Chipiona, Playa Montijo, Colorado Pools, Bonanza Saltpans, Laguna de Tarelo, Algaida Woods, along the Guadalquivir and Chipiona Port, Cadiz Province.

Day two around Chipion and Bonanz areas.

 

Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

I was down at the port early looking for the 1st winter Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides) but it remained elusive however I did find good numbers of Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) still on their roost window sill, Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and a couple of Caspian Terns (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia).

Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis).

Whilst I was checking through the Gulls I also saw 5 Little Swifts (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis) leave their roost site and headed out for a days feeding. 

Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquiroja / Hydroprone caspia).

I had a walk out to the beach where the fish corrals were visible in the low tide and I found Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquiroja / Hydroprone caspia).

I then walked back into the port and then around to the centre pier, on the way I had Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

In the end I gave up on the Gull and went just up the coast to Playa Montijo, the tide was out and there were quite a few birds on the shoreline feeding including Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Red Knot (Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus), Sanderling, Grey, Kentish (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) on the wader front.

Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina).

Also seen were Audouin's, Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls, Great Cormorant, Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and Little Egret.

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

My next stop was the other side of Sanlucar near Bonanza where I checked out three pools finding a Tamarisk full of Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), a few White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus).

Just up the road I made a brief disappointing visit to Bonanza Saltpans, on the way in there were good numbers of Slender-billed Gulls (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei) and Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), as well as a few of the species I had already seen and a good number of Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

I reached the new gate which stops you going down to the Pump house at the far end of the track which is very sad as it was the best bit of the site and makes it not really worth a visit anymore but just my opinion.

Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

I returned to the road and went just up the road to the Laguna de Tarelo, I took the track which runs along the southern side but again it was very quite and apart from masses of Black-winged Stilts and a flock of around 15 Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) there was nothing else.

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

I drove up through Algaida Woods, at the far end I got out and had a walk finding Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and a more unexpected Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and a Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

I drove up to the Guadalquivir and drove inland along the river checking the pools and ditches finding many of the species I had already seen but I adding Green (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), a large flock of Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), 2x Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), a nice Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) and more Greater Flamingo's and Marsh Harriers.

Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) behind and adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

I reached a point where the road became to rough for the Picasso so I turned around and went back towards Chipiona but checked the pools and ditches around some roadside pools finding Mallard, Common Pochard, Little Grebe, Eurasian Coot, Common Moorhen and a White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) up on a nest.

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

I hit the road back to the Port of Chipiona where I met a couple of Spanish Birders Juan and Laura and Ricky Owen from down at La Linea, we soon had a 1st winter Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) which came out from under one of the Jettie. Juan and Laura went round the corner for some food and I carried on searching through the Gulls and Ricky headed back home.

Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).

Later they returned and we saw the GBB Gull again sat on a Jetty further across on the far side of the port so They jumped in their van and I walked round, they arrived and walked out towards the gull and I was a way behind them when the Iceland Gull came flying in from the right and right passed me and out the other side of the port. 

I called Ricky and told him the bird had been seen and a little while later he arrived back but we did not see the bird again before we headed off again.

Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).