Chipiona, Bonanza and Brazo del Este, Cadiz and Sevilla Provinces

A day along the Guadalquivir and a finish in Osuna.

Day three with Bob Ruvolo from New York, USA.

Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis).

We left the El Paso Hotel and headed North up the coast to the seaside town of Chipiona where we checked out the fishing port area and soon located around 15 Little Swifts (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis). 

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

After spending quite a while watching these wonderful birds we walked along the beach checking the rocks for waders and located Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Kentish (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and Grey Plovers (Chorlito Gris / Pluviali squatarola) and Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus) as well as Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).

Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii).

Continuing on along the coast and up the Guadalquivir our next stop was at the pool just to the south east of Bonanza where we had the amazing sight of 9 Marbled Ducks (Cerceta Pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris) all sat together on logs at the one end of the pool along with Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Western  Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio),

Marbled Ducks (Cerceta Pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), a Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus) which flew in, landed in the deep water and flew off again and Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

Marbled Ducks (Cerceta Pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris).

The saltpans at Bonanza just up the road were the next stop but I was surprised to find that all the main track pans were totally birdless so we continued on and turned right at the far end of the track and went down to the pump house at the far end.

White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala).

This area was far from birdless and held really good numbers of Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), 18+ Great White Egrets (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra) and White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei), Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), a female Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus),

Great White Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).

Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Black-winged Stilts, Sanderling, Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

The last stop of the day was at Brazo del Este where we entered the area across the rice paddies just to the North of Los Chapatales, the numbers of White and Black Storks, Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis and both Little and Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) was just amazing.

Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei).

We also saw a few Greater Flamingo's, Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), a fine male Yellow Crowned Bishop (Eucleptes afer) and many more Marsh Harriers.

Black Stork (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra).

White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Along the main track we stopped many times checking the areas of water and were amazed at the numbers of Glossy Ibis which were there in their thousands along with several Western Swamp-hens, Squacco Heron, Great White, Little and Western Cattle Egrets, Black-winged Stilts, Snipe, Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus), Soonbill, Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

Black Stork (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra).

From here we made a late drive across to Osuna and once we were checked in at the hotel went down stairs to the bar and had a beer and some tapa.

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).