Doñana in Huelva Province, Osuna in Sevilla Province and Fuente de Piedra in Malaga Province. Spain.

Birding our way home.

Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

We left the accommodation and headed to beach and checked the sea but only found Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

Once we realized that there was nothing passing we set off to our first stop at El Acebuche where we parked and checked the picnic area finding Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and a couple of Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) all foraging amongst the fallen pine cones.

White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

As we walked around we added Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs),  Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) and then out on the board walks we had Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Red Deer (Ciervo común / Cervus elaphus).

Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

As we drove out of the site we had a nice Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and along our way up to Dehesa de Abajo we also had Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), a singing Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) which came right up to the car, Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea).

Once at the Dehesa de Abajo we parked by a flooded Rice Paddy finding Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Great (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), White Storks and Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula). 

Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria).

I then went behind an Olive tree for a peee and as i stood there I realized I was watching a Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) on a pylon on the other side of the road. We had good views of the bird before it flew off and then I spent a while photographing several species of Dragonfly around the parking area including Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria), Black Percher (Diplacodes lefebvrii), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

We moved along the road again check some more Paddies and a couple of pools seeing Black Stork (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) .

We moved on and hit the motorway but came off at a rubbish dump on the way where we saw lots of White Storks and our one and only Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) of the trip.

Our next stop was ack in the Osuna area where we again scanned the pool seeing Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta) and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

Black Stork (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra), Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).

Along the road back into Osuna a large kettle of White Storks passed over us and a single Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

Heading back to Bob we made a very short, probably the shortest stop we have ever made at Fuente de Piedra hoping for a few ducks on the back pool but when we arrived we soon found that it was pretty much dry so we continued on to Bobs.

Black Stork (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra).

I had a coffee and swapped my stuff into my car before heading home. We had a brilliant few days birding and I cannot thank Jenny and Bob enough for the kindness, willingness to listen and great friendship, Thanks you both.

Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).