Menorca Day 14: Inky Sunrise

Richer in large
Extras: Imogen draws rocks & Barranc de Sa Cova (panorama)
Back blip

Probably my favourite sunrise: rich and inky... I took several panoramas, including my blip, which is two pictures stitched above and below (it'd print well...).

We went back to the ancient site (Poblat de Naviformes de Son Mercer de Baix) that Imogen visited on her walk while I was in Ciutadella; we drove as close as we could (parking at the Son Mercer de Baix dairy farm), and ambled the last mile to the site with its ancient dwellings and spectacular views of the adjacent ravine (see 2nd extra). Well worth the walk in the baking heat! 
We didn't see an hoopoes there (it might have been suggested that the ancient site was a hoopoe haven...), but we did startle a couple up into the air when we returned to the car. We also saw booted eagles at the ravine, and swallows, kites, and Egyptian vultures on our way back.

After our inland explorations, we headed to the north coast to swim at Binimel'la; jellyfish again stymied our swimming plans, but we had more interesting wildlife dramas when a gull dropped a snake onto the beach! I went over with my camera to find not a snake but an eel covered in sand. Movement and tracks (from the eel) drew my eyes over to the scurrying snake (a viperine water snake) that was skimming back towards the wetlands behind the beach. I reckon that the gull caught the snake, which had itself caught an eel, and each lost their prey in the scramble. The eel wasn't coping very well on the sand, so we threw it back into the wetlands which seemed to do the trick (it swam off).
Also saw a little ringed plover poking around the wetlands, and cute cattle egrets in a field with cows en route home (they took off and flew into the sunset when I approached), so it was a very good wildlife day!

Other photos from this day are here (or right from Sunrise with speed boat)
Favourites: Shortlist & Longlist
Themed albums: Zoo, Trotting, Sunrises & Storms, Nature, & Imogen