Cabo de Gata area, Almeria, Spain.

Another day around the Cabo de Gata area.

Ebird List for Salinas-Observatorio, 41 Species.

Ebird List for Rambla Morales, 34 Species. 

Ebird List for Playa Las Salinas, 2 Species.

The early morning view from the Northern end of the Salinas.

I arrived at the Hide over looking the Northern end of the Salinas near to the village of Cabo de Gata and after a short while I was Joined by Sarah and Michael and we spent a while checking through the species in front of us which included Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Common (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) and Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Slender-billed Gulls (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

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

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

Around the Margins and in the air we added Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Our next stop was at Rambla Morales, on the way we saw a Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) in the village and as we worked our way along the beach towards the Rambla we picked up Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and at the Rambla pool we added Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola), Common Redshank, Ruff, Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), a Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) which was singing distantly up the far side of the pool in the Tamarisks and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii).

Once we had finished off at the pool we went for a walk to the area where I had see the Richards Pipit (Bisbita de Richard / Anthus richardi) but we didn't see them, however we had a wonderful experiance when 100s of Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) dropped down and started to feed around us, some coming within inches of us.

The Rocks off El Faro.

As we drove back towards Cabo de Gata village we added Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Sandwich (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica) and Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra).

Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra).

Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra).

We drove through the town and down to Faro de Cabo de Gata, on the way we drove slowly along the beach side verge and as we went Sarah and Michael had a couple of Trumpeter Finches (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus) fly up but I only caught a brief view of the second bird and unfortunately we could not relocate the birds.

Iglesia de La Almadraba de Monteleva o Iglesia de Las Salinas.

We got to the Faro but we didn't stay long as there were loads of people there but before we headed off we saw a pair of Black Wheatears (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), next we had a short walk nearby up to a disused radar station but didn't add anything new, our next stop was for some Lunch and then we called in at the hide on the way to the village but it was quiet and we added nothing new so we drove the track at the back of the Salinas.

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Along the back track we saw 3x Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia), a lot more Audouin's Gulls, Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), a heard only Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) and a hunting Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope).

Common Tiger Blues (Tarucus theophrastus).

Our final stop was at Torre Gracia where we spent a while looking for the Common Tiger Blues (Tarucus theophrastus), we were successful but It was hard going as the wind had got quite strong so at this point we called it a day.