Presa de Embalse de Bornos, Rio Guadalete at Arcos de la Frontera, Lago Plaza del Mar and Parque de Los Lagos in Costa Ballena, Cadiz Province, Spain.

Heading out west for a few days birding with Paqui.

Ebird list for the Presa.

 

Our first view of the Moon as it comes from behind the clouds.

Paqui and I were off early as we were hoping to get views of the overnight Luna Eclipse but there was a large band of cloud which was covering the Moon when we set off.

The last of the Luna Eclipse seen near Antequera, Malaga Province.

As we got to Antequera the Moon appeared from the cloud so we made a stop at a service area just after coming off the motorway and took some photos through the scope.

The bank of cloud which had covered the Moon.

We continued on and made our way to our first planned stop of the day at the Presa de Embalse de Bornos, on the way we saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and an Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) which crossed the road in front of us.

Looking down stream at a rather grey smelly Rio Guadalete.

We reached the Presa where we were surprised by how bad the water smelt and grey it looked, bird numbers were down but we did see Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), a group of 4 Caspian Terns (Pagaza Piquiroja / Hydroprone caspia) which flew up and over the dam onto the Embalse, Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), 2x migrating Western Ospreys (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).

Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).

Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

Whilst there we also saw several Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) and Iberian Barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei) before we headed off to the Rio Guadalete below Arcos de la Frontera where it smelt slightly better but not much.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

We arrived at the Rio and checked a spot near the bridge but all the vegetation had been strimmed down and further down the River the margins had been completely scrapped so I wasn't confident that we would find much and I wasn't wrong.

Crossing the very slippery weir on the Rio Guadalete.

A mirky looking Rio Guadalete.

The bridge over the Rio Guadalete.

A scrapped out Rio Guadalete.

As we walked we found lots more Violet Dropwings as well as smaller numbers of White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes), Blue-eye (Erythromma lindenii), Red-veined Darter, Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta), African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna) x8, Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis), Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus).

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♂.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♂.

Blue-eye (Erythromma lindenii) ♂.

Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta) ♀.

African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna).

Bird wise we had nice views of some European Bee-eaters, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Grey Heron, Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Western House Martin.

European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster).

European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster).

We decided to head to Costa Ballena where we wanted to check the two lakes on the large urbanisation, on the way we stopped for a nice lunch before checking the southern Lago Plaza del Mar where I was hoping to see the long staying Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis) but unfortunately dipped.

1st winter Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

However we did find Mallard, Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Black-headed, Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sternula albifrons), Eurasian Coot, Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus canariensis), Grey Heron, Western Cattle (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Little Egret, Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) and African Grass Blues.

African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna).

We returned to the car and moved up to the northern Parque de Los Lagos where we did a short walk and added several new species including a nice juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei) and Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus).

The Northern Lagoon.

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

We also recorded Mallard, Common Pochard, Eurasian Coot, Common Moorhen, Little Grebe, Ruddy Turnstone, Yellow-legged Gull, Little Egret, Common Kingfisher, Western House Martin, White Wagtail, Banded Groundling, Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria), Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) ♂.

Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) ♂.

We again returned to the car and headed off to Lebrija where we stayed in the Hostal Mellizo and had a few drinks in the nearby Restaurante Miano before turning in.