Lynn, Steve and I headed out west to a spot in Cadiz Province.
Lynn and Steve, Day Six.
Ebird List for the Rio Guadalete.
We were going to a spot near Arcos de la Frontera, on the way we saw European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) before we reached Huétor and then from there Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus canariensis), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).
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| Rio Guadalete near Arcos de la Frontera. |
We arrived on site and started to look for Dragonflies, it was still early so we only found
Iberian Bluetails (Ischnura graellsii) x100+ in total, as well as Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Purple (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia),
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Common Kestrel, Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax),
Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula),
Barn Swallow,
White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba),
Western Olivaceous Warbler (Zarcero bereber / Iduna opaca),
European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and
European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).
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| Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) ♀. |
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| Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) ♀. |
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| Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) ♂. |
As things warmed up more dragon species started to become active which included
Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x1♂
, Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta) x5♂
3♀
and Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) x3♂.
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| Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta) ♂. |
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| Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♂. |
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| Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♂. |
We crossed to the far side of the river on the stone weir and checked the areas out along that bank, on the way across we saw lots of
Iberian Barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x6,
Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa), some Otter (Nutria / Lutra lutra) tracks in the mud,
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus),
Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti),
Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster).
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| Iberian Barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei). |
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| Otter (Nutria / Lutra lutra) tracks in the mud. |
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| Verbena officinalis. |
As we walked the far bank we saw
White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes) x10♂+, Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) x1♂, Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) x1♂, Small White (
Pieris rapae) x8,
Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x3,
Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x1,
Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) x2, Verbena officinalis, Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius),
Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and as we walked back towards the weir I picked up a nice
♂ Ringed Cascader (Zygonyx torridus) x3 which was patrolling a small man-made waterfall, after a while it flew up and connected with a ♀ before dropping back to the waterfall and landing on a reed where they sat for a while. |
| Ringed Cascader (Zygonyx torridus) the patrolling ♂. |
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| Ringed Cascader (Zygonyx torridus) ♂♀ mating. |
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| Ringed Cascader (Zygonyx torridus) ♂♀ in tandem oviposting. |
Just then Lynn and Steve arrived and at that moment they took off again and started oviposting in the water nearby, Lynn then took me back a short way to a couple of the concrete pools where they had just seen a very smart ♂ Faded Pincertail (Onychogomphus costae) x1 which we soon relocated. |
| ♂ Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus). |
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| ♂ Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus). |
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| ♂ Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus). |
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| ♂ Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus). |
We walked along the southern bank of the river up to the bridge and a short way further on, as we did this we picked up Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x20♂1♀, Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) x1,
Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) x1, Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) ♂, Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala),
Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris),
before we turned around and went back to the car and headed off towards Los Barrios  |
| Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) ♂. |
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| Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) ♂. |
On the drive down to Los Barrios where we were staying we saw Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis),
White Stork,
Griffon Vulture, Booted and Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).We arrived at the hotel and then went out for something to eat just across the road, as we walked there I saw and heard a couple of Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni).
