Braza el Este, Costa Ballena and Chipiona, Cadiz Province, Spain.

In search of a couple of new species for my Spanish List.

 

Black Stork (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra) in the fog.

I was meant to be going on another Pelagic but due to high winds it was cancelled but as I had already booked a Hotel in Chipiona I thought that I may as well go anyway and give a couple of scarce American visitors a try.

Black Stork (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra) in the fog.

I drove into a foggy part of Braza del Este I had not been to before, on the way into the site I started the list with Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).

Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia).

I arrived at the spot where an American Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Americano / Pluvialis dominica) had been seen for a few days but it was foggy when I first arrived so it was difficult to find anything to start with but as it began to lift I saw several Black Storks (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra), Great (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia), lots of Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and a Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola) which I am guessing was the bird which caused a bit of confusion for some earlier visitors.

Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

As the light improved a bit more species came into view, in a ditch by the side of the track I heard and the saw a smart male Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) which was spending its time chasing a pair of Cetti's Warblers (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and some Black-headed Weavers (Tejedor Cabecinegro / Ploceus melanocephalus).

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

Further out on the fields there were lots of waders, most were Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) and Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) but there were smaller numbers of Little Stints (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia) and Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) but as hard as I tried I could only find a single Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia) of the European type.

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

Other species seen in the area before I took to the tracks again include Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) and Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) but there was no sign of the target so I moved on.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Black Stork (Ciguena Negra / Ciconia nigra).

As I was driving towards the part of Braza that I usually visit I had loads of Black and White Storks, Little and Cattle and Great Egrets, Glossy Ibis, L B B Gulls and Eurasian Spoonbill feeding on newly ploughed Rice fields.

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides).

Out along the main track through the Braza del Este I added Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) and a Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides) which sat out nicely for a few moments.

Lesser Scaup (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis) on Lago Norte.

I then made my way over to Costa Ballena getting some lunch on the way, once I was there I parked by Lago Norte where a female type Lesser Scaup (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis), as I walked around the pool I found good numbers of Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Pochard, Northern Shoveler, Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Lesser Black-backed, Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Black-headed Gulls, Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and out on the far side of the pool the Lesser Scaup but just as found it a ********* on a powered Paraglider buzzed the lake and flushed everything.

White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala).

I waited around to see what returned but not much did so I decided to go just up the road to Parque de Los Lagos to see if had relocated there, I arrived and walked out to the bridge where I scanned the pool finding White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Pochard, Northern Shoveler, the Tufted Duck and then the Lesser Scaup. 

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).

The Scaup was on the far side so I walked around there and sat on one of the seats and waited to for the bird to come to me, whilst sat there I also found adult and 1st winter Common Gulls (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).

Lesser Scaup (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis).

Lesser Scaup (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis) and Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula).

Lesser Scaup (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis).

Lesser Scaup (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis) and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina).

I headed towards my hotel in Chipiona but once I parked I had a look at the port where I found several of the regular Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis) before walking to the Hotel.