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Tuesday, 23 April 2019

Balsa de Melendo, Rio Guadalquivir, Brazo del Este, Osuna area and Fuente de Piedra, Cadiz, Sevilla and Malaga Province.

The second days birding mostly in Malaga, Cadiz and Sevilla Provinces.

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).
I set off from the Hostal Concha which had been a Cheap, Basic but very clean place where I had a very good nights sleep. On the way to the first stop at Balsa de Melendo I had a couple of early Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola) cross the road in the dawn light. 
Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).
At the Balsa I found Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and several White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).
Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).
Along the road up to the Rio Guadalquivir and along the track to Brazo del Este I picked up Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), some natural nesting White Storks and a pair of rather hacked off looking Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) sat on a fence in the cold morning drizzle and wind.
White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).
Further along the Rio I had my first Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) of the year along with Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) and lots of passing Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus).
Eurasian Spoonbills (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).
On the way to Brazo I stopped by a small pool surrounded by Tamarisks and soon found the first of a few Black-headed Weavers (Tejedor Cabecinegro / Ploceus melanocephalus) and a singing Western Olivaceous Warbler (Zarcero Pálido Occidental / Hippolais opaca) which was also chasing a male Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans) through the trees and two Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) which were also having a bit of a scuffle.
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).
I turned on to the main track across Brazo and on the small channel right at the start of the track I found a group of roosting herons including several Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Little Egrets and a couple of Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea) flew off all to quickly.
Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).
I continued on along the main track checking the first pools where there were loads of Purple / Western Swamp-hens (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Black-winged Stilts, Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Common (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), another Great Egret, Glossy Ibis, Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Black-headed Weavers both male and female, White Stork, the first of at least three Savi's Warblers (Buscarla Unicolor / Locustella luscinoides), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and Black Tern (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger).
Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).
At the first of the main pools I found a good number of Whiskered Terns (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus), several more Black's and 2x Caspian (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia), a Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides) but I only managed shots through a wire fence, a pair of hunting Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), a single Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa) and Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus).
Again I continued on but was forced to turn around as by the third area of water there were several workmen with diggers taking the track apart making in impassable.
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).
On my way back I added Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), an immature Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos).
Black-headed Weaver (Tejedor Cabecinegro / Ploceus melanocephalus).
On one of the channels between Brazo and Los Palacios y Villafranca I had another three Night Herons and several Black-headed Weavers.
Black-headed Weaver (Tejedor Cabecinegro / Ploceus melanocephalus).
At a site near Los Palacios y Villafranca I spent a while looking for and eventually seeing a pair of Laughing Doves (Streptopelia senegalensis) and in the same area I had lots of European Bee-eaters, Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Western Olivaceous Warbler, Western Cattle Egret and Glossy Ibis.
Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).
My nest stop was on the fields west of Osuna where I checked a couple of areas adding Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), Ortolan Bunting (Escribano Hortolano / Emberiza hortulana), Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) and at least 11 Great Bustards (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda).
Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides).
My final site of the day was Fuente de Piedra but the only new species for the list were a single Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).
Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).
Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).
Caspian Terns (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia) x2.
Whiskered Terns (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).
Black-headed Weaver (Tejedor Cabecinegro / Ploceus melanocephalus).
Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).
Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).
Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).
Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).
European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).
European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).
Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus).
Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea) and Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

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