Back Birding in Spain

Sunday 21 May

What a way t revisiting birding in Spain.  Collected from the airport by my dear friends Derek and Barbara Etherton by mid-afternoon I was sitting on their terrace watching a circling Booted Eagle along with many Pallid Swifts.  Ere long a pair of Red-rumped Swallows plus a few House martins and Barn Swallow along with the local Collared Doves, Blackbirds, Spotless Starlings and House Sparrows.  An additional bonus was th hovering Kestrel and late afternoon saw a slow pass by the front of the terrace by a Sparrowhawk.  A most rewarding start to my three weeks. 

Barbate Marismas

Thursday saw an early start to the day as we were away by 7 for an overnight in Barbate down on the Atlantic coast near Tarifa. Approaching the marimbas we had already encountered a Booted Eagle, a few White Storks and both Common and Pallid Swifts, all of which were also seen later in the day, before entering the site via the track where we recorded both Spotless Starlings and House Sparrows. Both Barn Swallow and House Martin on the immediate area then a span of the nearby waters soon revealed many Flamingo and , eventually, at least 100 Collared Pratincoles, many still on their breeding territory along with maturing off-spring.

Collared Pratincole

But there were were other exciting birds including a Stone Curlew, a few Iberian Yellow Wagtail, Avocet, Kentish and a good number of Grey Plover.  Always lovely see both Black-winged Stilts and Avocets and then came the fishing Little Terns.  

Iberian Yellow Wagtail

Some lovely smaller birds included the resident Crested Larks along with many Stonechats with fledged young, Greenfinch, Linnet, Zitting Cisticola and Blackbird plus both Corn Bunting and a lovely Greater Short-toed Lark.  Nearer the shallow edges we also encountered Dunlin, Redshank and Ringed Plover. We did see a couple of distant, high Griffon Vultures and the occasional Cattle Egret (there had been scores on the drive past the wind turbine park amongst the cattle).  More appropriate was the Little Egret and a Spoonbill and at the far end of the site both Calandra Lark and a couple of Slender-billed Gulls.  On the other hand, our mystery wader was finally identified as a summer plumage Red Knot.

Ringed Plover

Whilst enjoying our picnic lunch we noted both Chaffinch and a White Wagtail and then it was on to La Barca de Vejer to enjoy the sight of Europe's most ugly bird, the Bald Ibis at their nesting cliff along with many maturing youngsters.  But at least their mothers do love them.  Also noted whilst watching and photographing the Bald Ibis were Nightingale, Blackcap, Cetti's Warbler and numerous Feral Pigeons.

The Bald Ibis family

The afternoon visit to La Janda, entering from the western end, was fairly straight forward and we simply covered the approximately seven km main track to the eastern exit.  The first part as fat as the bridge on the corner produced Corn Bunting, House Sparrow, Barn Swallow and even a single Girl Bunting.  fairly regular sightings of Cattle Egret and Spotless Starling before noting the first pair of Bee-eaters quickly followed by a quartet of Glossy Ibis and a distant Griffon Vulture. Continuing on we came across Stonechat, Goldfinch and Linnet before, almost at the bridge corner, our first sight of a Black-winged Kite.  Wonderful!

Corn Bunting

The final stretch off the track revealed that the fields were about to be flooded with a mixture of dry field and those holding a range of different wettings.  This area produced many singing Reed Warblers to our left on the canal side along with a few jackdaw and more Zitting Cisticola.  A Mallard on the water then another Nightingale before coming across the Turtle Doves. And, almost at the end of the track, both a single White Stork and a couple of Collared Doves.  With that it was back to Barbate for our overnight stop.

Turtle Dove

First thing Friday morning we were down near the bridge over the Barbate estuary and "being blown away" by twenty-seven Red Knot in full rummage plumage with the early morning sunshine reflecting off their chests. Also in their midst very many Ringed Plover along with a few Dunlin, a couple of Redshank and a similar number of Turnstone.  That was before we found the two Little Stints.

Red Knot

With Dunlin in front

This muddy area and surrounds also turned up Blackbird, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow and both Barn Swallow and House Martin along with a number of Pallid Swifts. Once under the bridge and checking the water upstream we added a pair of Spoonbill, Little Egret and a few Yellow-legged Gulls. Then, in addition to the Grey Plover, a fishing Little Tern.

Grey Plover

Then it was a return to the marimbas and those many score of Collared Praticoles along with the Flamingos. Around the edges we once again picked up Crested and Short-toed Larks along with Ringed, Kentish and Grey Plovers and many Stonechats. Both the Stone Curlew and Iberian Yellow Wagtails were also recorded before we found first, a couple of Spotted then a male Pied Flycatcher.

Greater Short-toed Lark

At the far end we found another Spoonbill and a small number of Avocets before locating three Grey Herons.  Meanwhile, a lone Raven was passing over the water which certainly drew the attention of both Yellow-legged Gulls and Collared Pratincoles.

Collared Pratincole

 Time to move on and our next stop was the hide overlooking the Los Lances beach on the outskirts of Tarifa.  And as we approached the main N340 Derek and Barbara noted the Short-toed Eagle above them and a Little Owl was perched on a fence post almost next to our passing car.

Once parked up and walking down towards the boardwalk leading to the main hide we noted House Sparrows, Spotless Starling, Stonechat, Greenfinch and Goldfinch.  Barn Swallows and Pallid Swifts above us and then the first Crested Larks and Zitting Cisiticola.

Very little water in sight and the heat haze hindering our identification, even with Derek's scope, but we did finally managed to identify Ringed and Grey Plovers, Little Stint, Dunlin, Redshank and Sanderling. Cattle Egret was added to the list along with a Blackbird, White Wagtail and Nightingale.

So ended a splendid couple days birding down in Barbate and the neighbourhood with many species added to may on-going year list.

Black-winged Stilt with Red Knot and Ringed Plovers

Birds seen:

Mallard, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Heron, Spoonbill, White Stork, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Collared Pratincole, Stone Curlew, Glossy Ibis, Bald Ibis, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Grey Plover, Little Stint, Sanderling, Knot, Dunlin, Redshank, Turnstone, Slender-billed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Little Tern, Rock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Turtle Dove, Collared Dove, Little Owl, Bee-eater, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Calandra Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Iberian Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Nightingale, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Jackdaw, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Cirl Bunting, Corn Bunting.

Flamingos

Avocet

Dunlin

Crested Lark

Bald Ibis

Booted Eagle

Grey Plover

Male Stonechat

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