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Sunday, 26 January 2025

Playa de la Concha and Paseo de La Cornisa in Algeciras, Paseo Marítimo in Palmones, Río Celemín and Área General in La Janda, Cadiz Province, Spain.

A cracking days birding with friends with a Full on Lifer thrown in.
Ebird List for Playa de la Concha, Algeciras.
Ebird List for Paseo de La Cornisa, Algeciras.
Ebird List for Paseo Marítimo, Palmones.
Ebird List for Río Celemín, La Janda.
Ebird List for Área General, La Janda.

Algeciras Port at Dawn.
Barbara, Derek and I were off at 06:30 and heading for Algeciras where we were meeting up with Sonia and Ricky Owen to try and find a Pacific Diver (Colimbo del Pacifico / Gavia pacifica) which had been around for a few days, we arrived before dawn and Sonia and Ricky arrived just a few minutes later and we walked down to the beach nearby and later we were joined by Kevin Wade.
The Sun rising above Gibraltar.
Once on the beach we picked up several species out on the Bay whilst scanning including
Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).
Hard working birders looking for the Diver.
Flying over the bay we also had Little (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) and Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and a Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) which was being hassled by several Gulls.
Looking out across the bay, Pacific Diver (Colimbo del Pacifico / Gavia pacifica) in lower right of picture, can hardly call it a record shot even.
Other species seen included Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
Pacific Diver (Colimbo del Pacifico / Gavia pacifica).
At some point in the time we were there I picked up the Diver quite a way out in the bay, as we watched it it did come closer and we had nice views through the scopes before it went back out into the bay again.
Blue-winged Teal (Cerceta Aliazul / Anas discors).
After watching the bird for some time we went for a walk around the Paseo de La Cornisa, we spent a while looking for the long staying male Blue-winged Teal (Cerceta Aliazul / Anas discors) but it wasn't there, however we did find Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Black-necked Grebe, Black-headed Gull and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala).
Blue-winged Teal (Cerceta Aliazul / Anas discors).
As we couldn't find the Teal at this spot we walkfurther along the Paseo to the next spot where we could get to the water just passed Punta Paredones and the within a minute or two the Blue-winged Teal was found along with an escape White-cheeked Pintail (Pato Gargantilla / Anas bahamensis), as we walked back towards the car we had a couple of newly in Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) fly passed and we also saw a flyby Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) x1.
Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima).
On the way back we had a quick look for the Diver again and found it but it was still distant so we headed off around the coast to Palmones where we were hoping for the female Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) which we saw distantly on the far shore just after we arrived so we decided to have a much needed Coffee and then go and have a look for it.
Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima).
This strategy paid off as when we walked down towards the spot the bird came right across to us and started to dive and catch crabs just a few meters away from the rocks we were stood on.
Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima).
Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima).
Whilst we walked back we scanned the far shore of the Rio and on some exposed mud we picked up Common Ringed and Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Common Sandpiper,  Dunlin, Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Grey Heron, Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and a single Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1.
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).
We returned to the Cars, Keven headed off home and the rest of us made our way up to the Celemin area of La Janda where we wanted to see the two rare Bunting species which had returned for the winter, on the drive in along the track we picked up Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus), White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
We got the scopes set up and were soon joined by another friend (who I haven't seen for a while) Eva, it was great to see her and have a catch up, as we chatted we picked up at least 3x Little Buntings (Escribano pigmeo / Emberiza pusilla) and a single Rustic Bunting (Escribano Rústico / Emberiza rustica) as well as Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) heard only, a Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) x3, Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Western Marsh Harrier, Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).
We also saw a few Wildflowers including Branched Asphodel (Asphodelus ramosus), Common Daisy (Bellis perennis), Common Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium), Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis) and Herb-Robert (Geranium robertianum).
Great Spotted Cuckoo's (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).
After a while we decided to go and try and find some reported
Great Spotted Cuckoo's (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) and we did, seeing at least 6 birds in amongst the wild Olive trees before we reached the farm and as we made our way along the tracks towards the main channel we added Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix) heard only, Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) along with a couple of Painted Lady's (Vanessa cardui) and a Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).
Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).
At the junction we turned left and followed the channel down towards the exit at the Zahara de los Atunes junction, on the way we saw Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), 
At the turning where we left the Canal we stopped again and Barbara picked up an absolutely stunning male Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) and then Ricky finished the day off nicely by finding a very smart Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) just before we said goodbye and all headed off home.

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