Friday 23 February 2018

ABS Field Visit to Bonanza, Cadiz



Saturday 17 February


With John and Jenny Wainwright acting as hosts, Bob Ashford and I joined them for the day to enjoy a fabulous day's birding with about twenty other members at the February field meeting of of the Andalucia Bird Society exploring the area around Bonanza in Cadiz Province.  A beautiful calm and clear day with just a little early morning thin, broken cloud making almost ideal conditions for birding albeit the heat haze for distant views was with us from almost the start.

Night Heron Martinete Comun Nycticorax nycticorax
We somehow missed the first pool ending up at a new site where we found 13 Night Herons and Siskin before moving on to the sand works.  Here we got our first view of all the Black-winged Stilts and Flamingos plus our first Barn Swallow and a small flock of Common Waxbill.  However, when joined by the rest of the group and hearing what was on view we made a quick return to catch up on Little Swift, Greylag Goose, Purple Swamphen and Red-crested Pochard plus the sudden appearance of a pair of Little Bittern.

Greylag Goose Ansar Cumun Anser anser
Wandering the track between the pools provided an assortment of waders including Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Greenshank and Avocet along with such lovely species as Whimbrel, Grey  and Ringed and Kentish Plover.

Bar-tailed Godwit Aguja Colipinta Limosa lapponica
Lovely to see all the raptors including Osprey, Buzzard, Hen and Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Red Kite and Common Kestrel.  Ducks also included Shelduck, Gadwall, White-headed and hundreds of Shoveler.  Of the larger water birds, in addition to  the many Flamingos there were Black and White Storks, Spoonbill, Cattle, Little and Great White Egret along with Grey Heron plus the ever delightful Little, Back-necked and Great Crested Grebes.

The Black Stork Ciguena Negra Ciconia nigra joined his White Stork Ciguena Blanca Ciconia ciconia cousins
Other lovely sightings included a first Willow Warbler, Northern Wheatear, Dartford and Sardinian Warblers and Zitting Cisticola and then we found a trio of Common Crane.  Gulls included Slender-billed, Yellow-legged, Black-headed, Lesser Black-backed along with a Caspian Tern.  Then, of course, there was a Raven and a small party of Spanish Sparrows by way of a change.  Eventually we managed to record over 80 species on the day including a visiting Common Starling.
A late sighting of a Crane Grulla Comun Grus grus family


Birds seen:
Greylag Goose, Sghelduck, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, White-headed Duck, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Cormorant, Little Bittern, Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Heron, Black Stork, White Stork, Spoonbill, Flamingo, Osprey, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Booted Eagle, Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Coot, Crane, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Grey Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Tern, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Little Swift, Crested Lark, Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, Black redstart, Stonechat, Wheatear, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Dartford Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Magpie, Raven, Common Starling, Spotless Starling, House Spoarrow, Spanish Sparrow, Waxbill, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet and Corn Bunting.

Other Photos:

Avocet Avoceta Comun Recurvirostra avosetta
Black-tailed Godwit Aguja Colinegra Limosa limosa

Chameleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon
Greenshank Archibebe Claro Tringa nebularia
Very distant Red-crested Pochard Pato Colaorado Netta rufina
Common Redshank Archibebe Comun Tringa totanus

Slender-billed Gull Gaviota Picofina Larus genei

Common Waxbill Pico de Coral Estrilda astrild
Female White-headed Duck Malvasia Cabeciblanca Oxyura leucocephala

Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs  and additional information

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