Heading down to La Janda Rice Fields for some birding.
Kate and Jim Day Three.
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Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus). |
Kate, Jim and I headed off along the Motorways down to La Janda where we were targeting the rare
Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica) which I had seen in the area. On the way down we recorded Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).
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Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) female. |
We drove in from the Benalup end of the site and parked after a few hundred meters, we eventually managed to get out of the car as the wind was so strong it made even opening the door hard going.
In this area we had Western Cattle (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) and further along the track near the turning toward the main canal we had a good group of Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) along with a few Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) mixed in with them.
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Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) male. |
We drove across the Olive fields adding
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus),
Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata),
Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and near the farm on the hill we saw
Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa),
Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus),
Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula),
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata),
Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma),
Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and
Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum).
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Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) female. |
Out on the far side of this track out in the field we found several
Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni) which were hunting over a recently ploughed field and a couple of
Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) drifted across in the back ground.
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Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) teneral male. |
Down by the main canal we picked up a single
Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus),
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea),
Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), the first of a few
Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus),
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis),
Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra),
Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti),
Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus),
Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), an immature
Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) which was on some twigs in the center of the canal holding ofn for dear life in the wind,
Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).
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Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) teneral male. |
We had some Lunch and then headed back across the site but we entered from the Northern end of the main canal where I found the first
Zeller's Skippers on some of the track side
Sticky Fleabane (Dittrichia viscosa) plants but they were impossible to photograph because the wind was just savage.
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Red-legged Partridges (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) and Pheasants (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus) being feed for the hunters 😟😟😟 |
As we drove back along the tracks over to the Benalup side of the area again stopping near the farm checking under the trees again for the roosting
Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) but we failed to find one but found a
Little Egret had joined the
Glossy Ibis on the pool we had looked at earlier.
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White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) feeding in the rice fields. |
Out on the far side we did find an area of
Sticky Fleabane plants that were a little more sheltered and managed to get some shots of the target
Zeller's Skippers as well as seeing
Bath White (Pontia daplidice),
Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus),
Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous),
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and
Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).
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Immature Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax). |
As we drove back along the track to Benalup we had a small flock of
Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) pass over the road, several
Yellow Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) which flew over on their way to roost, a scolding
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and a
Migratory Bird Locust (Acanthacris ruficornis).
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Glossy Ibis and a Little Egret. |
We stayed near Vejer de la Frontera at the very nice El Paso hotel where Sandra and her family made us very welcome. I left the window open on the room hoping to hear some of the
Owl species I have heard call there in the past.
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White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) infront of Benalup. |
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Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica). |
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Migratory Bird Locust (Acanthacris ruficornis). |
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