Birdwatching in Straits of Gibraltar & La Janda (1 Viewer)

John Cantelo said:

I have somewhat mixed feelings regarding La Janda - yes, it's a great place to see birds, but sensing the echo of what it must once have been always saddens me. Reading early accounts of the marshes there makes it clear that until the 1950s or so it was one of the most remarkable sites in Europe||||

As for the chances of even a small restoration, I fear they must be slim indeed.

Click to expand...

eddy the eagle said:

I had a good afternoon yesterday,I started at the Barbate res.and then went on to La Janda.The following is a list of all birds seen.
Barbate Res.stonechat ,mallard,white storks nesting,great egret,cornbunting,osprey,meadow pipit, grey heron,spotless starling,cormorant,white wagtail,blackcap,black redstart,chaffinch,little egret,cattle egret,kestrel,greylag goose,great crested grebe,goldfinch,jackdaw,yellow leg gull,black headed gull,crag martin,red legged partridge,barn swallow.
La Janda. white stork feeding,stonechat,jackdaw,serin,kestrel,white wagtail,goldfinch,house sparrow,tree sparrow,spanish sparrow,corn bunting,glossy ibis,one juvenile,barn swallow,crag martin,black winged stilt,marsh harrier,water pipit,yellow legged gull,little ringed plover,bonellis eagle,griffon vulture,hen harrier, cettis warbler,pallid harrier, common buzzard, lapwing, collared doves, lesser black backed gull,black headed gull,cormorant,raven,moorhen, wood pigeon and black winged kite.
Regards to all.... Eddy

Click to expand...

eddy the eagle said:

Hi,Jon,the bird has been seen on a few occasions on the dirt track between Benalup and Facinas.If you are not familiar with this track go to the farm on the hill and then carry on to a T junction.Turn right,this is where the dirt track begins,the track is easily driveable in a car and carry on for 3/4 km until you see some horses in fields on your left.Carry on past the horses until you get near to some tall trees with wooden corrals on your right,this is the location.I was there about half an hour before it put in an appearance so be patient,it uses the wooden corrals as a lookout and feeding postThere is a good picture of the bird on reservoir birds website,not taken by me I hasten to add.I hope you have good luck but as you know in birding nothing is certain.Regards ...Eddy

Click to expand...

eddy the eagle said:

A few reports from yesterday.Adult Egyptian vulture seen in the valley of Santuario,Tarifa,not known if an overwinter or migration bird.
4 Razorbills seen of the coast at Trafalgar.
Juvenile black vulture seen yesterday morning at the refuse tip in Los Barrios,not by me.
John C would you mind if I printed out your chart as I get many people asking me "when and where"and my notes are not as extensive and well presented as yours.Regards ...Eddy

Click to expand...

njlarsen said:

I will not be in Spain until April, but in the meantime: "laguna de fuente de piedra" looks like a place for possible Lesser Flamingo. How about the other special waterbirds such as White-headed and Marbled Duck, and Crested Coot? Are they also in this locale? If we go from Malaga to this spot and the following day have to end at Huerta Grande, which other sites should be consider to visit?

thanks
Niels

Click to expand...

eddy the eagle said:

I had nearly a full day out today with Birdman 7.We started off at Tarifa looking for the Common Bulbuls,no show and then went to the island looking for purple samdpiper again no show.Then moved to Los Lances where found LBB gull,audouin's gull,sanderling,grey plover,dunlin and of course yellow legged gull in the lagoon area and in the meadowsmeadow pipit,stonechat,sand martin,house martin,barn swallow and crested lark.
We then moved to La Janda and entered via the track from Facinas to Benalup,this track is very muddy with lots of water after the recent rains and cannot be done in a car.For access to this track come in via the direction of Benalup.Birds seen on this track are as follows>good numbers of corn buntings,meadow pipits,skylarks,crested larks serins and goldfinches.A couple of calandra larks,grey and white wagtails,chiff chaff,linnet,2 female hen harriers and an unidentified male harrier,poss.pallid but only very short views.In the rice fields were numerous white storks a couple of cranes,lapwing and golden plover which wre taking on their summer plumage.Further down the track to the part which has been graded were housemartins, barnswallows and sand martins all flying low over the fields against a fresh north west wind.The area of the track where I have seen pallid harrier proved not to be the case this time around,but seen were juvenile Spanish imperial eagle and bonelli's eagle together with common buzzard.Six griffon vultures floated over the nearby mountains and kestrel,raven woodpigeon and stonechat were also seen at this point.
On the tarmac again on the way to the farm were 100's of jackdaws,cattle egret and a solitary marsh harrier.At the farm the collared doves were noticeable by their absence and only partridge and a lone pheasant were seen.Down to the bridge over the main canal no birds were seen at all.The canals contained very little water and the paddies although containg plenty of water were also devoid of birds.Along the track by the main canal a juvenile red kite was the highlight plus 100's of common cranes in the paddies,
Spanish,tree and house sparrows together in the same roadside bush.Amongst the spotless starlings were a couple of the spotted variety along with a lone greenshank and a few grey herons.Although 46 species were seen the birding was less good than in previous winters.Whether this is due to increased human activity,hunting,draing of the water channels and pruning of trees with clearance of the canal side vegetation or is due to the dry winter we have had up to the recent rains of the past two weeks one cannot say for certain but I do know this is not the La Janda of recent winters.

Click to expand...