Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: 2025-08-24

Out on a Pelagic with Manuel from Oxyura Birdwatching and then some waders and terns.

Sue and Dave, Day nine.

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 Playa de Montijo.

Getting on board.

We were up early and on our way to Chipiona ready for a Pelagic which was being organised by Manuel Bárcena of Oxyura Birdwatching, we weren't sure up to the last moment that the boat would go as the captain and Manuel are a bit causious and there was a bit of swell forecast but fortunately we did go, albeit not as far out as we would normally go.

Heading out.

We started by running along the coast of the Doñana and then out a bit further and finally looping back to Chipiona, as we left the port we saw 60+ Little (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis) and a few Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and a feral Greylag Goose (Ansar Común / Anser anser).

Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

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

Along the coast it was quiet but we still managed Black (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger), Little (Charrancito Común / Sternula albifrons) and Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirundo).

Sue, Dave and Ricky.

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

European Storm Petrel (Paíño Europeo / Hydrobates pelagicus).

After some time we turned for deeper but it was a tad choppy so we didn't head out as far as we had hoped, on the way out we had Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull and Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Common Tern, Wilson's Storm Petrel (Paiño de Wilson / Oceanites oceanicus), Cory's (Pardela Cenicienta Canaria / Calonectris diomedea borealis) and Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sternula albifrons).

We did a bit of a drift with some chum being thrown over board and this drew in lots of Gulls and a few other bits including Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull and Audouin's Gull, Common Tern, Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Wilson's Storm Petrel, Cory's and Balearic Shearwater but these were joined by a Skua species which we all thought was an Arctic Skua (Págalo Parásito / Stercorarius parasiticus) but Dave quickly recalled it as a Long-tailed Skua (Págalo Rabero / Stercorarius longicaudus) which was a new Spanish bird for most of us and a lifer for a couple on board.

Long-tailed Skua (Págalo Rabero / Stercorarius longicaudus).

We cruised for a while again and the Skua relocated us for a while but then disappeared, on the way back towrds the port we did a second chum stop which attracted in a good number of Storm Petrels including 20 odd Wilson's and at least one European Storm Petrel (Paíño Europeo / Hydrobates pelagicus).

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

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

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

European (Paíño Europeo / Hydrobates pelagicus) out of focus and Wilson's Storm Petrel (Paiño de Wilson / Oceanites oceanicus)

Black Tern (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger).

Back on dry land.

We returned to the Port and then some of us headed along the coast a short way to check out Playa de Montijo but it was a lot quieter than yesterday due to the amount of disturbance from dog walkers and other people flushing the birds but we still recorded Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiático / Haematopus ostralegus), Grey (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Common Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Anarhynchus alexandrinus), 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 (Gaviota Picofina / Chroicocephalus genei), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed and Yellow-legged Gull, Little, Caspian (Pagaza Piquiroja / Hydroprone caspia) and Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula).

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Our next stop was at Restaurante Miano where we started on the beers little earlier than yesterday as it was already hot, later we had some food before turning in after the earlier start.

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).

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).

Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula).

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).

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).

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.

Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.

SIERRA de LOJA.

Saturday, 30 August 2025

Pelagic off Chipiona and Playa de Montijo, Cadiz Province, Spain.

Friday, 29 August 2025

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