John and Sharon Holian, day two.
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| Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) approaching the crossing. |
Jayne, Sharon, John and I headed down the to the Gibraltar crossing where we dropped Jayne off to do some shopping whilst the rest of us headed to
Cazalla watch point where we had a great few hours watching real time migration as the raptors and storks were making there way south to Africa.
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| Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus). |
During the time we were there we saw lots of
Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans),
Short-toed (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and
Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus),
Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus),
Griffon (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and
Egyptian Vultures (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus),
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus),
Black Stork (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra),
Common (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and
Alpine Swifts (Vencejo Real / Apus melba),
Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and 6x
Ravens (Cuervo / Corvus corax).
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| Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus). |
We next dropped down to a site near Tarifa and in to a small wooded valley where we were looking for the newly resident
Garden Bulbuls (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus) which have been breeding in the area for a couple of years. Whilst we were looking for them we saw more
Short-toed and
Booted Eagles,
Black Kites,
Alpine Swifts as well as
Honey Buzzards (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus),
Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla),
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala),
Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), good numbers of
European Bee-eaters (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster),
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) as well as
Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator),
Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) and
Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).
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| Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus). |
Once we had finished at this site we drove towards Vejer de la Frontera stopping at the Golfcourse on the way to get views of the regular flock of
Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita), we went straight around to the car park behind the club house and found 19 birds perched on the roof where we got great views and photographs. In the same area we had
Western Cattle Egrets,
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
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| Black Stork (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra). |
Our next stop was at Barbate Marshes where we scanned the older disused saltpans and added
Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus),
Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii),
Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and
Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis),
Sandwich (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and
Little Terns (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons),
Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia),
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus),
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta),
Kentish (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus)
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| White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia). |
and
Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula),
Red Knot ( Correlimos Gordo /
Calidris canutus), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus),
Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba),
Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and
Short-toed Larks (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla) and
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).
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| Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans). |
Just down the road back towards the town we stopped and checked the roadside pools where we boosted the list with
Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina),
Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres),
Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluviali squatarola) and
Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).
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| Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus). |
We then headed back down towards the hotel for the night calling in at La Janda for the last couple of hours birding, on the way we had a
Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) flash across the road.
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| Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus). |
As soon as we were off the road and on the track we started to find
White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia),
Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), several
Marsh Harriers, an immature
Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus),
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and a good many
Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
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| Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita). |
We did not go along the side track but continued on along the main track following the main canal and on some yellow
Dittrichia viscosa plants we found a couple of the very rare
Zeller's Skippers (Borbo borbonica) which was a new species for my Spanish Butterfly list as well as a
Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous).
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| Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii). |
Whilst we were watching this we had several
Banded Grondlings (Brachythemis leucosticta), lots of
Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and a couple of
Lesser Emperors (Anax parthenope).
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| Zeller's Skippers (Borbo borbonica). |
On the second half of the drive we had views of
Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus),
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus),
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus),
Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis),
Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina),
Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula),
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) as well as around 300+
European Bee-eaters.
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| Banded Grondlings (Brachythemis leucosticta). |
From here we headed back to La Linea and met Jayne before going out for a meal at the Luna Beach Club Bar.
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