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) x3 and Small White (Pieris rapae) x1, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x2, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x5, Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) x2, 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.