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Thursday 3 March 2022

Costa Ballena, Colorado Road Pools, Bonanza Saltpans in Cadiz Province and Fuente de Piedra in Malaga Province, Spain.

Another run around some of the sites near to Sanlucar.

Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis) 1st Winter / 2CY.
I started the day back at yesterdays last stop, Costa Ballena tryng to find the Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis) amongst the Common Gulls (Gaviota Cana / Larus canus).
Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis) 1st Winter / 2CY.
I arrived to find that there were very few Gulls at
Parque de Los Lagos but I did find a few Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).
Common Gull (Gaviota Cana / Larus canus).
Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).
Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).
Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) bored by the birder with a camera.
As there were not many Gulls around the Pool I walked along the canal to the Lago Norte but it was the same here and I only managed to add Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).
Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) adult.

Black-headed Weaver (Ploceus melanocephalus) male next building.

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

During the walk between the two site I also added Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and a calling Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei).
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).
Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus).
Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus).
Back at the top pool I noticed some Gulls had gathered on one of the bridges on the far side of the island so I walked around there and quickly found a couple of Common Gulls, plenty of Black-headed and a 1st winter Ring-billed which was my main target for this trip, well happy.
Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).
Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).
I returned to the car and then drove via Sanlucar to the Colorado Road Pools where I parked in the Pines and checked the smaller pool where I again saw the two Marbled Ducks (Marmaronetta angustirostris) and Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).
Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus).
Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus)
On the larger pool some of the Temmincks Stints (Correlimos de Temminck / Calidris temminckii) were still there along with White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), 2x  Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta).
Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula).
Around on the back pool there were as usual good numbers of Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), a couple of Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), a male and several female Black-headed Weavers (Ploceus melanocephalus) and my first Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) of the year.
Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia).
My next stop was at the saltpans, on the drive up I added Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) which look like the long billed / long legger ssp alpina, at the end of the road I walked along the track beyond the blue gates after chatting to the workmen there and added Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) and Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia).
A few of the Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).
Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).
I was going to go to Braza del Este but as the clouds were building and I was Knackered I decided to head off home, on the way I stopped of at the rubbish dump again where there were still hundreds of
Black (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) and a couple of Red Kites (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), lots of  Western Cattle Egret and a good number of White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).
Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).
Further along the A92 I made a stop at Fuente de Piedra but only did the pool by the board walk and along with a young Spanish lad had views of a very sculking Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana) before actually heading home.

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