John I’m thinking of visiting the area next year for the chameleons at Rota. Would scrub Robin be available fairly nearby? I know they aren’t easy
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Birding Cadiz (& nearby) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter John Cantelo
- Start date
John I’m thinking of visiting the area next year for the chameleons at Rota. Would scrub Robin be available fairly nearby? I know they aren’t easy
John Cantelo
Well-known member
It's about 35-40 minute drive from the best site in Rota for Chameleon - Jardin Botanico de Celestine Mutis - to the best site in Spain for Rufous Bushchat. Is that close enough? I suspect there are birds closer but, remarkably, Rufous Bushchats are common and easy to see around Trebujena. The attached map (from my guide to birding hotspots in Cadiz Province) shows the area - I've regularly had RBC at b, d & e, more recently found tham at g (where I hadn't looked before) and the habitat looks good for them at e & h (where I've not looked for them too hard), The area has multiple ceramic signs celebrating wildlife - several depicting RBC. At 'b' look for one showing Bee-eaters and then check the pomegrantite tree nearby in the field - it's a favourite songpost. I've seen them from the end of April through to the second week of September although it's best to look for them in early May. They can be tricky later in the day so turn up as early as possible and hope for a sunny day (i.e. the usual weather) although I often check nearby sites for Pin-tailed Sandgrouse first in spring. Chameleons aren't early risers so you'll have plenty of time to pop over to Rota (via little Swifts at Chipiona of course). PM me with you email address for further help/details.
John Cantelo
Well-known member
I confess that, like many birders, part of me still thinks of SW Spain as a spring or autumn birding destination rather than a winter one. That said, I've been visiting the area long enough to know birding in winter can be excellent. However, even I was staggered by just how good my two-week trip (10/02-24/02) turned out to be as I saw an unprecedented 6 Spanish ticks (inc. a lifer). My jaunt reminded me that, altough watching raptor passage in spring/autumn may be the jewel in the crown, shirt-sleeve winter birding here watching great birds in warm sunshine has the added bonus of knowing friends back home being chilled by freezing rain.
Not that it started well ... it was late when I arrived at Seville airport so instead of driving down to my base in Alcala de los Gazules, I decided to stop overnight (5 Soles Hostal Rural 15 km from the airport- recommended). Before I'd driven halfway to my hotel a warning light came up on the dashboard alerting me to low tyre pressure. The next morning it was clear that I had a slow puncture so instead of nipping off the Brazo del Este as planned, I had to return to the airport to change cars. Still, I mustn't grumble as it was a glorious dawn (with chattering House Martins) which quickly warmed up into a warm and sunny day - not bad for early February.
With the car sorted out, I headed south but instead of Brazo del Este I decided to check El Petano (a 5-minute detour from the motorway). I'd hardly got out of the car when I spotted a friend, Mick Richardson, waving at me - a Laughing Dove had conveniently pitched down in front of me. These birds have been resident in the area for some years but can be tricky to catch up with so it was good to get one so easily. When I caught up with Mick he asked me "Are you here for the shrike?" to which I replied, "What shrike?" I expected him to reply "Iberian Grey Shrike" so was surprised when he said "Isabelline!" (I only have E-bird alerts for Cadiz province and we were still in Seville province). Five minutes later we were watching a nice adult Isabelline Shrike (Spanish tick No 1). There were also 3-4 Great-spotted Cuckoo nearby (photo from last year) plus Swallows, Booted Eagle, Glossy Ibis, etc. My search for LEOs at a site just off the route proved fruitless and a late afternoon foray to La Janda was similarly disappointing although I knew I had several days to explore that area.
, 
Not that it started well ... it was late when I arrived at Seville airport so instead of driving down to my base in Alcala de los Gazules, I decided to stop overnight (5 Soles Hostal Rural 15 km from the airport- recommended). Before I'd driven halfway to my hotel a warning light came up on the dashboard alerting me to low tyre pressure. The next morning it was clear that I had a slow puncture so instead of nipping off the Brazo del Este as planned, I had to return to the airport to change cars. Still, I mustn't grumble as it was a glorious dawn (with chattering House Martins) which quickly warmed up into a warm and sunny day - not bad for early February.
With the car sorted out, I headed south but instead of Brazo del Este I decided to check El Petano (a 5-minute detour from the motorway). I'd hardly got out of the car when I spotted a friend, Mick Richardson, waving at me - a Laughing Dove had conveniently pitched down in front of me. These birds have been resident in the area for some years but can be tricky to catch up with so it was good to get one so easily. When I caught up with Mick he asked me "Are you here for the shrike?" to which I replied, "What shrike?" I expected him to reply "Iberian Grey Shrike" so was surprised when he said "Isabelline!" (I only have E-bird alerts for Cadiz province and we were still in Seville province). Five minutes later we were watching a nice adult Isabelline Shrike (Spanish tick No 1). There were also 3-4 Great-spotted Cuckoo nearby (photo from last year) plus Swallows, Booted Eagle, Glossy Ibis, etc. My search for LEOs at a site just off the route proved fruitless and a late afternoon foray to La Janda was similarly disappointing although I knew I had several days to explore that area.
, Thank you John. It’s likely to be a family holiday at either Easter or May half term and this is very helpful. Are Iberian green woodpecker or Spanish ibex in the area as they are my other main Spanish targets
John Cantelo
Well-known member
Push for May half-term as Easter will be too early for bushchats (unless you're very lucky and find an early one). Iberian Green Woodpecker appears to have extended its range locally and I've seen (but more often heard) them in many places. That said, they're not always easy to show to people as they can be elusive. I've most often caught up with them in the woods near Marismas de Cetina but probably your best bet is Costa Ballena just north of Rota. This site is also good for White-headed Duck whilst the scrub in the dunes along the coast is often excellent for migrants. Checking E-bird for recent sightings would be a huge help.
I've seen ibex near Alcala de los Gazules but realitically you need to head over towards Grazalema (c90 mins from Sanlucar) to see one
I've seen ibex near Alcala de los Gazules but realitically you need to head over towards Grazalema (c90 mins from Sanlucar) to see one
John Cantelo
Well-known member
One of my targets when in Spain earlier this month was seeing the long-staying "Long-legged" Buzzard on La Janda. Although I'd seen several of them in Cadiz Province over the years. I've never enjoyed prolonged or close views of the species. Happily, the bird performed splendidly. I first saw it just beyond Cortijo de la Mediana (which overlooks La Janda). One glimpse of the bird's pale head, sandy-brown upperparts and slightly rufescent tail was enough to ring alarm bells! The bird then flew but showed well several times in flight; it was just as pale below with rufous mottling on the lower flanks. It not only looked like a cirtensis buzzard but also very much like the photos I'd seen of the bird in question. It was clearly either the bird itself or an incredibly similar 'gibraltar' buzzard. I hesitated to identify it only because was carrying a highly visible bright yellow ring on one leg and a duller ring on the other which was contra to all the photos I'd seen of the bird in question so I was relieved to discover that the bird had been caught and ringed before Christmas. That even I managed to get a decent shot of the bird indicates how co-operative it was! I saw it once more, more distantly in the same general area a week later.
It was certainly a striking bird but distinctive though the plumage was, to my eye structurally it looked very similar the Common Buzzard. Admittedly, my experience of nominate Long-legged Buzzard is limited but every time I've seen them (most recently in summer 2023 in Bulgaria) they've struck me as distinctly bulkier and longer winged than Common Buzzard. Given the huge variability in Common Buzzard's plumages and the likely impact of the desert habitat in North Africa on colour variation, I feel it more likely that the taxon's colour could change to resemble Long-legged than its morphology alter to mimic Common Buzzard. This form, unlike the nominate one, also regularly hybridises with Common Buzzard. Genetic studies have shown that the Atlas Buzzard (as I prefer to call it) is more closely related to Common than Long-legged, backing my feeling that it's a race of Buteo buteo not Buteo rufinus. Bluntly, I'm surprised that so many still insist on calling it a Long-legged at all!
For more photos etc see my blog.
It was certainly a striking bird but distinctive though the plumage was, to my eye structurally it looked very similar the Common Buzzard. Admittedly, my experience of nominate Long-legged Buzzard is limited but every time I've seen them (most recently in summer 2023 in Bulgaria) they've struck me as distinctly bulkier and longer winged than Common Buzzard. Given the huge variability in Common Buzzard's plumages and the likely impact of the desert habitat in North Africa on colour variation, I feel it more likely that the taxon's colour could change to resemble Long-legged than its morphology alter to mimic Common Buzzard. This form, unlike the nominate one, also regularly hybridises with Common Buzzard. Genetic studies have shown that the Atlas Buzzard (as I prefer to call it) is more closely related to Common than Long-legged, backing my feeling that it's a race of Buteo buteo not Buteo rufinus. Bluntly, I'm surprised that so many still insist on calling it a Long-legged at all!
For more photos etc see my blog.
John Cantelo
Well-known member
Another target for the trip was seeing Rustic Bunting on La Janda (I missed them last year). This winter the number of Rustics seems to have been maintained with most reports of 1-2 birds. Happily I saw them three times - once an almost subliminal view of a fine adult male perched in a tree, then reasonable 'scope views of a female-type bird and finally excellent views of both on 22/02. The male was a very handsome bird (see photos on my blog as I don't have permission from the photographer to use his photos elsewhere). Whilst I only saw two birds together, I couldn't dismiss the suggestion that there were 3 or more birds present. (An astonishing seven reported on 01/08/24 on E-bird must surely be an error in transcription given the number and date). Little Buntings however have been distinctly less in evidence this year. Most reports involve only 1-2 birds with counts of 4 on a couple of dates and recently one of 6. This reflects my own experience and talking to local ringers, they confirmed that numbers were much lower this winter. Will this extraordinary turn of events continue and a regular flock of wintering Asiatic buntings become a regular feature here? And how many might be lurking elsewhere in Spain and western Europe? The attached photos show the area & habitat where the birds are to be found on the Benalup side of La Janda near the road up to the Presa de Celemin. Other birds noted in the immediate area here included Cranes, Squacco Heron, Little Bittern, Western Swamphen, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, and Bluethroat. The cherry on the bunting cake, though, was the appearance of Spain's third Black-faced Bunting on the far side of La Janda. It was discovered and photographed on a Sunday but as I was elsewhere I only managed to catch up with it on the following Saturday. Naturally, it precipitated a huge Spanish twitch ... about a dozen birders half of whom were ex-pats!
To see photos of the bird and more information about where they are see my blog here
To see photos of the bird and more information about where they are see my blog here
John Cantelo
Well-known member
Las Alamos Track, Grazalema
I owe the discovery of this new site to friends whose assiduous mining of E-Bird on our recent trip together for information about Rock Sparrow took us down this superb track. As I usually arrive in this area on a day trip from Alcala de los Gazules I tend to look for the species noted here along the superb Llanos de Libar which is a little closer. However, staying overnight near Grazalema meant exploring other sites made much more sense.
The turning onto the track off the A 372 (by Meson Los Alamillos restaurant) gives no indication of the delights in store. After passing several houses you continue through tall pine trees (check for Siskin in winter) and drop down to the Chaparro de las Animas - a flat area in the flood plain of a small river (confusingly known both as the Rio Guadares & Rio Campobuche). Nutchatches and other woodland species were easy to locate around the obvious notice board here. This open area dotted with trees is a particularly good spot for looking for Iberian Grey Shrike both to west and east. Viewing from the 'elbow' on the A 374 opposite (marked by binoculars on my map) had previously been my prime site for this species but this is a much better location. In addition, other sought after species like Iberian Green Woodpecker and Rock Sparrow have been seen here.
The track continues through pleasant open bushy areas & woodland (with plenty of Black Redstarts & Cirl Buntings) until it drops down to the Llanos del Apeo. This flat grassy area here is a good site for Thekla's Lark. Park at the foot of the rocky massif here as the track worsens from this point onwards (and is apparently private as it reaches the small farm). We parked near the small stream below a rocky ridge rises c100m above the plain (= llanos) and, as may be expected, is a superb location for more Black Redstarts plus Rock Sparrow & Black Wheatear. We also had Bonelli's Eagle here soaring with the numerous Griffon Vultures. Despite it being mid-February on my visit here I had several buttefly species including a Large Tortoiseshell. Regrettably, time did not allow walking further to the south-east along the stream as the habitat looks very good and somewhere along the route there's a historic dolmen (OK not intersting to everyone but I was once a history teacher!). E-Bird lists this site under the name Las Alamos. Although the Llanos de Libar (to which in theory at least you can walk to from here) remains my favourite site in Grazalema area, this is an excellent alternative.
I owe the discovery of this new site to friends whose assiduous mining of E-Bird on our recent trip together for information about Rock Sparrow took us down this superb track. As I usually arrive in this area on a day trip from Alcala de los Gazules I tend to look for the species noted here along the superb Llanos de Libar which is a little closer. However, staying overnight near Grazalema meant exploring other sites made much more sense.
The turning onto the track off the A 372 (by Meson Los Alamillos restaurant) gives no indication of the delights in store. After passing several houses you continue through tall pine trees (check for Siskin in winter) and drop down to the Chaparro de las Animas - a flat area in the flood plain of a small river (confusingly known both as the Rio Guadares & Rio Campobuche). Nutchatches and other woodland species were easy to locate around the obvious notice board here. This open area dotted with trees is a particularly good spot for looking for Iberian Grey Shrike both to west and east. Viewing from the 'elbow' on the A 374 opposite (marked by binoculars on my map) had previously been my prime site for this species but this is a much better location. In addition, other sought after species like Iberian Green Woodpecker and Rock Sparrow have been seen here.
The track continues through pleasant open bushy areas & woodland (with plenty of Black Redstarts & Cirl Buntings) until it drops down to the Llanos del Apeo. This flat grassy area here is a good site for Thekla's Lark. Park at the foot of the rocky massif here as the track worsens from this point onwards (and is apparently private as it reaches the small farm). We parked near the small stream below a rocky ridge rises c100m above the plain (= llanos) and, as may be expected, is a superb location for more Black Redstarts plus Rock Sparrow & Black Wheatear. We also had Bonelli's Eagle here soaring with the numerous Griffon Vultures. Despite it being mid-February on my visit here I had several buttefly species including a Large Tortoiseshell. Regrettably, time did not allow walking further to the south-east along the stream as the habitat looks very good and somewhere along the route there's a historic dolmen (OK not intersting to everyone but I was once a history teacher!). E-Bird lists this site under the name Las Alamos. Although the Llanos de Libar (to which in theory at least you can walk to from here) remains my favourite site in Grazalema area, this is an excellent alternative.
John Cantelo
Well-known member
I hope that the Asociacion Ambiental Laguna de Los Tollos don't object to my posting a several recent photos from their FB account here. The first couple of images show the "laguna" as it was in April 2019 when last visited. It was bone dry (as it had been for several years which explains the infrequency of my visits) and illicitly used for exercising dogs, riding motorbikes, etc. Happily, thanks to persistent rain over the winter of 2024/2025 (continuing into March), the laguna has again flooded. The comparative photos of the boardwalk to the hide in 2019 and 2025 shows how much the water level has changed. Birds have quickly exploited this change and a recent (11/03) post on E-Bird recorded 93 Shoveler, 2 R-c Pochard, a Great-spotted Cuckoo, 81 B-w Stilt, 8 Avocet, Stone-curlew, 27 Flamongo, 5 LRP and three species of grebe (inc 23 Black-necked) here. Best of all, however, is the appearance of two Red-knobbed Coot amongst the 62 Common Coot present. I doubt that this site will ever regain the preeminence it enjoyed 60 years ago when less water was extracted from the aquifer & before nearby clay pits damaged the local hydrology but it's worth visiting to enjoy a ghost of what the site must have been like all those decades ago. Exiting at Junction 53 off the AP 4 towards El Cuervo and then back again onto the motorway just beyond Aeropuerto de Jerez means a detour of only c16km as you head south. Personally, I think the detour is well worth it. I hope to revisit the site this April & will report back here (with my own photos!)
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John Cantelo
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I'll be back in my base in Cadiz Province (Alcala de los Gazules) in April. As always, I'm happy to help birders visiting the area so do PM me if you're in the area (particularly if you want to photograph Lesser Kestrels). This spring will be very special as my teenage great-nephew (a budding birder) and his family will be visiting. It's the young lad's first trip abroad so many species will be new to him but I'm not sure which of us is more excited - him seeing the birds or me showing them to him.
As always, I will be updating my guide and reporting back here. It's shaping up to be a very interesting visit as the water levels in local reservoirs and wetlands are higher than they've been for decades. It should also mean an abundance of wildflowers.
As always, I will be updating my guide and reporting back here. It's shaping up to be a very interesting visit as the water levels in local reservoirs and wetlands are higher than they've been for decades. It should also mean an abundance of wildflowers.
John Cantelo
Well-known member
Travelling south from Seville by train to Jerez it was striking how many fields along the line remained flooded. It was particularly pleasing to see (distant) Flamingoes on the Marisma Casablanca (on the Seville/Cadiz border near El Cuervo) which has been pretty much dry for at least a decade. The distant view of the Embalse de Barbate from Alcala de los Gazules also confirmed that water levels are currently higher than they have been for many years. Subsequently, I visited Laguna de Medina where the water was so high that it swamped the growing 'necklace' of tamarisk that has strangled the reedbeds here in recent years. However, the birdlife here was disappointing - 4 Black-necked Grebe, 11 G-c Grebe, c60 R-c Pochard, a dozen Shoveler, a handful of Shelduck, 3 White-headed Duck, a few Coots etc but no herons, swamphens, terns etc - Presumably the aquatic plantlife & associated insects (etc) will take longer to recover. In Alcala itself, I've had the usual drifting Griffons, the odd eagle (Booted & Short-toed) and, as ever, been entertained by the Lesser Kestrels but thus far evening maximum counts have struggled to get much beyond 20 birds compared to previous regular totals of 30-40 at this time of the year and the two nest sites immediately next to the terrace appear to be unused. This fits my impression that they've declined here in recent years ...
More positively, it was good to find 5 Little Bustards (all displaying males) hanging on around Los Badelejos despite the continuing degradation of the habitat here. Nearby, I had also had 2 Spanish Imperial, Short-toed, Bonelli's & Booted Eagles plus a supporting cast of 2-3 Woodchat Shrikes & Bee-eaters (several flocks passing over).
More positively, it was good to find 5 Little Bustards (all displaying males) hanging on around Los Badelejos despite the continuing degradation of the habitat here. Nearby, I had also had 2 Spanish Imperial, Short-toed, Bonelli's & Booted Eagles plus a supporting cast of 2-3 Woodchat Shrikes & Bee-eaters (several flocks passing over).
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John Cantelo
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It was overcast & misty in Alcala de los Gazules in the morning so nothing much was happening until the clouds started to clear at 10:50. In the next hour or so I had 300+ Black Kites, c70 Griffons, 19 Booted & 2 Short-toed Eagles, 27 LKs, a Monties and .c50 Bee-eaters.
Late afternoon my niece & family arrived. Bee-eaters promptly followed to the delight of my great-nephew who's getting keen on birds. We had a short look at the nearby Molinos valley where there were more BKs, 700 Griffons & a single Black Vulture plus a B-e Wheatear. We finished on the terrace where as dusk fell I got a house tick - c500 Flamingo.
Late afternoon my niece & family arrived. Bee-eaters promptly followed to the delight of my great-nephew who's getting keen on birds. We had a short look at the nearby Molinos valley where there were more BKs, 700 Griffons & a single Black Vulture plus a B-e Wheatear. We finished on the terrace where as dusk fell I got a house tick - c500 Flamingo.
John Cantelo
Well-known member
It takes a few days but when the Lesser Kestrels get used to my presence on the terrace, they pose shamelessly.
John Cantelo
Well-known member
A very windy and wet morning meant birding yesterday with two Canadians staying in Acala was postponed until the afternoon (which was still very windy but not wet). Our first stop was at Barca de Vejer for Bald Ibis which never fails to deliver. Then it was onto Barbate for waders - numbers well well down on a few days ago except for Collard Pratincole which had increased to several hundred birds. Little Stint & Kentish Plover were new to the two Canadians. Two very pleasant & helpful birders from Helsinki put us on to a smart Bonelli's Warbler & Woodchat (more lifers). It was good to see efforts to protect Kentish Plovers on the beach nearby but I wonder how effective the signs are here. In Spain, as in the UK, too many dog owners think being asked to control or leash thier dogs is a grave breach of their human rights (and Fido's canine ones too).
Then it was on to a very windy La Janda where those few birds to show themselves were quickly swept away by the wind. Despite the conditions we managed to get excellent views of more lifers - Purple Swamphens, Bee-eaters & two Black-winged Kites. Despite relatively few birds, the two visitors seemed very happy with the haul but it was one of those days when I was happy not to be a professional tour guide, just a birder wiling to help out fellow enthusiasts.
Then it was on to a very windy La Janda where those few birds to show themselves were quickly swept away by the wind. Despite the conditions we managed to get excellent views of more lifers - Purple Swamphens, Bee-eaters & two Black-winged Kites. Despite relatively few birds, the two visitors seemed very happy with the haul but it was one of those days when I was happy not to be a professional tour guide, just a birder wiling to help out fellow enthusiasts.
John Cantelo
Well-known member
Having picked up a hire car in Seville late yesterday (16/04/25) afternoon, I headed south back to Alcala de los Gazules but was determined to have a look to see how the recent period of heavy/persistent rain had impacted a couple of lesser-known sites. First up was Laguna de los Tollos which straddles the Cadiz-Seville border. This site was once a prime location for Marbled Duck, Red-knobbed Coot and even Ruddy Shelduck but in the 60s was virtually destroyed by the extraction of a rare type of clay (used largely for cat litter) compounded by the lowering of the water table by over-extraction. Despite expensive EU-funded restorative work, it's been virtually dry for over a decade. Happily, I found it brimming with water. Less happily in my short time there, I failed to locate Red-knobbed Coot which has returned after a long absence. I did have three species of duck (Mallard, R-c Pochard & Shoveler), Common Coot, Collared Pratincoles, B-w Stilt & many Swallows. It was good to see that the infrastructure had also been improved with a new boardwalk. If water levels can somehow be maintained and the ecosystem given time to recover, it has the makings of a great reserve. My time at the second site a little further south, Marismas de Casablanca, was even more limited with only distant views from the roadside but it too looked in excellent condition (a Ferruginous Duck has been reported here recently). Unlike the first site, this lacks any infrastructure and access ca be a problem.
John Cantelo
Well-known member
With water levels higher than they've been for over a decade, I opted to spend the day exploring several lagunas that had previously been dry. I started with Laguna de los Tollos with the intention of circumnavigating the laguna on foot, a walk of several km. However, my plans were stymied by the path being flooded so I ended up covering the route by car and on foot. I was pleased to find a young Jerezano birder I knew already there. He directed me to the area he'd previously had Red-knobbed Coot but, alas, we couldn't find one. However, I was delighted to locate a Ferruginous Duck amongst the R-c Pochards. This isn't a species I see too often in the area so it was great to scope it at my leisure. Otherwise, bird numbers of "aquatic" birds were relatively low for such a large expanse of water presumably reflecting the time it takes for the ecosystem to recover. There were a handful of Pratincoles, Gull-billed Terns, both Great-crested & Black-necked Grebe, at least nine LRPs, fair numbers of Black-winged Stilts, a couple of Avocet and c20 R-c Pochards (plus a few Mallard, Shoveler & Gadwall). I suspect that by the autumn it will be very attractive to passing waders
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John Cantelo
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My next stop on my mini-tour of wetlands was Lagunas de Lebrija but I found a section of the track so badly rutted that I decided not to risk the route to the largest laguna. I did, however, check Laguna de Pilon - a litmus test for the state of the complex - as it's next to the road. Again the birds were few - Coot, Little, G-c & B-n Grebes - but I've never seen the shallow basin here so wet! Again suggesting it could repay a visit in the autumn
John Cantelo
Well-known member
My final destination were the nearby Lagunas de Espera where the same story unfolded - plenty of water but relatively few ducks (largest group being 18 R-c Pochards). This reserve has plenty of potential but is sadly neglected showing no evidence of active management. The signs at the two watchpoints and lone hide stand in silent rebuke to this neglect. They show an expensive view of a busy open wetland but the reality is two lagunas choked with scrub and a third that remains open but which you can't actually see from the hide! Trees have been growing in front of the hide for over a decade until the view is now totally obscured. It'd be a day's work (or less) to rectify this but nothing has been done. The same lamentable situation applies to the watchpoint at the furthest (unsignposted) laguna. This eventuality can't have been hard to figure out as the watchpoint was sited in front of (then) recently planted saplings! The uselessness of the main hide has meant illicit paths now take you to the edge of the main laguna but I suspect the powers that be will block them (as they've done elsewhere) long before they fix the view from the hide!). It doesn't have to be this way as other Spanish authorities (e.g. on Majorca) seem able to maintain reserves with a good infrastructure. At least, the road from Espera remains in good condition and the views of (and from) the castle are fabulous.
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John Cantelo
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I opted to look at several more wetlands today, this time checking those around the bay of Cadiz. I started at the dry reedbed beside Dhesa de la Yeguas with the optimistic aim of locating Savi's Warbler (a very scarce bird here). This was optimistic as I wasn't sure about whether I could still hear them. Nightingales, Cetti's & Reed Warblers serenaded me as I approached a good viewpoint but I couldn't hear any Savi's. Time to roll out the much maligned Merlin app ... and within minutes it registered a singing Savi's. Fifteen minutes later I still hadn't seen it as I had no idea exactly where to focus my search. So I walked c150m to another vantage point and once again Merlin registered a Savi's (but my ears did not). This time my scan was successful as I picked up a distant bird atop a reed stem getting decent 'scope views. Was it a second bird, I wonder? Merlin often doesn't have much of a range ...
As the Marismas de Cetina is closed by that was my next stop. As expected the salinas had hundreds of waders with Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper & Little Stint dominating plus good numbers of Ringed Plover, fewer Avocet, Redshank, B-w Stilt, fewer still Knot and the odd Grey Plover & Turnstone. The skies above had a few Pratincoles and Kentish Plovers lurked in the saltings keeping Lesser S-t (Mediterranean) Larks company. I pottered down to a small marshy area along a freshwater channel hoping for Wood/Green Sandpipers. Instead, I got a real shock ... another Savi's which I picked up by ear! It was very close but quickly dropped into cover.
Next stop were the Lagunas de El Puerto de Santa Maria on the other side of Jerez. Technically, my first stop - Laguna Tercios - isn't in the El Puerto complex and remains little known but it's a lovely site and one which is easy to scan. Here I had c50 Pratincoles hawking around, a few R-c Pochards, Avocet, Flamingos and 9+ Whiskered Terns plus R-r Swallows. This neglected site proved to be far better for wetland birds than the next well known site ...
The Lagunas de El Puerto de Santa Maria consist of three lagunas of which I visited two - Juncosa & Salada. The first was largely screened by vegetation but what open water I could see appeared birdless (although I could hear a Little Grebe). The second laguna can officially only be viewed at a distance but careful scanning revealed no birds at all on its surface! With time pressing and other things to do (shopping!) I called it a day and didn't investigate further.
As the Marismas de Cetina is closed by that was my next stop. As expected the salinas had hundreds of waders with Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper & Little Stint dominating plus good numbers of Ringed Plover, fewer Avocet, Redshank, B-w Stilt, fewer still Knot and the odd Grey Plover & Turnstone. The skies above had a few Pratincoles and Kentish Plovers lurked in the saltings keeping Lesser S-t (Mediterranean) Larks company. I pottered down to a small marshy area along a freshwater channel hoping for Wood/Green Sandpipers. Instead, I got a real shock ... another Savi's which I picked up by ear! It was very close but quickly dropped into cover.
Next stop were the Lagunas de El Puerto de Santa Maria on the other side of Jerez. Technically, my first stop - Laguna Tercios - isn't in the El Puerto complex and remains little known but it's a lovely site and one which is easy to scan. Here I had c50 Pratincoles hawking around, a few R-c Pochards, Avocet, Flamingos and 9+ Whiskered Terns plus R-r Swallows. This neglected site proved to be far better for wetland birds than the next well known site ...
The Lagunas de El Puerto de Santa Maria consist of three lagunas of which I visited two - Juncosa & Salada. The first was largely screened by vegetation but what open water I could see appeared birdless (although I could hear a Little Grebe). The second laguna can officially only be viewed at a distance but careful scanning revealed no birds at all on its surface! With time pressing and other things to do (shopping!) I called it a day and didn't investigate further.
