Spain in Late May to Early June?

[RockyRacoon]

Hi everyone, instead of going to Scotland this year my Dad thinks it would be easier for him to take me to Spain. Can anyone help me with finding accomodation, transport (not including car, perhaps train + coach) and flights I could get near two main wildlife reserves: Laguna de Medina and La Algaida and Bonanza (both near seville).

And also if anyone has ever been birding to these two areas can they tell me what they have seen there, or what I expect to see!

Thank you !

[Brian Stone]

Many trip reports here:
http://www.surfbirds.com/Trip%20Reports/spain.php

These cover the same area and about the same time of year:
http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=532
http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=579

I think John Butler is a BF member and I've read a lot of good accounts of birding with his tours. Sounds ideal if are without your own transport:
http://www.donanabirdtours.com/cgi-bin/web.asp?title=*home

[RockyRacoon]

Thank you very much Brian :t:

[John Butler]

Hi everyone, instead of going to Scotland this year my Dad thinks it would be easier for him to take me to Spain. Can anyone help me with finding accomodation, transport (not including car, perhaps train + coach) and flights I could get near two main wildlife reserves: Laguna de Medina and La Algaida and Bonanza (both near seville).
And also if anyone has ever been birding to these two areas can they tell me what they have seen there, or what I expect to see!
Thank you !

Hi Jake.

Depends where you plan to stay.

Laguna de Madina is 90 kms from Sevilla and 10 kms from Jerez.
There are lots of good birds there, but the site has been badly neglected and the vegetation is now so high that it is almost impossible to see anything, except from long distances.
there is no public transport system that I know of that will get you there.

Bonanza, Salinas de Monte Algaida and the Laguna Tarelo are all excllent birding sites and good views are possible of a vast range of birds, especially waders, seabirds and raptors.
This is 110 kms from Sevilla, 27 kms from Jerez and between 4 and 12 kms from Sanlucar de Barrameda.
Public transport (bus) is available from Jerez to Sanlucar and I believe there is a bus system that goes as far as Bonanza and Laguna Tarelo. however, you would need a car to get to the best site at the salinas, or be prepared to walk many kilometres.

For a list of what you could see in those areas, check out the "Donana Birds" page of my website. www.donanabirdtours.com. The species list is very similar for the two areas.

regards from Doñana.

John.

PS. Thanks for the PM.

[cliffhanger]

Just back from here and i have to say I was disappointed as there is a massive amount of road construction going on. On the two visits I made there were virtually no duck there at all. Did find 1 crested coot after much searching. Views are limited by vegetation around the laguna. On the second visit gates were shut and so could only scope from the road.

Would have to say thet you would be much better going to Donana NP there were lots of bus stops around so public transport might be ok. I stayed in El Rocio. There are also several groups offering birding trips around the area so you may want to investigate them. Birding in the area is brilliant.

[Kevin Wade]

[QUOTE=cliffhanger]Just back from here and i have to say I was disappointed as there is a massive amount of road construction going on. On the two visits I made there were virtually no duck there at all. Did find 1 crested coot after much searching. Views are limited by vegetation around the laguna. On the second visit gates were shut and so could only scope from the road.

Can only agree with you here. The completion of the Jerez - Los Barrios motorway means that the original slipway/layby passing the entrance to the reserve is now the main road, with only a small pull-off left on the opposite side of the road. This, on my two visits last week, was fully parked up with construction traffic. Entrance to the reserve is now only through the gates and the views are very poor.

[Birdingpal]

Hi everyone, instead of going to Scotland this year my Dad thinks it would be easier for him to take me to Spain. Can anyone help me with finding accomodation, transport (not including car, perhaps train + coach) and flights I could get near two main wildlife reserves: Laguna de Medina and La Algaida and Bonanza (both near seville).

And also if anyone has ever been birding to these two areas can they tell me what they have seen there, or what I expect to see!

Thank you !

Hi Jake
If you go to http://www.birdingpal.org you will not only find local birding contacts in Spain but also a lot of information.
Birdingpal

[Tim Allwood]

Hi Jake

other options

fly to Malaga and do the Lagunas down there for White-headed Ducks etc, Ronda, Teba Gorge for Bonelli's Eagle etc....

or even better...

if you could spend a week in Donana based in/near El Rocio - camping or hotel - and possibly a week in Extremadure in Monfrague Park (camping easier but i think you can now get rooms in the park) you could have two centre holiday with very little moving around needed. You can easily spend the whole day on the Castillo opposite Penafalcon watching a multitude of raptors and other birds at very close range - including Black Vulture, Imperial Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, Orphean Warbler, Subalps, White-rumped Swifts etc etc

whatever, you wil have an absoutely fantastic time Jake
take a big notebook!

Tim

[John Cantelo]

You can try looking at the municipal websites for Jerez and nearby Arcos de la Frontera which have bus timetables. I can't recall the details - my wife have them on computer at work, but a search should locate them (bust timetables & Jerez perhaps). There's a wonderful little site 15 km north of Arcos (Espera) but I don't think there's a bus. The two Helm guides will give you plenty of info as will John Butler's book. The bus service from Jerez to Sanlucar de Barrameda is fairly good - from here you can get a boat up the Guadalquiver - not ideal, but you'll see lots of the birds you'd like to spot. Also a ferry takes you over to the beach on the far side of the river - no idea how easy it's to bird once over there or times. If you can hire bikes you can surely get to Bonanza. Medina is certainly disappointing at the moment.
Incidentally have you got a scope? It would be very useful in Spain. John

[John Cantelo]

Jake,
The website below has websites for local bus services operating out of Jerez.
http://www.turismojerez.com/index.php?id=20&L=1

Jerez is a relatively large town so it's hard to walk out of the city to go birding. However, Arcos is much smaller & you can do just that. Plus as I recall there's a fairly good service running into more mountainous areas. If you can sort out bike hire there's also an old railway line now a dedicated bike track that takes you all the way to Oilera & certainly to Lake Bournos. It would still be possible to bus to Jerez & then to San Lucar. If your Spanish (or your Dad's) is up to it you could always take a taxi to Espera & organise one back. I'd guess you might get this for under £20. Jerez would be better if you (or your Dad) wanted to go to Seville or down to Cadiz, though, John