Pelagic Trip off Chipiona and Embalse de Bornos in Cadiz Province, Spain.

An unexpected but much anticipated Pelagic from Chipiona.

Ebird List for the Pelagic 1. 

Ebird List for the Pelagic 2. 

Ebird List for the Pelagic 3. 

Ebird List for the Pelagic 4. 

Ebird List for the Pelagic 5.

Ebird List for the Embalse de Bornos.

 

We were all looking forward to getting out to sea.

We were up and out early and down in Chipiona Port having breakfast at Cantina Marinera before meeting up with Manuel Bárcena of Oxyura Birdwatching tours who had organised several Pelagics including this one which was earlier in the year than I was expecting one to be

The way out of Chipiona Port to the pretty calm sea.

So after telling Deb and Ian that we wouldn't get out on one as nothing was planned it was a very nice surprise to get three places on this trip.

Ian up front picking out the Petrels.

During breakfast we saw several Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Deb happy with the lifers on the trip.

Once every one had assembled we were off out of the port and heading out to sea hoping for a few nice seabird species but as no one had really done Pelagics in June we didn't know what to expect, I had aleady said to Deb and Ian that even on a great day here it would be far worse than their worst ever Pelagic down of South Australia so I was very pleased that it actually went very well.

Scopoli’s Shearwater (Pardela cenicienta mediterránea / Calonectris diomedea).

Scopoli’s Shearwater (Pardela cenicienta mediterránea / Calonectris diomedea).

Scopoli’s Shearwater (Pardela cenicienta mediterránea / Calonectris diomedea).

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirundo).

Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirundo).

On the way out we started to see a few Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii),  Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Balearic (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus), a single Yelkouan (Pardela Mediterránea / Puffinus yelkouan) and a good number of Scopoli’s Shearwaters (Pardela cenicienta mediterránea / Calonectris diomedea) and a closer to the coast than expected European Storm Petrel (Paíño Europeo / Hydrobates pelagicus), the last three species listed were all new for Deb and Ian.

Scopoli’s (Pardela cenicienta mediterránea / Calonectris diomedea) and Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

Scopoli’s (Pardela cenicienta mediterránea / Calonectris diomedea) and Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta Canaria / Calonectris diomedea borealis).

Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta Canaria / Calonectris diomedea borealis).

Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta Canaria / Calonectris diomedea borealis).

European Storm Petrel (Paíño Europeo / Hydrobates pelagicus).

Further out we had views of more Balearic and Scopoli’s Shearwaters (Pardela cenicienta mediterránea / Calonectris diomedea) and European Storm Petrels and a new species was a Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirundo) which was seen in flight and then later bobbing on a floating plastic container.

Wilson's Storm Petrel (Paiño de Wilson / Oceanites oceanicus).

Wilson's Storm Petrel (Paiño de Wilson / Oceanites oceanicus).

Wilson's Storm Petrel (Paiño de Wilson / Oceanites oceanicus).

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

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

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

As we reached the furthest point from shore and we started to chum and drift we saw many of the same species but added both Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta Canaria / Calonectris diomedea borealis) and Wilson's Storm Petrel (Paiño de Wilson / Oceanites oceanicus), a couple of people on the boat including Manuel also saw a Manx Shearwater (Pardela Pichoneta / Puffinus puffinus) but we all missed it unfortunately.

European Storm Petrel (Paíño Europeo / Hydrobates pelagicus).

Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta Canaria / Calonectris diomedea borealis).

Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta Canaria / Calonectris diomedea borealis).

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

As we bimbled around out at the most distant point from the coast we continued to see the same species but picked up a beast of a Great Skua (Págalo Grande / Stercorarius skua) which did several passes and really hacked off the other birds that were feeding around the slick of chum and oil.

Scopoli’s Shearwater (Pardela cenicienta mediterránea / Calonectris diomedea).

European Storm Petrel (Paíño Europeo / Hydrobates pelagicus).

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

Great Skua (Págalo Grande / Stercorarius skua).

Great Skua (Págalo Grande / Stercorarius skua).

Great Skua (Págalo Grande / Stercorarius skua).

On the way back in we didn't add anything new but still picked up some more European Storm Petrels.

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

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

Once back on dry land we said goodbye to the others and headed back towards the house but called in at the Presa de Bornos on the way where we again got the chairs out and scanned the skies for the White-rumped Swifts (Vencejo Cafre / Apus caffer), today we only had brief views of a single bird but managed to add Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) to the trip list and Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus),Black-crowned Night (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Grey (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), Little (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) and Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

Violet Dropwings (Trithemis annulata).

Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).

We also saw a good number of female type Violet Dropwings (Trithemis annulata), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) before we started the drive back to the house. 

Laguna Dulce near Campillos and Mirador de Atajate in Malaga Province, Rio Hozgarganta near Jimena de la Frontera, Pinar del Rey and Playa Montijo near Chipiona in Cadiz Province, Spain.

In search of the last of the Iberian endemic birds.

Ebird List for Laguna Dulce.

Ebird List for Mirador de Atajate.

Ebird List for Pinar del Rey. 

 

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

We started the day with a drive out west, our first stop was at Laguna Dulce where from the hide we started the day list with Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), 2x Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca) which were seen inflight and dropping into the reeds on the far side of the pool, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera) and Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

In the air and around the margins we also saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius),Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Marsh (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

At the same spot we also had Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Red-veined (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).

We continued on around Ronda, out towards Gaucin and ultimately Jimena de la Frontera, on the way we made a stop at the Mirador de Atajate near the village of the same name where we saw a passing Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) along with Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini) and False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi) and Large White (Pieris brassicae).

Large White (Pieris brassicae).

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini).

False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi).

We continued on and after a coffee break in Gaucin we were soon parked up at the side of the Rio Hozgarganta near Jimena de la Frontera, as we walked along the very dry margins of the Rio looking for the target Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus ibericus) which I have seen here in the passed.

We didn't find the Chiffchaff  but we did see and hear Barn and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Western House (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum) and Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Western Olivaceous (Zarcero bereber / Iduna opaca) and Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Blue / Common and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Red-veined and Scarlet Darter, Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) and White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes).

We  didn't hear or see the target so we dropped down toward Pinar del Rey, a site given to me by good friend Ricky Owen (should have listened to Ricky to start with, so he told me 😁😁😁😁) and almost as soon as we parked we could hear the first of at least Iberian Chiffchaff so we headed for the call and were soon watching2 birds chasing around a couple of Poplar trees, after a while one of the birds flew into a smaller bush right next to us and continued to sing whilst showing well for us.

Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus ibericus).

Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus ibericus).

We also saw Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Griffon Vulture, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Eurasian Blackcap, Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla), Common Blackbird and European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris).

We also had Holly (Celastrina argiolus), Lang's Short-tailed (Leptotes pirithous) and Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

We decided after getting very good views of the Chiffchaff to head for Chipiona where we were going to be staying the night but before we went and checked in we popped into Playa Montijo but it was generally fairly quiet and we only saw Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Kentish (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Anarhynchus alexandrinus), Common Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres),Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

We went to our accommodation and dropped very lucky with a parking space almost opposite, later we went for a walk along the sea front and had a nice (not as good as the one in Ceuta) ice-cream before turning in ready for the early start tomorrow.