Conjunto Arqueológico Baelo Claudia, Cueva del Moro in Sierra de Plata, La Janda, Barbate Marismas, Cadiz Province, Spain.

More birds, butterflies and Roman remains with Pam and John.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

We were off early and by 10.00 we were at the entrance to the Conjunto Arqueológico Baelo Claudia, on the way down we saw Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Collared (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Western Cattle (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Looking down on the Bolonia area from Sierra de Plata.

John looking for Swifts.

We dropped Pam off at the site before heading just up the road to Sierra de Plata where we spent some time checking the cliffs, caves and woods for birds and butterflies finding Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Small White (Pieris rapae), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) and a couple of gliding Monarchs (Danaus plexippus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

We didn't find any interesting Swifts, in fact we didn't see a single Swift so we dropped down to a lower level and took another track but we didn't do any better here so we returned to Baelo Claudia and went for a walk around the site for a while, it was very impressive but spoilt slightly for me by the amount of metal fences and barriers, I understand that lots of people don't respect signs saying keep off the monument but it could be done better.

Our next stop was going to be for some lunch at a roadside bar in Tahivilla but it was closed so we went up into the town it's self where we found a nice little bar in the main square and had a nice lunch, whilst we were sat there I saw a lady getting into her car with a hair colour that I recognized so I went over and had a quick chat with Eva Bratek (who I had not see for quite long time) as she was on her way to work.

We finish Lunch and went for a drive along the track which follows the Main Channel through La Janda, it was very quiet but we did see Common Stonechat, Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and on some flooded Rice Fields several Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus). 

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

We left La Janda and made our way to the cliffs where the Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita) breed but as I had suspected they had already moved on so we did as well and made our way to the Barbate Saltpans.

Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita).

Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita).

We arrived and in the paddocks near the main road we saw at least 12 of the Ibis feeding amongst lots of Cattle, later in the shade of a tree we scanned the water finding Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons), Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and Greater Short-toed Larks (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla).

A very worn Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus).

Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla).

We left the site and made our way up to our hotel at Puerto Real where we settled in and then had a couple of drinks and something to eat, as we sat there we had good numbers of Common Swifts over head and fly overs by White Storks and two Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).