Bonanza Saltpans, Colorado Road Pools, Laguna del Tarelo, Bonanza Saltpans, Playa de Montijo, Chipiona Port and Costa Ballena, Cadiz Province Spain.

A few sites around the Chipiona / Sanlucar area and some good birds.

Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta).

I left the Hotel Los Heloches and made my way to Bonanza Saltpans where I met Steve and Elena, before they arrived I saw Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei), Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).

Steve and Elena arrived and we saw some of the same species before a thick bank of fog came and we moved on to the nearby Colorado Pools, we parked and checked the smaller of the pools finding that the amount of plastic rubbish and waste that is now dumped was out of control and the site is going down hill quickly unfortunately. 

Marbled Ducks (Marmaronetta angustirostris).

On this pool we did find Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and 2x Marbled Ducks (Marmaronetta angustirostris).

4 of the 7 Temmincks Stints (Correlimos de Temminck / Calidris temminckii) and a Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius).

On the larger pool opposite we found 20 or so White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and 4 Temmincks Stints (Correlimos de Temminck / Calidris temminckii).

Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) Adult.

Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) Immature.

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

As the fog started to reach us at the pools we walked around to the third pool where we saw 40+ roosting Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and back on the pool as we found the Temmincks Stint numbers had risen to 7 and as we stood there watching the fog clear we added a few Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris)fly over head, Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).

Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei).

Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei).

Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei).

We drove up to Laguna del Tarelo calling in for a coffee on the way, we drove along the southern side of the lake and found Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and on the disused pans a little futher on we added Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica) and large Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) which was carrying a Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) take away.

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

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

By now the fog bank had cleared so we returned to the Saltpans and had another look, as we drove up to the T-junction we saw Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis).

Red Knot (Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola) and Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).

Red Knot (Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica) and Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus).

We drove around Sanlucar and then on to Playa Montijo where the tide was higher than I had expected and the birds were being hasselled by a Knob and his German Sheperd but they were still landing in close to us and giving some nice views, species included Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Dunlin, Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Ringed Plover, Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and out to sea Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Cape Dandelion (Arctotheca calendula).

On the beach I also saw several patches of Cape Dandelion (Arctotheca calendula) which Brenda Jones helped me with a name for.

Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis).

Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis).

Just up the road we called in at Chipiona Port and were soon watching at least 12 Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis) before moving on again down the coast to Costa Ballena.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) None breeding Adult 3CY.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) None breeding Adult 3CY.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) Adult.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) None breeding Adult 3CY.

We parked at Parque de Los Lagos and almost straight away we had a none breeding adult Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) and as we went for a walk around the pool we found four more of the reported 8 birds of several different ages including a full adult, 

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) 2CY.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) 2CY.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) 2CY.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) 2CY.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) 2CY.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) 2CY.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) 2CY.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) 2CY.

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) 6 of the 8 birds together.

Other species included Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei). 

Steve and Elena headed off home and I returned to the Gulls and the went back to Los Helechos in Sanlucar.