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Thursday 26 January 2012

Travelling to and at El Puerto de Santa María, Cadiz Province.

A visit to another Provincial City.

Rear view from the boat.
Jayne and I set off early and started to make our way over to El Puerto de Santa María which lies on the Eastern side of the Bahia de Cadiz. On the way we stopped of a coffee just to the west of Antequera and the pulled in at a very foggy Laguna Dulce where apart from Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) all of which were within a foot of the bank. Any birds further out were invisible in the fog, in the trees around the hide I also added Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus). We continued on passed Olvera, Villamartin, Arcos del la Frontera and Jerez till we ended up along side the Rio Guadalete in El Puerto de Santa María. 
Tavira Tower.
From here we caught the ferry over to the City of Cadiz, on the way a few birds were picked up including Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Sandwich (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and Caspian Terns (Pagaza Piquirroja / Sterna caspia), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Somria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocorax carbo) and on the margins at least 5 Common Sandpipers (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and a single Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus).
Camera Obscura.
Once we were in the City we walked the narrow street until we found the entrance to the Torre Tavira Tower and the Camera Obscura, we had some great views form the roof terrace and then a talk about the city whilst looking at it via the Camera. After finding something to eat we wander the street once more before catching the ferry back to Puerto, Whilst we wandered I added Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), both Monk (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and Ring-necked Parakeets (Cotorra de Kramer / Psittacula krameri) and lots of cryptically coloured Feral Pigeons.
Once back on dry land we went to find our Hotel the Monastero San Miguel, we arrived and were very pleased with the place and would recommend it as a place to stay for anyone wanting to visit Cadiz as in just 30 minutes you can be in the City and you do not have the hassle of parking and driving through the its very narrow streets.
view of the Cathedral from the tower.
Later we went out have a look around the town and have a meal, this proved harder than anticipated as many of the bars were shut for the winter, we eventually found some where and had a very nice meal and later found that we had been very close to but had not found the main eating area near the port. We then headed back to the hotel and had a very good nights sleep.

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