Marismas de Cetina and Puerto Real, Cadiz Province, Spain

Birding with Ricky Owen, including a Spanish Lifer (I am not Jammy really Ricky 😀😀😀).

 

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

I left my hotel and drove down to the Salinas again where I parked and did the same walk as yesterday and I saw many of the same species as yesterday but I did add a Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus) out on the pan and on the small pool a Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) and a flyby Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia).

In the same area I also saw Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) and Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum).

Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa).

Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa).

I then drove over to Puerto Real again and parked in the same area as yesterday and I was soon joined by Ricky who had bought his inflatable kayak as we were hoping to go out on the river to se if we could get better views of the gulls and more importantly the terns but whilst I was waiting for him I had Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).

Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

Ricky unloaded the kit and we started to get the it pumped up but we could soon hear a problem and quickly found a puncture which unfortunately proved to be beyond repair so it was back to plan one and after packing the kit away we walked down the river seeing this funny plumage Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

We sat on the rocks and scanned the fast disappearing sandy Islands checking through the many birds there which included good numbers of Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and smaller numbers of Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Slender-billed (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis). 

Roseate Tern (Charrán Rosado / Sterna dougallii).

Roseate Tern (Charrán Rosado / Sterna dougallii).

Second commonest species was Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and these were accompanied by several Common (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo), Little (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons) and Black (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger) as well as a few waders including Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus) and Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica)

Roseate Tern (Charrán Rosado / Sterna dougallii) taken by Ricky.

Roseate Tern (Charrán Rosado / Sterna dougallii) taken by Ricky.

We watched as the birds all started to fly inland and setup on the beach a little way up the river, we relocated opposite the flock and scanned through them and after a while Ricky found the front half of a Tern which looked like it could be an adult Roseate Tern (Charrán Rosado / Sterna dougallii) and after a while we managed to get good views of the whole birds and we could see the tail streamers nicely confirming the ID. A good way to end a nce days birding and chatting to Ricky, hope we can get out on the boat at some point.