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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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

Numbers of all water birds seemed very low at Laguna de Medina this year - I only managed a few B-n Grebe, R-c Pochard, Pochard, Mallard & Shoveller with only G-c Grebe being present in any numbers - no W-h Duck either . Certainly Coot numbers have crashed I'm told the the Red-knobbed Coots are no longer present. I've been told it's because Carp have colonised the lake (again) & are out competing the birds for weed,

John


I don't know if it's an indication of anything other than the conditions on the day I visited Eddy, but when I went to Laguna de Medina on 31st August I thought coots of any type had been removed from the face of the earth. The only birds in any number on the water that day were great crested grebes.

Sometimes you go there and it's hard to see the water for coots and I've seen the red-knobbed ones there when numbers have been both high and low. There was a family party of them the day I took this photo in 2010.

I don't know where the coots get to when they aren't there.

Congratulations on your bird..
 
How frequent are records of Crested Coot on La Janda? In the days when it was still a lake they were said to be common, but I hadn't realised that they still turn up there.

When I was there a couple of weeks back, I met John Muddeman at Los Lances and he said there were a couple of R-K Coot on 'pools' at the junction where the track meets the road to Facinas and Benalup, I of course raced over there but couldn't even find Coot, or Swamphen which is often present along the canal.
 
How frequent are records of Crested Coot on La Janda? In the days when it was still a lake they were said to be common, but I hadn't realised that they still turn up there.

When I was there a couple of weeks back, I met John Muddeman at Los Lances and he said there were a couple of R-K Coot on 'pools' at the junction where the track meets the road to Facinas and Benalup, I of course raced over there but couldn't even find Coot, or Swamphen which is often present along the canal.
 
Hi all

Sorry for not having said anything until now, but very busy!

Various Spaniards who've been working in the Straits at the migration watchpoints told me how rare red-knobbed coot is so far down. Just one or two records in the last ?20 years. Considering how frequent they were at the Laguna de Medina (I've heard story about fishermen being responsible for dumping fish in the lake - disaster!), and how abundant they are just over the other side in Morocco, it's odd they haven't turned up more. But they continue to be very rare in real terms in Spain of course, despite heaps having been reintroduced.

I guess this is the same bird in the same site - the open paddies on the junction of the old road with the cross-track - while I assume the eagles are still being seen regularly midday or early afternon near the farm on the hill a couple of kms towards Benalup.

A Rüppell's or two (or 5?!) still hanging around according to info on reservoirbirds.

Hope this helps.

John
 
The golden eagle was seen in the area of Cortijo Las Habas and the bonelli's were seen in the area of the bridge over the main channel.
To John Cantelo does the answer by John Muddeman above answer your question....Eddy
 
A disappointing afternoon at La Janda.I was thinking of a late afternoon /evening at La Janda to look for a possible Jack Snipe in the rice paddies.I arrived from the Benalup end and looked at the pool beside the road and saw hundreds of glossy ibis resting and preening.Odd I have never seen them here before.I carried on with nothing much to report and except for many jackdaws and the odd juvenile pheasant.
I arrived at the bridge over the main channel and to my surprise not one bird in sight.
Gone were the 100's of coot glossy ibis and the like,Nothing.To my right there was a car parked and to my left a couple more I scanned the rice paddies and then I saw the reason why.Three groups of hunters with labradors working their way up and down the paddies with military precision.The only bird I saw was a very distant marsh harrier.The rest of the journey along the the main channel yielded a very fine male marsh harrier and three black storks.
On the way home called in at Las Lances beach Tarifa only to find two Kite surfers using the restricted area for practice.I was unable to communicate with them due to the distance but again no birds in the lagoon.
Went home and had a beer.Round trip 120 kilometres and disappointed......Eddy
 
I was out at La Janda early this morning a chilly 17C,and the highlights were as follows>
100's white storks resting.3 black kites,1 red kite,1 black winged kite,1 juvenile purple heron,3 spoonbills, 18 snipe,but couldn't find a jack snipe,several marsh harriers and lots of corn buntings.
Regards to all ....Eddy
 
Also reported in the Mirador area of Tarifa yesterday 100+griffon vultures and 4 different Ruppells vultures.I don't know if they crossed to Africa or not but obviously the vulture migration has stated in earnest....Eddy
 
Wrong type of bird

Spotted at the reserve at Los Lances beach Tarifa the other day.The posts were erected to deter wind surfers not as a guide for people to exit the beach.Needless to say no avian birds in the Lagoon....Eddy
 

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Spotted at the reserve at Los Lances beach Tarifa the other day.The posts were erected to deter wind surfers not as a guide for people to exit the beach.Needless to say no avian birds in the Lagoon....Eddy

Well it may not be the right use but not complaining! haha

Great to read about La Janda in Autumn, especially the Bluethroats! Do they stay all winter? or more of a passage migrant?
 
In my experience the blue throats are passage migrants that stay a couple of weeks and then disappear.I also have them near my house in Los Barrios but they only stay a few days......Eddy
 
In my experience the blue throats are passage migrants that stay a couple of weeks and then disappear.I also have them near my house in Los Barrios but they only stay a few days......Eddy

They certainly winter in good numbers on the saltmarshes of Palmones - and I'm pretty sure the do at La Janda.
 
I was at Cazalla this afternoon and saw STE and booted eagle,many griffon vultures,barn swallows,red rumped swallows crag martins a very nice male peregrine falcon,black redstart and the highlight of the afternoon was good views of yellow browed warbler.I thank Ed from Wales for this as he had seen it before I arrived and pointed me in the right direction.
I then took Ed to La Janda where he had seen yesterday evening a common rosefinch amongst some greenfinches.At La Janda several 100 white storks ,many marsh harriers,4 or 5 black winged kites and yes Simon one bluethroat in the top of the rice plants.Also seen 100's of Spanish sparrows,I have never seen so many feeding on the seed heads of the reeds.We found the greenfinches again on the electric wires but no rosefinch.As we watched the greenfinches they suddenly scattered everywhere as a male merlin came whizzing through but not quick enough and then it flew off towards Tahivilla.It was almost dark when we left but a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and my thanks to Ed for the company and his younger eyes....Eddy
 
Hello, I will be visiting the Cadiz area over the next few days and I was wondering if any local birders had any up to date information on the best sites for Little Swift, White Headed Duck and Crested Coot. Have the wildfowl been seen at La Janda recently as in an earlier post? Also I would like to see Sacred Ibis. What is the best local site at this time of year? Many thanks for any help. John
 
Hi John,little swift were seen yesterday at the cave at Sierra Plata,Bolonia late evening is the best time,the waterfowl and knobbed coot have gone from La Janda and I believe the white headed duck have left Laguna Medina but on La Janda there are many other species as my list above and it is a good place to go particularly first thing in the morning or after 5pm in the evening.
The best place for bald ibis,not sacred,is in and around the golf club at Montemedio on the N340 east of Verjer de la Frontera or if not there they can often be seen along the coast between Zahara de los Atunes and Barbate.I hope this helps and enjoy your visit to this wonderful area.....Eddy.PS PM me if you have any other queries.
 

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