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Any news from Donana recently? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ColinD
- Start date
Reader
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Alan G
Well-known member
2 Black Stork at Bonanza Salinas (the far end where the main track in meets the fenceline) on Thursday, 2 at La Janda on Tuesday and 1 juvenile in Los Alcornocales NP (drinking from a pool at Jimena de la Frontera) - all last week.
Around 100 Cranes at La Janda.
Bonanza Salinas was very good (the usual expected species) and a good sized flock of WH Duck on Laguna de Tarelo but ran out of time to explore Algaida Salinas.
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Barred Wobbler
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Reader
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If you find out let me know, I'll be there in February.
And I will be there on Dec 4th, 5th & 6th.:t:
John
ColinD
Well-known member
I've just returned from a long weekend in the Coto Donana. Over the next day or two I'll be putting together a trip report, and will go into detail about our itinerary and the sites we visited, but since I asked the question here originally, it seems only right to let you know some basic details, as information for those who will be going soon themselves.
We had a fabulous time! Very different to last year when everywhere was flooded due to torrential rain just before we went, this time large parts were dry, but this just served to concentrate the birds on those wetlands which did exist.
It's hardly rained since the spring, but the marshes at el Rocio were more or less full, and also at nearby La Rocina. The weather during our stay was in the mid 70s and cloudless. I've never seen so many dragonflies anywhere, even in summer. It was amazing.
The rice paddies around Isla Mayor were also very wet, and the lagoon Canada de Rianzuela held a lot of water. We didn't go to the Valverde centre.
The spectacle of winter birds at Donana is just incredible. Here is a brief summary of the highlights - 10,000 Greylags in a single flock, 2000 Common Cranes in a flock, 4000 Shoveler in a flock, 2000 Black winged Stilts in a flock, 1000 Avocets in a flock, an evening roost of about 3000 Cattle and Little Egrets, 1000 Glossy Ibis flying over, thousands of White Storks including 800 in one field. Add to all of that an Imperial Eagle being mobbed by two Booted Eagles, an American Golden Plover, Squacco Herons, Black-shouldered Kites, Purple Gallinules, Lesser Kestrels and 10 Griffin Vultures. Almost too much to take in, in two days!
All tracks we went on were easily passible in an average size hire car, and everywhere was easy to find.
We stayed at the Hotel Toruno, el Rocio. Don't let anybody tell you that Toruno is too expensive - at approximately £30 per night B&B it was excellent value and worth every penny. Our room overlooked the marsh, which was about 50 yards outside our balcony, and each morning we awoke to staggering numbers of birds, including at least 500 flamingos.
I'm almost out of breath...
We had a fabulous time! Very different to last year when everywhere was flooded due to torrential rain just before we went, this time large parts were dry, but this just served to concentrate the birds on those wetlands which did exist.
It's hardly rained since the spring, but the marshes at el Rocio were more or less full, and also at nearby La Rocina. The weather during our stay was in the mid 70s and cloudless. I've never seen so many dragonflies anywhere, even in summer. It was amazing.
The rice paddies around Isla Mayor were also very wet, and the lagoon Canada de Rianzuela held a lot of water. We didn't go to the Valverde centre.
The spectacle of winter birds at Donana is just incredible. Here is a brief summary of the highlights - 10,000 Greylags in a single flock, 2000 Common Cranes in a flock, 4000 Shoveler in a flock, 2000 Black winged Stilts in a flock, 1000 Avocets in a flock, an evening roost of about 3000 Cattle and Little Egrets, 1000 Glossy Ibis flying over, thousands of White Storks including 800 in one field. Add to all of that an Imperial Eagle being mobbed by two Booted Eagles, an American Golden Plover, Squacco Herons, Black-shouldered Kites, Purple Gallinules, Lesser Kestrels and 10 Griffin Vultures. Almost too much to take in, in two days!
All tracks we went on were easily passible in an average size hire car, and everywhere was easy to find.
We stayed at the Hotel Toruno, el Rocio. Don't let anybody tell you that Toruno is too expensive - at approximately £30 per night B&B it was excellent value and worth every penny. Our room overlooked the marsh, which was about 50 yards outside our balcony, and each morning we awoke to staggering numbers of birds, including at least 500 flamingos.
I'm almost out of breath...
Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
I'm thinking of staying there when I go to Spain at the end of February for a week. I've booked the flights (Malaga - It's a long drive but Faro was about 50 quid more each way) but the intinery is totally empty at the moment, apart from a plan to go to Donana first and then up to Extremadura for the main part of the week before doing an overnight somewhere between Seville and Malaga on the way back.
Would one night at El Rocio (arriving late afternoon) be enough do you think, or should I book two nights to give extra time to Donana? (First visit to Donana proper and Extremadura, but I've been to SW Spain a good few times).
Hi Alan and all,
I would definitely say you will need two nights if you are staying in El Rocio but not arriving till late afternoon.. That way you can get settled in your accommodation and take an evening stroll from the hotel and then the next day head out in the car for a full day. Quite a trek from Malaga to El Rocio though....Around 4 to 5 hours?
Hotel Toruño is an excellent place. Last time we were there we spent most of our time up on the roof which would make an excellent observatory but for now you have to compete with the air conditioning units... plenty of room for a tripod though!
The Sierra de Grazalema is a nice halfway point on the way back to Malaga airport from Seville area...
Clive
I would definitely say you will need two nights if you are staying in El Rocio but not arriving till late afternoon.. That way you can get settled in your accommodation and take an evening stroll from the hotel and then the next day head out in the car for a full day. Quite a trek from Malaga to El Rocio though....Around 4 to 5 hours?
Hotel Toruño is an excellent place. Last time we were there we spent most of our time up on the roof which would make an excellent observatory but for now you have to compete with the air conditioning units... plenty of room for a tripod though!
The Sierra de Grazalema is a nice halfway point on the way back to Malaga airport from Seville area...
Clive
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Black Wheatear
Bowed but not broken, yet!
Hi Bobby,
Great to hear you had such a wonderful trip and saw plenty! Can't wait to read the trip report. Hope the advice worked?
Forecast is for rain this week, but still no sign yet.
ColinD
Well-known member
Yes, all of the advice was very helpful in helping plan our itinerary. We didn't bother with the Valverde centre because you said it was dry, and that probably saved us a couple of hours, and allowed us to spend more time at other places.
Thanks to everybody who gave us advice.
ColinD
Well-known member
One week at el Rocio wouldn't be enough, it's a huge area. However, if you get lucky with the weather, then I would say you need at least a day and a half, so minimum two nights. That would give you half a day around el Rocio itself, followed by a full day (and it would be FULL, no time for heading elsewhere), on the northern marshes.
ColinD
Well-known member
Just to make clear, that's £30 each per night for two sharing a twin room. I think it was about £35 for a single room.
Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
Thanks everybody, two nights it is. The main target of the trip is Extremadura, but because of the flight situation (Madrid's a write-off, I'd need to get to Edinburgh and the flights are in the evening, arriving about 11pm) I decided to split the trip with a stop-off in Coto Donana. As I said above I've never been right into the area, but I've often been to the Bonanza/Trebujena area (most recently in September), so any time there is really just a bonus.
I thought about something near Antequera for the final night, handy for Laguna de Fuente de Piedra and El Torcal (and the airport for the 11am flight back).
I thought about something near Antequera for the final night, handy for Laguna de Fuente de Piedra and El Torcal (and the airport for the 11am flight back).
ColinD
Well-known member
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