Parque de Los Lagos / Costa Ballena, Puerto and Playa Cruz del Mar in Chipiona, Playa de Montijo, Cadiz Province, Spain.

A morning birding around Chipiona.

Ebird List for Parque de Los Lagos / Costa Ballena. 

Ebird List for Puerto de Chipiona. 

Ebird List for Playa Cruz del Mar in Chipiona. 

Ebird List for Playa de Montijo. 

 

Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus).

I set off west at 05:20 seeing absolutely nothing during the drive until I reached the flooded areas along the A-471 around Lebrija, Trebujena and Sanlúcar de Barrameda, species seen were Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Western Marsh (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) ♂, Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica). 

Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) ♂.

Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).

I reached Costa Ballena and checked the Parque de Los Lagos hoping for some Gull species, unfortunately it was disappointing as I only found 20 odd Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and singles of Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei).

Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei).

Other species seen as I walked the loop included Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) domestic type, Muscovy Duck (Pato criollo / Cairina moschata) domestic, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Mallard domestic types, Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Glossy Ibis, Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) x2, Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Common Kestrel, Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Barn and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Western House (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Eurasian Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), lots of Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) but I couldn't find the tristris type bird that had been around, Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba),  Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), Eurasian Siskin (Jilguero Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Borage (Borago officinalis).

Large White (Pieris brassicae).

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Whilst I did this walk I also saw a few other bit which included Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae), Borage (Borago officinalis), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Small White (Pieris rapae), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea), Yellow-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

Yellow-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta).

After this walk I went down to the Lago Plaza del Mar, it was even quieter here with just Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot, a single Black-headed Gull and Common Sandpiper being seen.

I returned to the car and headed up into Chipiona to the Port where I had a later breakfast before spending a while scanning through the Gulls and watching the wonderful Little Swifts (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis).

Also there were Black-headed, Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull, Great Cormorant, Barn Swallow and Eurasian Crag Martin.

Chipiona Beach.

The Fish Corral.

I walked around to the beach and scanned through the Gulls that were roosting in the Fish Corral as there was no water being held in there because the wall had a large gap in it, I checked through the mostly Lesser Black-backed Gulls I came across a larger bird which I was pretty sure was a 1st winter Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) which was confirmed from the Photo's later.

1st winter Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus).

1st winter Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus).

1st winter Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus).

Here I also saw Yellow-legged Gull, Eurasian Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Grey (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Kentish (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Anarhynchus alexandrinus) and Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

My final stop of the day as I was flagging was at Playa de Montijo, as I walked down to the beach a Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) flew along the shoreline.

Other species included Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), 30+ Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Black-headed, Mediterranean and Lesser Black-backed Gull, Eurasian Whimbrel, Grey, Kentish and Common Ringed Plover, Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Great Cormorant, Western House Martin, Eurasian Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler and Spotless Starling.