Trafico watch point near Tarifa, Marisma de Cetina and Playa de Montijo, Cadiz Province, Spain.

Raptors, Saltpans and Beaches.

Dave and Sue, Day Eight.

Ebird List for Trafico.

Ebird List for Cetina.

Ebird List for Montijo Beach.

 

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

We started the day again down at the Trafico watch point where we again saw a good passage of raptors, today there were more birds but many were much higher than yesterday.

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus). 

We again saw good numbers of Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Booted (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas) and Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), European Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Griffon (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus). 

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).

Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).

Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).

We also added Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

At Cetina's chasing down Mediterranean Short-toed Lark (Terrera Marismena / Alaudala rufescens).

On our way back to the car.

We again moved on North to Marismas de Cetina, a set of Saltpans which attract good numbers of migrant Waders but they weren't there today and we only managed to find Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

Other species seen included Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Slender-billed (Gaviota Picofina / Chroicocephalus genei) and Yellow-legged Gull, Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus),Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and several Mediterranean Short-toed Lark (Terrera Marismena / Alaudala rufescens). 

Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula).

Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula).

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica) and Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola).

Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica).

Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica).

We returned to the car and then headed up to the coast near to Chipiona where we popped into Playa de Montijo, we had timed the tide level just nicely, as we scanned the beach area we saw Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Kentish (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Anarhynchus alexandrinus) and Common Ringed Plover, Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Slender-billed, Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Mediterranean  (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed  (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull, Little (Charrancito Común / Sternula albifrons), Caspian (Pagaza Piquiroja / Hydroprone caspia), Common (Charrán Común / Sterna hirundo) and Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirundo).

Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirundo).

Little Terns (Charrancito Común / Sternula albifrons).

Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) and Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Chroicocephalus genei).

We returned to the car and then headed to Lebrija where we were staying and then later went for a few drink and some food in Restaurante Miano.

Trafico watch point near Tarifa, La Janda and Marimas de Barbate, Cadiz Province, Spain.

A morning watching visible Migration and General Birding later.

Sue and Dave, Day Seven.

Ebird List for Trafico.

Ebird List for La Janda. 

Ebird List for The Worm Farm.

Ebird List for Rio Barbate. 

Ebird List for Marismas de Barbate.

 

Watching the passing Raptor's.

Our first spot for today was at the well known raptor migration watch point of Trafico which is just to the East of the town of Tarifa where we were hoping to see some visible migration which was a big want by Sue and Dave as this is something that is not easy to see down in Australia.

Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).

Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).

We arrived and got set up, we were the first there but we were soon joined the official counters and several other birders, we spent the next few hours enjoying some good (not great) migration.

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

Species seen migrating included lots of Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Booted (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas) and Short-toed Snake Eagles (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Western Marsh (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Griffon (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Common (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica).

Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).

Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).

Looking towards Morocco.

Other species seen in the time we were there included a Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea) which was going in to Spain, Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia).

White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Sue and a few White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus).

Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus).

We had some nice stuff but it began to slow down so we headed out to the North and visited La Janda after something to eat at Restaurante Apolo XI, we went in from the south and drove the main track out to the turning out to the farm but we turned around at the Canal Secondario as it was quiet and then headed out on the track to the North and back onto the main road.

During the drive we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), White Storks, Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Egyptian and Griffon Vulture, Booted Eagle, Western Marsh and Montagu's Harrier, Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Barn and Red-rumped Swallow, Sardinian Warbler, Spotless Starling, European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and European Goldfinch.

Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus).

After leaving the La Janda area we made a stop just up the road at the Composting site where we saw 9 Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita) before continuing on the the Marismas de Barbate area, our first stop was along one of the smaller tributaries of the Rio Barbate which produces a nice list of species including Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Grey (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Common Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Anarhynchus alexandrinus), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sternula albifrons) and Little Egret.

A tributary of the Rio Barbate.

Around on the rubbish dump lagoons we added a few new species which were Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Red Knot (Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla).

We returned to our hotel down at Palmones and went for a meal in town at Pizzería Fattucchi. 

Guadalhorce Pools in Malaga Province, Parque Princesa Sofía and Paseo Marítimo de Palmones in Cadiz Province, Spain.

Moving ever further West during the days birding.

Sue and Dave, Day six.

Ebird List from Guadalhorce.

Ebird List from Parque Princesa Sofía.

Ebird List for  Palmones--Paseo Marítimo.

 

Looking out over Laguna Grande.

We headed off down to the coast on the first of a four day trip away, we started by visiting the Parque del Guadalhorce and parked up near the Mirador desembocadura del Guadalhorce and then walked along the beach where we saw Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) along the river.

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

As we walked into the reserve and to the Observatorio de Laguna Grande we picked up Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

We got settled in the hide and quickly picked up some good new species for the list which included Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Black-winged Stilt, Common Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Anarhynchus alexandrinus), Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Gull-billed (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica) and Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sternula albifrons), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Little Egret, Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Looking out from the screen.

We decided to move around to Observatorio de Laguna Escondida having a look through the screen near the hide were we saw the one and only Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides) of the trip and further on we had a nice fly over Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

From Escondida we picked up White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti). 

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

We continued on along the far bank of the reserve calling at the two hides which were both a bit quiet but we did add Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris), Common Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) and Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius). 

We walked back along the beach where we saw Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba). 

Also seen on the reserve were Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Red-veined (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) and Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Melodious Warbler (Zarcero políglota / Hippolais polyglotta).

We reached the car and continued on down the coast towards La Linea where we parked and walked around the Parque Princesa Sofía looking for migrants and we did pretty well finding good numbers of Spotted Flycatchers (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) and a single immature male European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Melodious (Zarcero políglota / Hippolais polyglotta), Willow (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Western Orphean (Curruca Mirlona Occidental / Curruca hortensis),Western Bonelli's (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit, Eurasian Collared Dove and Yellow-legged Gull.

We made our way down to Palmones where we were spending the night at Hostal Palmones, once we checked in we went for a walk along the Paseo Marítimo but the tide was high so we only added Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) and Eurasian Curlew (Zarapito Real / Numenius arquata) to the list. 

Later we went back out and had a meal in Chiriguinto El Garito before turning in after a busy day.