Fuente de Piedra and Chipiona

Friday 16 February

A very sunny day with no wind; beautifully warm, especially for mid-February.


We, Bob, Oz-Bob, Jenny and I met up at Fuente de Piedra where the water level was quite high today. Our first sightings were of a Snipe and White Wagtail then several Black-tailed Godwits, Black-winged Stilt, Spotless Starlings, Collared Doves, Coot and Teal. Meanwhile, Florin (the two Bobs), had a trio of House Martins as their first bird of the day. Along the board-walk we noted Shoveler, Spanish and House Sparrow, Golden Plovers, Lapwings and Black-headed Gulls. Black Redstarts, Chiffchaff, Blackbird, Stonechat, Little Ringed Plover, Cattle Egret, Zitting Cisticola and a nice surprise was the Greylag Goose dropping into the "Stone Curlew" field. Walking along to the "scrape"  more Stonechats, a Robin, Chiffchaffs and a Wryneck was heard as was a Green Woodpecker a while later. Moving round to the Lagunetta hide, we saw White-headed Duck, Mallard, Common Pochard and a huge amount of Shovelers. An interesting sight was seen concerning the latter birds, a group of some thirty birds initially were seen in a circle and all dabbling at the same time.  The number increased as other Shovelers joined in the melee, they circled for a good ten minutes, then dispersed as quick as they had began. A few Little Grebe, Gadwall, Coots and Moorhens were spotted and good numbers of Greater Flamingos were logged, along with two Grey Herons and the White Stork was on it´s chimney nest.
  

Greater Flamingos Flamenco Comun Phoenicopterus roseus

Walking back from the hide to the mirador, two Marsh Harriers(females) flew across the lagoon and below them a dozen or more Shelducks were feeding. While off to the right of the mirador in the dry area of the marsh we spotted Stone Curlews and a few Golden Plovers. The Jackdaws in the tower behind us were making one hell of a noise, but we still managed to pick up by song first, Sardinian Warblers, Blackcap, Meadow Pipit and Crested Larks. The Green Woodpecker was heard several times walking back to the car but not sighted. But a wonderfully bright male Serin gave us our departing song.




After coffee we started on our way to Chipiona, En-route we noted fourteen Buzzards, eleven Common Kestrels, a flock of Calandra Larks and two Raven. As we passed the "dump" (on the A92 at about Km45), a huge number of Black Kites with a couple of Red Kites, White Storks and a male Hen Harrier were logged. Arriving at the port we dipped out on the Little Swifts, but in the lighthouse area we saw Sandwich Terns, Black-headed Gulls, several fully-plumaged Mediterranean Gulls, Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also about. Indeed, to our great delight, we even managed to record an Iberian Chiffchaff on the rocks below the promenade.  Cormorants, Sanderlings, Cattle and Little Egret, Magpies, Stonechats and Chiffchaffs were seen at the "Chameleon Centre" plus a single Meadow Pipit.
John Wainwright

Birds seen:
Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Gadwall, Malaga, Shoveler, Pochard, White-headed Duck, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Little Grebe, Heron, White Stork, Flamingo, Black Kite, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Stone Curlew, Black-winged Stilt, Lapwing, Golden Plover. Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Sandwich Tern, Rock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Hoopoe, Green Woodpecker, Wryneck, Calandra Lark, Crested Lark, Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Meadow Pipit, House Martin, White Wagtail, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Iberian Chiffchaff, Jackdaw, Raven, Common Starling, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.

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