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Saturday 20 May 2017

Laguna near Daimiel, Ciudad Real and Travelling to and at Sierra de Morena, Jaen Province.

Granada Wildlifes Tour of Eastern Andalucia and beyond.
Day Eight of Eleven, 
A morning around a new wetland near Daimiel and later travelling down to Sierra Morena and birding along the river.

Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) male.
We left the hotel in Daimiel and went a short distance North to another wetland which a guy in a bar yesterday had told us about, we arrived and we surprised to see a cracking looking spot with several hides over looking a pool full of birds including Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), the all important Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Black-necked (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta) and a smart Black Tern (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger) which Mike H picked up on a rock on the far side of the pool, later it gave us good views in flight.
Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).
We walked along the road to another hide which over looked a smaller pool on the opposite side of the road, on the way we had good views of a male Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) collecting nest material from the bullrush heads, heard a singing Savi's Warbler (Buscarla Unicolor / Locustella luscinoides) and from the hide watched an adult Bog Hen or Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) with a Boglet in tow, a male Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) dragonflies.
Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser).
In the same area and over the road looking at the main pool we saw or heard Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Great Reed Warblers (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and lots of croaking Perez's Frogs (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).
Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) carry a Rabbit and being mobbed by a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).
Next we went North to the far side of the wetlands and drove along a road between them and a mountain ridge behind us, at the first stop raptors were the main group seen. 
Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus).
We started with a male Marsh Harrier, then came both Griffon (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and European Black Vultures (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and finally the first Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) of the day which was a fine adult which came off the ridge and drifted over us quite high.
Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) carry a Rabbit and being mobbed by a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

In the same area and at another spot along the road we added Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Marsh Harrier, Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Great Tits (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) as well as False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Small White (Pieris rapae), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathsheba).
A view over the fields en-route.

We then started the drive down to the Rio Juandula just north of Andujar, on the way we called in at a couple of quite unproductive sites but we did have a second Spanish Imperial Eagle which was carrying a Rabbit and being mobbed by a Common Kestrel
In the same area we also saw Marsh Harrier, Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) a fine male which came up from the track in front of the van, several Hoopoes, Corn Bunting, Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus), Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).
Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus).

Once we were at the Rio we checked the woodlands and the river from the bridge near the dam wall during our time in the area we saw Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Subalpine (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans) and Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Griffon Vulture, Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) along with Blue-eye (Erythromma lindenii), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Meadow Brown, False Ilex Hairstreak, Small White and Large White (Pieris brassicae).
We then went to the hotel in Marmolejo and then went out in the town where we had a meal before turning in.

Friday 19 May 2017

Tablas de Daimiel, Ciudad Real, Castilla Y La Mancha.

Granada Wildlifes Tour of Eastern Andalucia and beyond.
Day Seven of Eleven, A day around the wetlands of Tablas.

Bearded Tits (Reedling) (Bigotudo / Panurus biarmicus).
After an OKish but noisy nights sleep at the Hotel Doña Manuela in the centre of Daimiel we drove out to the visitors centre on the edge of the stunning wetlands, on the way we saw Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).
Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus).
Once we were parked we did the loop around the boardwalks, we started by seeing Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Great Reed (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and Reed Warblers (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) and Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii).
Great White Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).
On some of the small jetties which come off the main trail we boosted the list with Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), a fly over male Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus), Great White Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Grey (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Purple Herons (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), a female Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) with ducklings and then the first of several singing Savi's Warblers (Buscarla Unicolor / Locustella luscinoides) which gave us good views in the tops of some nearby reeds. 
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).
At the same time a family of Bearded Tits (Reedling) (Bigotudo / Panurus biarmicus) flew in to reeds just along the walk and some sat nicely for me to get some photographs before pushing on in their search for food, during the day we saw several parties of this cracking species.
Savi's Warblers (Buscarla Unicolor / Locustella luscinoides).
We continued on out to the mirador on the Island of bread where we had good views of several Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus).
Savi's Warblers (Buscarla Unicolor / Locustella luscinoides).
We retraced our way back on to the boardwalks and we then turn right where we were soon watching another singing Savi's Warbler which was sitting low in the reeds but we had decent views. 
Immature Bearded Tit (Reedling) (Bigotudo / Panurus biarmicus).
A little further on we were scanning a group of Tamarisks where we found a nest building male Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus), we watched this bird for quite a while and then checked the nearby hide but only found several more Red-crested Pochards and a couple of Little Grebes.
Male Bearded Tit (Reedling) (Bigotudo / Panurus biarmicus).
We moved on again seeing Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), a flycatching Western Olivaceous Warbler (Zarcero Pálido Occidental / Hippolais opaca) which showed briefly in a track side tamerisk tree and just a little further along the track the most obliging Savi's Warbler I have ever seen sat right out in the open and showed well for the group and my camera.
Family party of Bearded Tits (Reedling) (Bigotudo / Panurus biarmicus).

A little further on we had a Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), heard Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), a fly through Little Bittern and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina).
Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

At the next junction we turned right and checked the next two hides, as we walked we heard Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), saw Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Night Heron, White Stork, Great Cormorant, Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus) heard and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).
Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

We then made our way back towards the van and then drove just out of the reserve to get something to eat and then later we went back to the car park and did the eastern walk checking all the hides on the way outseeing more Purple Herons, Great White Egrets, Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and calling Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus) which was one of the Med subspecies birds going by the size of its bill.
Great White Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).

On the reserve we also saw Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Large White (Pieris brassicae), Bath White (Pontia daplidice) and Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator). 
Purple Herons (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).

By the time we did the return walk we were hot and bothered and called it a day and returned to the hotel.
A pair of Red-crested Pochards (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).
Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).
Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) nest.
Male Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus).

Thursday 18 May 2017

San Jose, Almeria Province to Tablas de Daimiel, Castilla Y La Mancha.

Granada Wildlifes Tour of Eastern Andalucia and beyond.
Day Six of Eleven, From one extreme (Deserts of Almeria) to another (Wetlands of Daimiel).

A happy Nick after seeing the Trumpeter Finches.
We started the day with a drive from our super accommodation near to San Jose in Almeria heading north through the desert like lands to a spot just off the motorway where we parked and had a walk through some of the dry ramblers looking for Trumpeter Finches (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus), we soon started to add good species including Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis), Black (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and Black-eared Wheatears (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and then the target species, a pair of stunning Trumpeter Finches.
Kohlrauschia velutina.
They showed very well for the group but they were eventually flushed by the Common Kestrel which flew across the spot. I also saw quite a lot of Allium sphaerocephalon, Large White (Pieris brassicae), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea) and Bath White (Pontia daplidice).
Corn Flower (Centaurea depressa).
We made our way back to the van and refueled before setting off north for the longish drive to Tablas, on the way we stopped off at a site near to Guadix and drove along a route which eventually bought us out on the northern stretch of the Murcia motorway. 
Allium sphaerocephalon,
On the is drive we stopped a couple of times, the first was at a roadside pool where we had two Stock Doves (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas) disappear into the distance, several  Woodpigeons (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Common (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), 2x Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) which were mobbing a passing Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).
Grasslands near Guadix.
Further round the site we made a stop to look at some wild flowers in a fallow field including Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Prickly Poppy (Papaver argenone), Corn Flower (Centaurea depressa), Roemeria hybrida, Red-horned Poppy (Glaucium corniculatum), Kohlrauschia velutina, Hypecoum imberbe, Eruca (Eruca sativa) and Crown Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum var discolor).
Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus).
Further on again we came to some old buildings and some very old and rough Poplar trees and found Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica). 
Sorry Mike.
Our last stop was to watch another couple of Rollers, one sat in a poplar with some Jackdaws and another sat on a roadside rock pile.
Pams wonderful picture she did whilst at Tablas.
We got back on to the motorway and continued on seeing Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) on the way.
Pam at work in Tablas.
We arrived at Tablas with enough time to have a couple of hours looking around the boardwalks which were just superb, during the walk we added Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Bearded Tit (Reedling) (Bigotudo / Panurus biarmicus), Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus), Savi's (Buscarla Unicolor / Locustella luscinoides), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Great Reed (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus), Western Olivaceous (Zarcero Pálido Occidental / Hippolais opaca) and Cetti's Warblers (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra),
Great White Egrets (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).

Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Western Cattle (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Great White Egrets (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Night (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Grey (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Purple Herons (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) before we headed into Daimiel to our Hotel for the next two nights.
Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).
Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).
Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).
Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).
Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).
Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser).
Watching a Penduline Tit nest building.



Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).

Wednesday 17 May 2017

Cabo de Gata area, Almeria Province.

Granada Wildlifes Tour of Eastern Andalucia and beyond.
Day Five of Eleven, A day around the Saltpans and the coast.

In the hide at the Northern end of the Salinas.
Before we got going I was woke up by the day light and the song of a Lesser Short-toed Lark (Terrera Marismena / Calandrella rufescens) which was right over the buildings. 
In the hide at the Northern end of the Salinas.
Before breakfast some of us had a walk out on a track nearby but things were quiet, however we did see Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis). I also had a new shrub for the list, Periploca laevigata which had some very smart vargated flowers.
The view from the hide.
After a very good breakfast at Los Palmitos we headed out towards the salt pans at Cabo de Gata, on the way we picked up a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the wires. 
Down by the lighthouse.
At the hide on the roadside we soon picked out Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei), Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons), singles of both Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica) and a Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea) which was in full summer plumage, Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluviali squatarola), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna) and the main bird of the day (John) a Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos). 
We drove past the coastal hides and went out to the Lighthouse and soon located a single immature Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis) on the rocks with several Yellow-legged Gulls
Crucianella maritima.
We then had a walk around the area looking for the Trumpeter Finches (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus) but failed to find any but added Black (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and Black-eared Wheatears (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes).
Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).
We then moved on to the first of the hides along side the saltpans on the seaward side and on the walk out found Crucianella maritima, Cyperus capitatus, Silene littorea, Lycium intricatum and once we were at the hide Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Gull-billed Terns and then Mike picked up bird of the day a dark phase Eleonora's Falcon (Halcón de Eleonora / Falco eleonorae) which was first seen on the far side of the pans but eventually came closer but high over the hide.
Silene littorea.
We next went for some tapas lunch before going out to Rambler Morales but it was relatively quiet compared to past visits, however we had good views of some stunning summer plumage Sanderlings, lots of Kentish and Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and out to sea Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and Little Terns and on the beach 4x Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).
Eleonora's Falcon (Halcón de Eleonora / Falco eleonorae).
Our last stop of the day was at a spot near San Jose where we check the sewage works and the run off pools adding Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) before heading back to the accommodation and then later back down to San Jose for another good meal.
Black-headed, Slender-billed and Audouin's Gulls.
A beer after a good days birding.
The evening meal.