
Visitor center
There is a visitor center named after José Antonio Valverde
The Visitors Centre has a reception for information, restrooms, gift shop and vending area. Also free 2 exhibition room and a 12 minutes long audiovisual. In the Visitors Centre you can also rent binoculars, audioguides in different languages and children karts. The audiovisual schedule is at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30 and 13:30 in the morning and afternoon at 16:30 and 17:30 in winter and 17:30 hours and 18:30 hours on summer.
National Park of Doñana
José Antonio Valverde Gómez (Valladolid, March 21, 1926 - Seville, April 13, 2003) was a biologist, naturalist, ecologist and environmental activist. In 1952 comes first to Doñana and along with Francisco Bernis Madrazo conducted the first scientific bird ringing in Spain. In 1954 they founded the Spanish Ornithological Society of which he was president. In 1969 the National Park of Doñana was founded and Valverde was appointed director.
José Antonio Valverde first came to Fuente de Piedra in 1958 and after several years, in 1963, saw flamingos bred here. On the right we can see the mosaic, it is the first drawing that Valverde did in Fuente de Piedra.
In 1990 when the Visitors Center was built and decided to put his name.
At flamingo lagoon
Now it was a time to switch lens and try to capture some live flamingo.
View towards lake
A huge one, to capture flamingoes from this point you will need a very powerful telephoto lens.
Flamingos
Here you go - a crowd with flamingos. Shot with a 300 mm telephoto Sigma lens (not the best)
Hiking trails around lake