Bonanza Saltpans, Bonanza Pools, Algaida Woods and Lake and upper Saltpans, Cadiz Province.

Saltpans and Stone Pines.

Kate and Jim McCusker, Day Four.

 

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

We left the hotel and drove through the town hearing towards Bonanza Saltpans seeing good numbers of Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) on the way. 

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Once there we stopped on the entrance road and scanned the lagoons seeing several nice plumaged Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), several passing Sand Martins (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) croaking from a water deposit nearby and a rather tatty Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus).

We drove out on to the main area of saltpans and turned right out to the pump house at the end, on the way we saw Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).

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

On the run out to the Pump House Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) were added.

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

At the Pump House Lesser Short-toed Larks (Terrera Marismena / Calandrella rufescens) were heard calling over head and we also saw Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and a Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) which sat on a pylon back along the track but did not allow Kate to get close enough for a photograph.

Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

We made our way out of the pans adding a winter plumage Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus) before heading out to two nearby pools where we boosted the list with White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and male and female Little Bitterns (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) as well as several Vagrant Emperors (Emperatriz emigrante / Anax ephippiger) and a couple of teneral Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

We moved on and visited the pool in the Pine woodlands and picked up Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) and out at the other end of the woods Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), White (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) and Black Storks (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Sardinian Warbler, Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) and lots of the stunning little flower Leucojum trichophyllum.

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

We then moved out and took the track around to the upper Saltpans of Algaida where we saw plenty of Yellow (Spanish) Wagtails including a strange looking intergrade which was a probable hybrid between flava flava and flava iberiae. 

M. f. flava x M f iberiae.

In the same area we had Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Zitting Cisticola, Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and on our way out of te area a very smart male Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata) which posed long enough for me to get a couple of shots with kates camera. 

Leucojum trichophyllum.

We made our way back to the hotel along the long ditch seeing many more Vagrant Emperors but nothing else, later we had a meal in the town.

Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).

Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata).

Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata).

M. f. flava x M f iberiae.

M. f. flava x M f iberiae.