Blistering Bushchats!
I first saw a
Rufous Bushchat in autumn way back in
1970 on my first trip to
Spain and, indeed, my first trip abroad at all. It flipped across the road and briefly perched on a wall before vanishing. Not brilliant views but enough to happily tick the species. Quite where that was, other than “
southern Spain” I really can’t remember. Since then, it has declined sharply making the species still harder to find. In recent years the decline has deepened with a
95% reduction in numbers across the country, extinction in
Granada and nearly so in
Alicante and
Murcia (
98% reduction). Despite this, since visiting
Cadiz province regularly, I've seen the species several times near
Bolonia, near
Marchenilla (
Jimena de la Frontera) and at a classic site at
Laguna la Mejorada near
Los Palacios y Villafranca in
Seville Province. However, they remained elusive with visits often drawing a blank (even on subsequent days).
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To be honest for some years my search was somewhat compromised by not really having a clear idea of what constituted prime habitat for the species. I'd seen them scuttling about small allotments at
Los Palacios, glimpses of them on rocky hillsides dotted with olive trees above
Bolonia and along a tamarisk choked dry streambed at
Marchenilla but never, despite many searches, in the prickly-pear hedges that some books suggest they favour. Even when located, views were often brief and less satisfactory than desired. In fairness, a bird did once 'perform' well within a few metres at
Bolonia but that was the day I had forgotten my camera! More typical was the memorable occasion I saw one briefly within about 10 minutes near
Marchenilla before it dropped out of sight but it then took over two hours for my friends and me to relocate it. They're a declining species and they certainly seem to have become still more elusive around
Bolonia than when I first visited the area over a decade ago.
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However, after a visit in autumn
2019 and subsequently, in
2022, I think I’ve managed to crack it. I've known for years that they were supposed be in the "
Sanlucar area" but never had any specific details and a Spanish birding friend with family in the area wasn’t sure where they were to be found these days either. Finally, in autumn
2019 I managed to investigate the circular route north of
Trebujena, something I'd been meaning to do since my first brief visit there years earlier (changes in my personal circumstances prevented me from looking earlier). The area around
Trebujena I was set to explore, looked promising dominated as it is by low-intensity vineyards (unlike most in the 'sherry triangle'). Knowing birds start to depart in mid
August, I wasn't confident that I'd see one on that first search of the area on
5th September 2019. Fortunately, when I randomly stopped a couple of kilometres along the route, up popped small family party of the birds. Another couple of kilometres along the road there were at least two more birds. Job done!
Later that month (
16th September) two birding friends from
Kent, freshly out from the
UK, joined me for another search for this iconic species. Once more, being conscious that the migration clock was still ticking, I wasn't over-optimistic of success. I should have known better. Within minutes of our arrival at the first location a
bushchat which obliged by giving us excellent views. The next stop, of course, was the second site where I'd seen them earlier. It took us a little longer to see than earlier, but our target again showed itself well.
Then something quite magical happened. A man working the land nearby came over to see what all the excitement was about and it was clear from the start that he knew the species very well. Not only that but he told us there were still some on his plot and invited us to come and look for ourselves. We did and there were! We walked around with him and, sure enough, saw our quarry - 3 or 4 of them. "
Seňor Paco" was evidently delighted by our success telling us to come back any time. He plainly knew and cared about his "
Caberrubia" (redtail), the species' local name in
Trebujena. (The more usual name, Spanish name
Alzacola is arguably better still as it means 'lift-tail'). He was a lovely bloke not only insisting on giving one of us a straw hat (concerned that she was hatless) but also collecting a small crate of his produce to present to us. It was a terrific end to a wonderful morning.
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I fully intended to return in spring
2020 but
Covid delayed my plans until
3rd May 2022. Once again, I wasn’t confident about seeing them not because they might have gone but because they might yet to arrive. Happily, I found a singing bird at the first place I checked (which was about 400m short of where I'd had a pair with young last autumn). A check at the latter site was unproductive but a look at a third location produced a second bird.
A few days later on the
7th May after finding
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse nearby I went back for another look. This time, as I was arriving from the opposite direction, I tried my third
RBC site first. When I got there, I pulled off next to a minibus and just as I got out of the car a group of four birders appeared from the other side of the road. Speaking one of them,
Stefan Schlick, I discovered that they were from
Oregon and had been looking, unsuccessfully, for Rufous Bushchat. What could I do other than show them where I'd seen the birds in the past? After a couple of false starts, we pulled off where I'd seen one on the 3rd. We got out of the vehicles and, as I pointed out where to look, the bird flew past us singing! Only having previously seen them sing from a perch, I hadn't realised that they also perform a song-flight! We all subsequently had fantastic 'scope views! Brilliant stuff!
Since my newfound friends hadn’t contacted yet with
Lesser Short-toed Lark or many waders, I offered to show them Marisma de Cetina of which, unsurprisingly, they’d never heard. First, though, as this was a tour group and it was just past midday, they insisted on finding somewhere to eat and generously treated me to lunch. En route, we checked
Laguna de Medina for
Red-knobbed Coot which, to my annoyance, failed to show for the first time on my visits there on recent visits. Naturally,
Cetina came up trumps with not only both short-toed larks but also a range of waders (including
Lapwing which was high on their ‘wants’ list) and an unexpected
Little Gull. I really don’t know who was more delighted, them to have someone to act as their guide who knew the area or me to have people to show it to! Either way, it was a great day.
Understandably, many more people are looking for
Rufous Bushchats here as it is now the species' main stronghold in
Spain with over
100 pairs in the area and with multiple sightings in this area on
eBird (see
A Fantastic Tail for more details about this population). Driving carefully around the 'circuit' here (see map) pulling over where possible to scan for birds or walking some of the paths should soon produce a sighting (esp before 10.00 AM). Even if you're unlucky you should still see a good variety of species. However, please bear in mind that:
- Despite being relatively common here it is a rare and declining species in Spain
- Give the birds space, let them come to you (esp. in the short breeding season)
- The birds are always more important than getting a photo or a better look
- Do not use ‘playback’ (which is probably illegal in the breeding season)
- Remember that the goodwill and interest of the local community here are of paramount importance in conserving this species so avoid disrupting agricultural activities
- Park sensibly; using your car as a hide can be effective
- Explore on foot where possible sticking to tracks and posted footpaths
- Act as an ambassador for birding – in my experience, if you’re pleasant, considerate & friendly then you’ll be repaid with generosity, kindness & interest.
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