La Linea, La Janda in Cadiz Province, Spain.

An afternoon's birding with Friend Ricky.

Ebird List for La Janda.

 

As the car was still with the mechanic overnight I was not able to get off anywhere near as early as I wanted but after a phone call from them just before 10:00 I loaded up and was on my way shortly afterwards.

On the way down to La Linea I picked up Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the poles at the bottom of the road, Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) along the coast near Malaga.

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

I arrived at Sonia and Ricky's, Ricky and I soon headed out to do some birding and made our way around to the Benalup-Casas Viejas track into La Janda, at the start of the track we saw Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and lots of Squirting Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium).

We made another stop by a bend in the Rio Celemin, here we added Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Western Marsh Harrier, Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Western Swamp-hen (Calamón Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) heard only, Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Our next stop was on the bridge over the Rio Celemin where we scanned the reed beds and the fields finding Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

We moved just up the road to the woods / ringing area where we sat and had some lunch and saw or heard Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

Next we crossed to the main canal, passing through the wild Olives, then the farm and the Canal Secundario seeeing Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), 2 Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) and European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

When we met the main Canal we turned South and spent a good while checking the rice paddies on the right of the track, we recorded Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), another Black-winged Kite, Western Marsh Harrier, Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Spotted (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus) and Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis),  Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron, Little and Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Once we reached the main E5 we drove down to Tarifa and then back to Sonia and Ricky's where Sonia prepared us a cracking meal of Carrillada de Cerdo (Pig's Cheeks) which went down extremely well.