Watching the raptor migration and then birding in the Rice Paddies.
John and Sharon, Day Two.
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Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus). |
Jayne, Barb, Sharon, John and Myself headed down to Tarifa along the coastal toll roads, I dropped Sharon and John off at Cazalla and then Jayne and Barb in Tarifa before returning to the watch point.
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Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus). |
Things were a bit slow as it was quite cloudy but once it started to clear things slowly started to trickle through including Egyptian (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus) and Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Booted (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) and Short-toed Eagles (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) we also had Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).
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Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus) and Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus). |
As things were a bit on the slowish side we decided to make our way up the coast to La Janda, as soon as we arrived we found Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and lots of White Storks along the entrance track.
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Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus). |
Up on the main track along the main canal we picked up lots of
Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) out on the stubble fields as well as
Western Cattle Egrets,
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), some large flocks of
House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) which we checked through looking for
Spanish Sparrows (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) and later in the day we succeed in finding several in flocks further along the channel.
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Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus). |
As we worked our way along the track we picked up several immature
Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), a couple of
Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus),
House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica),
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and on a pool created by a flooded paddy
Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus),
Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra),
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus),
Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax),
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) and a couple of
Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).
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Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus). |
On a side ditch we saw several feeding
Spoonbills (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia),
Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) before we turned off on to the track up to the farm.
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Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) male. |
Along the track we saw several flocks of
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), good numbers of
Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni),
Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta),
Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata),
Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and
Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).
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Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) female. |
On the way along the track we spent sometime searching under some trees looking for roosting
Red-necked Nightjars (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) but could not find anything so we carried on to the T junction at the far end of road seeing several more
Booted Eagles,
Black Kites,
Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula),
Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and at the junction we turned left and parked by the canal where we saw
Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis),
Banded Groundling (Brachythemis impartita),
Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii),
Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) and a couple of
Zeller's Skippers (Borbo borbonica).
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Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata). |
After scanning the fields we turned around and made our way back towards the main canal but decided to have a look for the Nightjar again and within a couple of minutes Sharon had found one right down at the bottom of the back amongst the leaves and branches.
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White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia). |
We had great views before we moved on back to the canal where we picked up the Spanish Sparrows we had searched for earlier and as we drove back to the entrance we added Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa),
Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi),
Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus), Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria),
Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope),
Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago),
Great White Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba),
Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), lots more
Glossy Ibis,
Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus),
Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris),
Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
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Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis). |
We returned to Tarifa and met up with Jayne and Barb and spent a nice evening around the town having a few drinks and something to eat.
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Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica). |
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Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus). |
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Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis). |
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Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis). |
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Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis). |
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Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis). |
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Immature Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus). |