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Wednesday 29 July 2015

Sanlucar beach and town, Cadiz Provnce.

A relax on the beach but bins still at the ready for a year tick.

We go up too early and were the first on the beach by some stretch but we were set up and relaxing before the masses arrived. During the day I picked up Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), 2x Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Little (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons), Sandwich (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and the year tick a single Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo) which sat out on a buoy and allowed me to confirm its id by swimming out for a look.

Tuesday 28 July 2015

La Linea to Chipiona and Sanlucar, Cadiz Province.

A drive up to the next hotel in Sanlucar via Chipiona.

Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis).
Jayne and I got up quite early and started the drive up to Sanlucar where we were going to have a couple of days, from the hotel and around La Linea I saw Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).
We drove up through the Oak woodlands past Los Barrios and on to Jerez del la Frontera, on the way adding Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).
Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis).
Once we were around Jerez we headed to Chipiona where Jayne and I had a walk in to the port and soon found several Little Swifts (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis) still in the area as well as a couple of Ruddy Turnstones (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) and 10+ Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) on the Jetties.
Later we checked in at the hotel which was very nice but a pain to park near to and went for a walk along the sea front where I added just Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).
We went out later to have something to eat in one of the nearby tapas bars which did some very nice sea food dishes.
Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Monday 27 July 2015

Campo de Gibraltar, Cadiz Province.

A days birding for me and some shopping for Jayne.

Garden Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus).
Jayne and I headed down to the crossing over to Gibraltar where I dropped her off for a day wandering around the rocks shops and I headed to a spot near to Los Barrios to look for Dragonflies and birds but the site was very quiet. I did however see Violet (Trithemis annulata) and Orange-winged Dropwings (Trithemis kirbyi), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) and White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes) for the dragon list. Birds seen included Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).
After a good search around the site I decided that I would head for the town of Tarifa and have a look for the recently reported Garden Bulbuls (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus) which have been around for a few years now but they remained elusive and I only found Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous) and Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).
My nest stop was up at Los Lances beach but this was a waste of time as there were Kite surfers and other people all over the pool infront of the hide. I had a quick scan along the channel to the right and did find Yellow-legged, Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Kentish Plovers (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Red Knot ( Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) as well as Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and Small White (Artogeia rapae).
On the way back toward La Linea I called at another site where I had seen the Bulbuls and checked it out and after about half an hour I located two, one adult and a young bird in the tops of a flowering Agarve plant. In the same area I had European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).
From here I went back and met Jayne and we checking in at the NH Hotel and then went for a walk and checked a bar that friends had recommended and booked a table for the evening. We later went back to the beach club bar on the beach and had a very nice meal before hitting the pit.