Bonanza and Playa de Montijo, Cadiz Province.

Windy, wet and dusty Saltpans and the Playa was not much better. Some good birds even if the weather was not kind.

Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).

We left the hotel and headed North to Jerez del la Frontera where Jayne and Barb went shopping (successfully we found on our return) and Lynn, Steve and I went to the Salinas's at Bonanza which were just half an hour away.

Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

We arrived and drove up the central track where we started the list off with Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and a large group of feeding Slender-billed Gulls (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei).

Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus).

Further along by the first pump house we found good numbers of Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), some Avocets (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta) and quite a few diving Little Terns (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons).

Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).

We turned right at the top of the track and went down to the pump house at the far end which was working a full flow, we spent some time scanning through the flocks of waders and gulls in this area and found Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluviali squatarola), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and 4x Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia) which flew past during the time we were sat in the car avoiding getting sand-blasted by the dust, wind and rain that blew up very rapidly and made a right mess every where. Steve did not get back to the car in time but managed to shelter behind the pump house but was going to need to give his kit a flick with the duster!!!!

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

Anyway once it had passed Lynn and I were out again adding a group of Lesser Short-toed Larks (Terrera Marismena / Calandrella rufescens) to the day and year list as well as Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and a fishing Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) which stooped once and the disappeared into the distance.

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

It started to rain again so we got back into the car and drove back down towards the junction but on the way we saw two Black Stork (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra) appear to drop in further along the track so we went straight on and the took the right hand turn along side the soon to be refurbished saltpans but saw the birds in flight again and they disappeared off in to the distance. We had good views of more Spoonbills, Black-winged Stilts, a Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).

During the drive around we also had quite a few Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii), a Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) and what I was fairly sure was a Vagrant Emperor (Emperatriz emigrante / Anax ephippiger) but it dived into cover when the rain and dust cloud arrived.

A good mix of Waders, Gull and Greater Flamingo's.

We left Bonanza and headed down the coast to Playa de Montijo and parked on the beach and then went for a walk looking for waders and terns. there were several Whimbrels, loads of Ruddy Turnstones and Sanderling, Grey, Ringed and Kentish Plovers, 5x Pied Oystercatchers (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), masses of Little Terns, several Sandwich (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and half a dozen Common (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo), 2x Whiskered (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus) and a Black (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger).

Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons).

We got back to the car and went in to Jerez and pick Jayne and Barb up before having a steady drive back to the house.

Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

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

Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluviali squatarola).

Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula).

Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo).