Axarquia Bird Group Visit to the Guadalhorce, Malaga

As last month, our visit coincided with a change in the weather! Indeed, the last rain was during our last visit up the mountain. However, come 9.30 am, Thursday morning, and we eleven were ready to brave the elements; the rain had stopped and we hoped for a dry, if somewhat cloudy, morning. In fact, the only rain that we saw was a ten-minute shower whilst we were at the hide overlooking the "Hidden Lagoon" so, all in all, we had a very good morning's birding with a total of 48 species seen. With some away in the UK, others suffering from various ailments or appointments, the usual participants included Patrick Raines, Brian, Ian, Louise and her guest Hipolito plus myself we were joined by four new-comers; Mike Tweed from near Periana and his two guests from Huddersfield, Pete and Terri Jones along with regular Gerry from Salobrena who managed to find another lady guest, Janette Wily from Glasgow.

Before we could set off up the path to the track alongside the river we were greeted by the 80+ Monk Parakeet who refused to shut-up whilst playing in the school playground, eventually dispersing in a number of varying-sized parties over to the lagoons and beyond. From the beginning it was obvious that there were a lot of Cormorants about and an estimate of 200+ is probably on the conservative side, especially as I counted over 160 resting in the "Osprey trees". Coots, Moorhen, Little Egret and Heron on the water before we crossed the bridge and, just before crossing the bridge, a dashing Kingfisher before the delight of the morning. Walking towards the main lagoon a flock of 7 Spoonbill passed over quickly followed by 3 further birds. What wonderful and weird shapes they make as they fly!

A long stay at the main hide provided good sightings of Marsh Harriers, a single Black-tailed Godwit, Black-winged Stilts and a good number of Shoveler and a single Shelduck. Strange to say, there were relatively few Mallard about. Chiffchaffs everywhere plus White Wagtail and a good number of Crag Martin feeding over the water. Also noticeable, the number of Blackbirds both seen and heard. However, before departing, we also saw, in addition to the Little Grebe, a single Black-necked Grebe that decided to rest and preen on the newly-cleared larger island to the right of the hide.

The "Hidden Lagoon" produced a at least 20 Gadwall in addition to Little Grebe, a single Pochard, Coot and the odd Moorhen, whilst in the neighbouring field we were able to watch a resting Kestrel reasonably close to the hide. A pair of Short-toed Larks on the track as we approached had set the scene so the short shower that followed soon after was quickly dismissed. Unusually, the next hide, which often produces very little, gave a short but clear sighting of a Purple Swamphen and 2 Pochard (where were they all today?) and another pair of Mallard.

Finally, the "Wader Pool" provided a Little Egret and a close view of 3 of the Spoonbill which had moved across from the main pool. Unfortunately, not the 3 which we had noticed wearing orange colour rings on their left legs. And to think that, given the weather, not one of us had brought a telescope which might just have picked out a number of two. Other than a handful of Black-winged Stilts, not a single wader. To date, the only wader seen other than the Godwit had been a pair of Common Sandpiper on the main river as we crossed the footbridge. Looking back towards the above Osprey tree we we eventually found our bird but not before a resting Booted Eagle had been spotted and seen by all. The Osprey flew in and we were to see regular sightings after leaving this hide.

The path to the "Sea Watch" produced very little other than Black Redstart, more Chiffchaff and a Sardinian Warbler; no Southern Grey Shrikes nor Crested Larks on the gravel bank beside the river. A single Lapwing was on the old river alongside another Shelduck. Whilst at the sea watch we did have a single Sandwich Tern pass over and a good number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were resting at sea. The beach walk produced a lovely pair of Kentish Plover and as they moved off to sea we were able to see a flock of perhaps fifty of more Sanderling.

Then it was back along the path towards the main pool seeing both Hoopoe and Crested Lark followed by a small flock of Greenfinch. Finally, arriving at the main hide, we discovered the Pochard, at least 20, accompanying the Shoveler and, would you believe it, a single Wigeon. Time to head off back to the cars and we were rather surprised to see and watch a Blue Rock Thrush patiently sitting on the fence. Menu del Dia was taken by all eleven of us in San Julian and the last bird, Cattle Egret, managed to present itself before, during and after the meal as they flew over to wherever. Even the sun broke through as we departed for home so, after all, a good day's birding.

(Group photo by Ian Kirk)

Birds seen: Little Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Heron, Spoonbill, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Shelduck, Shoveler, Pochard, Booted Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Kestrel, Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Lapwing, Kentish Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Common Sandpiper, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Black-headed Gull, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, Kingfisher, Short-toed Lark, Crested lark, Crag Martin, White Wagtail, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Blue Rock Thrush, Blackbird, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow and Spotless Starling.

Rio Velez, Torre del Mar

Another lovely sunny day so down to the local river this morning to see what was about, if anything. Very much the latter with not even any water under the road bridge but, as there is presently no breach to enable the river to reach the sea, at least there is a good sized pool and approach stream to encourage birds. So what had been encouraged? A pair of Mallard, quite a few Moorhen and a handful of Coot. A lone Heron was seen flying overhead to be followed later by a single Cormorant coming in off the sea and a similar Cattle Egret that seemed to have lost all his friends. No waders and no raptors.

The surrounding fields did provide a little more with Skylark as well as Crested Lark. Good numbers of White Wagtail, plenty of Chiffhaff and, on the growing fields, very good numbers of Goldfinch, Serin and House Sparrow. A very small flock of Linnet made a pleasant surprise and there were the odd sightings of Zitting Cisticola, Cetti's Warbler, Stonechat, Blackbird and Greenfinch.

All in all, very little to report. The overall state of the site is, once again, in a very poor condition. Lots of rubbish all over the place, mainly discarded household waste in plastic bags, there has obviously been a recent harvesting of bamboo and the off-cuts have just been left. On the track just beyond the bridge, I imagine that there has been a considerable water leakage which has resulted in causing much damage to the rack and the next hint of rain will probably result in the said track becoming impassible without a 4x4 or lots of prior beverage! The river bed does look green - which probably accounts for all the horses that have been left to graze; I saw at least six on the site.

Still, the weather forecast has improved so I hope to have a better day at the Guadalhorce in Malaga on Thursday with the Axarquia Bird Group.

Birds seen:
Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Heron, Mallard, Moorhen, Coot, Collared Dove, Skylark, Crested Lark, White Wagtail, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisiticola, Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet

A Walk in the Woods

A beautiful sunny morning so what better than to enjoy the sunshine in the sunny company of Pat and Eric Lyon whilst we enjoyed a three mile plus walk in the woods at El Robledal. Unfortunately,not the variety of species that we expected but, nevertheless, a good variety of thirty species if you include the additional four seen at the old railway track above the Ventas de Zafarraya on the return journey.

Having taken our morning coffee before leaving the main road for El Robledal, we were soon seeing both Blackbird and Song Thrush not to mention the first of many Robins and Black Redstarts that were to follow. Then it was Chaffinches by the score and Stonechat quickly followed by Southern Grey Shrike and Thekla Lark. The woods were beautifully quiet and a joy to behold - but where were all the birds? Eventually, many Chiffchaff, Great Tit and Firecrest with the occasional Blue Tit. A lone Coal Tit and a single Short-toed Treecreeper towards the end of the walk to accompany the regular sightings of Nuthatch and many Jays flying through the woods plus a "Descent of Woodpeckers" (did you know this collective noun?), mainly Great Spotted Woodpecker, and usually seen in pairs, but also at least three sightings of a Green Woodpecker.

Raptors were restricted to distant viewing of at least two Booted Eagles over the nearby mountain top which, on both occasions, were being mobbed by Crag Martins. Eventually, we did find our Mistle Thrush and a couple of Greenfinch, not to mention the ever-present Spotless Starlings once we were back on the main track away from the woods.

The old railway track at the Ventas de Zafarraya, once again, failed to produce any Chough but, as last Friday, there was a small party of 7 Ibex feeding immediately above the car park. Black Wheatears were quickly spotted followed by feeding Crag Martins then the first of two individual male Blue Rock Thrushes. Finally, when all seemed just about lost, Pat spotted our first and last Rock Bunting to add to the many Black Redstarts and Stonechats that could be easily seen from the track.

There you go then; an enjoyable day in lovely company and beautiful, if unseasonable, weather.

Birds seen:
Booted Eagle, Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Southern Grey Shrike, Crag Martin,White Wagtail, Thekla Lark, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Firecrest, Short-toed Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Rock Bunting, Spotless Starling and Jay.

Sea and Mountain

This week's birding exploits have included both sea and mountain. Looking forward to the visit of Pieter on Thursday to undertake some photographic work, I decided it would be best, and appropriate, to take some new photographs. So, up early Tuesday morning and off in the dark, but still calm and warm for the time of the year, to the ponds of the Guadalhorce at Malaga. Walking to the main pool by 8.30 but here, unlike the mountain home, it was rather cool in the strong breeze breeze. Indeed, it was to be a couple of hours before the breeze fell back and I started to feel warm. Serves me right for wearing shorts. An interesting morning with some good sightings, if you forget about waders, and home in time for Jenny to tell me that Patrick was on the phone from the other Canillas (Canillas de Albaida). Turns out that Patrick and Brian had been up to the Griffon Vulture "reserve" on the outskirts of Sedella and had very close views of the wild Griffons taking advantage of a free meal and when about 60 took to the air as they got within twenty metres, amongst their number was a sole juvenile Black Vulture. So, the weather much improved on the morrow, I decided to take the fair lady for a trek up the mountain and our first visit to the Sedella "Feeding Station" - but not before all the domestics were complete.

Back to Tuesday. Arriving at the riverside, I was immediately greeted by a wandering young Marsh Harrier quartering the site looking for his morning meal. Then, as I started to walk along the path to the bridge, I became aware of the "bulge" in the tree on the opposite bank and there rested a light morph Booted Eagle. What a beautiful sight and start to the morning but would the eagle be patient enough for me to extract the camera, connect the lens and take an obvious shot? No. No sooner had I started to retrieve the equipment than the bird decided it was time o be off and relatively quickly made his way westward over the house behind me. Apart from the god number of Kestrels that were seen all over the site in the coming hours, it was the mass numbers that next drew my attention. Crossing the bridge I turned to see from where all the "parrot" commotion was coming; no less than 62 Monk Parakeets setting off for a day's foraging from their overnight roost, joined within a couple of minutes by a further 20+ birds.

A quick look at the "Hidden Lagoon" revealed a small party of Gadwall along with Mallard, Teal, a few Shoveler and a small umber of Pochard along with the Coots, a Moorhen and a few Little Grebe. From here to the main lagoon I became increasingly aware of the Cormorants moving about the site and expected to see a number roosting in the "Osprey trees" at the back of the pool. However, I did not expect to see the number counted! My largest count was 141 with further birds resting or moving about giving a probable total present on the site in excess of 200 birds. On the other hand, I only saw a single Little Egret and no more than a dozen Heron. Whilst at the main hide I had the opportunity to watch and photograph the "resident" Osprey as he ate his morning fish on the pole below his favoured tree. Probably a question of "no room at the inn" when he returned from his fishing expedition, although upon completion he did move back to his favoured tree but on a lower branch to (his) left. Then more Marsh Harriers. This time an adult male and a distant, probable, female bird. The pool was relatively quiet but a Kingfisher did pop up in front of me for a short rest and then the sudden appearance of 3 Shelduck whilst a small flock of Crag Martin fed over the water.

A walk to the main river and the far hides provided very little. The only waders were a Common Sandpiper and a very busy feeding Snipe. The Shelduck appeared from over the back and were joined by half a dozen Black-winged Stilt. The other birds seen were a pair of Mallard and half dozen Little Grebe. The nearby open river was devoid of birds but closer inspection with the scope did locate abut 4 Dunlin and a dozen or more Sanderling.

Finally, back to the main pool in the hope that the improving weather and more light might give me the opportunity for better photographs. The Shelduck had gone but there were almost a dozen Shoveler and then a gorgeous Avocet arrived and eventually moved into the limited sun begging to have his photograph taken. The idea had been to take photographs but I still managed a total of 38 species.

Today, Wednesday, Jenny and I drove up to the picnic place to the west of Sedella and then walked up to the "Vulture Feeding Station". Apart from the intended bird, very few others were seen; a Robin on the way up plus both White Wagtail and Stonechat at the vulture enclosure and then a noisy Jay as we returned to the car park. Difficult to tell how many Griffon Vultures were present. As we approached 14 took to the air but, on closer inspection, at least a dozen had remained behind. No doubt some were rescued birds but, on the other hand, one or two individuals looked as if they had eaten more than their fill and were having trouble getting airborne! Given the situation, the smell was not too offensive - but then we saw what was left of the carcases; mainly horses and at least a couple of bovines, unless they breed a horned horse in this part of Spain.


Birds seen:
Little Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Heron, Gadwall, Mallard, Teal, Shelduck, Shoveler, Pochard, Griffon Vulture, Osprey, Booted Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Morhen, Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Sanderling, Yellow-legged Gull, Kingfisher, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, Crested Lark, Crag Martin, White Wagtail, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Chifchaff, House Sparrow, Spotless Starling, Jay and Jackdaw.

Quality rather than quantity!

Sun shining brightly, nothing else planned for the day, s the perfect opportunity to pay a visit to the mountains and woods. First the old railway track at the Ventas de Zafarraya followed by a short walk around, what appears to be Eric and Pat Lyon's favourite wood, at El Robledal.

Surprisingly, not as cold as I expected at the old railway track and soon greeted by scores of Crag Martins busily feeding all around me. On my own, no other visitors about, so time to enjoy these mad activities. If I did not know better, I would have said it was mid-summer and the birds were bust feeding young! Certainly, there was a lot of flying in to and out of caves and tunnels and, what seemed to be, exploration of previous, present or future nesting sites. Has this long period of dry, sunny weather fooled the birds? Are they thinking about another nest or, perhaps, still raising young from the present season?

There were no other plentiful groups of birds but the usual number of Black Wheatear and a number of Black Redstarts. Both Blue Rock Thrush and Chough were noticeable by their absence and not even a good sighting of either Rock Bunting or Rock Sparrow. There were Sardinian Warblers and Chiffchaffs but, given the scarcity of sightings, I decided to press on and explore the woods of El Robladal.

Now the species came thick and fast. Scores of Chaffinches both on the track and in the woods and, stopping to observe, I soon started seeing the first of many Jays. Just to keep me on my toes a Great Spotted Woodpecker landed on the side of a tree within a few metres but had moved on before I was able to prepare the camera, no matter how hard I tried to relocate the bird. Then it was Greenfinch and Thekla Lark followed by the first of a handful of Robin and then the tits. Crested Tit first but quickly followed by both Great ad Blue Tit. However, no Coal Tot seen nor Firecrest. Working my way back towards the car, I saw the best sighting of the day. A skulking bird at the back of a small tree that seemed out of place. I must have waited patiently for almost fifteen minutes till the bird eventually exposed itself and, to my surprise, turned out to be a gorgeous Dunnock with the sun beautifully reflecting off the slate blue upper body. Lovely.

Somewhat lazy, I decided not to walk down to the stream but, rather, took the car. Well, what's the point of having four-wheel drive if you never use it? Very little to be seen having arrived but just as I was about to depart a beautiful Nuthatch flew past and landed, as always it seems, on the back of a neighbouring tree. Very lovely. No sooner had I got over the pleasant shock and that inward smile of satisfaction that comes with such a sighting and returned o the top of the hill, and within ten metres of where the Dunnock was seen, than a pair of larks were noticed on the sandy soil to the right of the track. Something looked different; no crest, a short tail and a very distinctive head marking including a very clear white eye brow. Yes, a Woodlark - and it remained long enough to photograph albeit form the car window.

The return trip along the track back to the main road produced a couple of White Wagtail, a lovely Southern Grey Shrike, Goldfinch, more Jays and "drumming" woodpeckers plus the resident Spotless Starlings. Finally, returning to the mountain pass at Zafarraya via the growing fields, a solitary Heron feeding in the irrigation pond. And then on arriving back at Puente don Manuel to collect my weekly newspaper, who should I bump into but the two Johns with their respective wives, Elaine and Carol. I was late anyway so, having telephoned my excuses to " 'er Indoors", it was time for a well-earned drink and very pleasant company.


Birds seen:
Heron, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Southern Gey Shrike, Thekla Lark, Woodlark, Crag Martin, White Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Black Wheatear, Blackbird, Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff, Crested Tit, Great Tit, BlueTit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Spotless Starling and Jay.

Vultures by the Hundred

It would appear that whilst we were away sunning ourselves in the Donana and surrounds, enjoying the birding and hospitality, it was blowing a northerly gale back here on the mountain for the whole of the week. We only experienced the strong breeze on our way home last Saturday, which made photographing the Great Bustards from a distance with a tripod almost impossible. Anyway, my neighbour called this morning with the post, he shares our box at the bottom of the track rather than travel into La Vinuela, and informed me that for four successive days last week there were hundreds of vultures (they would almost certainly have been Griffon Vultures) streaming over the mountain top between our two house. The birds had risen from below the "pointee mountain" in the valley between us and Canillas and passed over barely 50 metres above the roof tops. Just goes to show what fun you can miss when you are having fun elsewhere!

Meanwhile, I was once again up to the Motril area and called in on both the Motril Marshes and the Charca de Suarez Reserve. The opening time of the latter is now from 4 - 6pm, half an hour earlier than I had expected so I could have been there earlier. However, other than the resident ringer of late, Jesus from the north of Cordoba who has, I think, decided to move in with the birds, I was the only visitor present. Also informed by Jesus that the lady I met was the new (temporary?) warden as Manolo had come off his motor bike and broken his collar bone.

Back to the birds. It seemed wetter than last time so, maybe, there was more rain in that area but the marshes certainly produced at least 6 Snipe along with half a dozen Cattle Egret. The concrete road produces a good-sized flock of Tree Sparrow and a good number of Serin whilst there were also plenty of House Sparrows, all stuffing themselves on the seeds of the plentiful pampas grass. In the grassy area near the far track was a lone Meadow Pipit whilst in the area immediately in front of the car parking area a single Water Pipit. All around plenty of Chiffchaffs and Stonechats and especially Zitting Cisticolas. However, before moving on to the Charca reserve, I was surprised to see two very late Barn Swallows (I shall now have to amend and re-calculate my "Summer Migrant" data!). Also present a Robin and a number of White Wagtails plus an influx of Reed Bunting.

Within the reserve, there were the usual good numbers of Coot and Moorhens but much fewer Mallard and only a handful of Shoveler, the latter looking far behind their Huelva Province cousins in terms of breeding plumage. Only 2 Little Egret and a sole Grey Heron that arrived just before I departed. Yes, a few Little Grebe but I had to visit the neighbouring pond to find the single Purple Swamphen. Over the water a flashing Kingfisher and a wandering Marsh Harrier seeking out an evening nibble, whilst nearer the hide the Chiffchaffs were busy feeding with an occasional visit from the resident Red Avadavats. Finally, on the way back to gate, a couple of Black Redstart, a single Grey Wagtail and a Great Tit.


Birds seen: Little Grebe, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Heron, Marsh Harrier, Mallard, Shoveler, Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Coot, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Collared Dove, Kingfisher, Barn Swallow, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Red Avadavat, Serin, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Reed Bunting and Spotless Starling.

A Week in Huelva Province

It all worked very well with lots of good birding from start to end resulting in 114 species with at least one new bird every day during the week. The idea was to visit most of the major birding sites in the Donana area plus stops in the neighbourhood of Osuna on the outward and return journey whilst still finding time for Jenny to enjoy a non-birding day in Rio Tinto and make use of the hotel facilities at the Tierra Mar Gold in Matalascanas. Given also that we started out in warm sunshine and the weather continued sunny and dry the whole week with just a little cloud on the Wednesday, the company of Eric and Pat Lyon was a pleasure and we had rooms overlooking the beach with morning views of Sanderling and a range of gulls, what more could one ask?

Fuente de Piedra being a barren waste there was no point stopping here on the outward journey so we made our first detour at Osuna to locate the small lagoons and minor roads near La Lantejuela. Whilst the lagoons here were also dry, we did strike lucky on the minor roads. The "whisper" was that both Little and Great Bustard might/have been in recent years seen in this area. Whilst we did not see the latter, we did see 9 Little Bustards and a small party of Red-legged Partridge. Also in the area, lots of raptors, mainly Red Kites and Common Buzzards but also a single Booted Eagle. Again, small groups of Griffon Vultures were a pleasure and then we were seeing the first of very many Ravens. The other bird of note was the White Stork, seeing our first rising flock of at least 40 birds. Lots of Stonechats, Black Redstarts and Corn Buntings on the fences as we rejoined the motorway and continued on towards the Donana National Park.

Rather than take the direct route to El Rocio, we followed the San Juan motorway turn which brought us in via the very small pueblo of Alfonso XIII and Isla Mayor. The extensive rice crop had been gathered in and a start made on ploughing in the stubble. This was where all the surface water was to be found and, along with it, the birds. Fields of White Storks accompanied by a few Black Storks, parties of Black-winged Stilts and then a large group of Glossy Ibis. And all the time hundreds of Little Egrets, Grey Herons (but also a single Purple Heron) and gulls seeking an easy meal whilst, overhead, there was a continuous quartering of the fields by many Marsh Harriers. A truly marvellous site but we had to push on to cross the Park, pick up the main road at El Rocio and travel on down to the coast to book in at our hotel. Crossing the park, every wet rice field seemed to hold some bird or other and, before long, we had seen a large flock of Lapwing, loads of Ringed and Kentish Plovers, Dunlin, Little Stint, 7 Spoonbill, party of 30 Barn Swallows, Hoopoes and a small gathering of Greylag Geese. However, the real joy came as we approached El Rocio on the back road and saw what, at first, appeared to be a very pale Kestrel. A closer look after stopping the car revealed an absolutely gorgeous Black-shouldered Kite. Wow!

Sunday was scheduled as the day to visit the reserves in the Donana and El Rocio itself. Like just about everywhere else, the lack of rain (unlike last year) had left the main lagoon at El Rocio completely devoid of any water and all that was to be seen were the occasional Cattle Egrets feeding on the grubs disturbed by the numerous horses. Similarly, there was little water to be found at either the Acebron or La Rocina centres. However, there were birds to be seen. As always, the former was playing host to scores of Magpies including good numbers of the Azure-winged Magpie. The path also provided views of Hoopoe and the a close sighting of a Dartford Warbler before discovering one small area of water at the third hide. Here, amongst the resting Mallards, our first Teal and at least four feeding Snipe, a Little Grebe, a Common Sandpiper and then the vivid blue flash of a Kingfisher as he arrived to take up a feeding station immediately opposite our hide. Moving on to Acebron we managed to locate Long-tailed Tit, Firecrest, very many Chiffchaff, a Sardinian Warbler and then the bird of the day. About the only water available was a trickle in the stream that feed the area so, watching from the footbridge, we were happy to record Chaffinch, Blackcap and Blue Tit until along came a very unexpected, but nevertheless very welcome, pair of female Bullfinches. The first Bullfinch I have seen this far south in Spain.

Monday was set aside for our first visit to the Odiel Marshes on the western side of Huelva. Last year it was fantastic and this year was to prove equally so. And even better, we arrived relatively early in the morning before high tide. Indeed, our second visit was planned for the following Friday to coincide with a midday low tide so giving an even better opportunity for wader watching. Being a national holiday, the visitors centre on entering the central spit was closed so enabling us to be the first to look over the neighbouring fresh water pool. We were not to be disappointed in either quantity or quality. Little and Black-necked Grebe, Moorhen and Coot, Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Pintail, Shoveler and Pochard busy feeding whilst Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff and Zitting Cisticola moved around the fringes. Immediately opposite were large numbers of Flamingo, Lesser Black-backed and Yellow-legged Gulls plus reasonably-sized groups of both Black-headed Gull and Black-winged Stilts.

A drive along the spit with regular stops produced a very wide range of waders, some in great numbers, including the following: Whimbrel, Curlew, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Ringed and Kentish Plover, Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Dunlin, Little Stint and Sanderling. Also about were many Marsh Harriers, Buzzards, Kestrels, Stonechats and a small party of Long-tailed Tits. Needless to say, there were White Storks, Little Egrets and Grey Herons everywhere plus a few Spoonbills and a number of Cormorants. Indeed, whilst Eric and I were otherwise engaged on the bridge over the river, the wives managed to see a Kingfisher from the (closed) Visitors' Centre.

Tuesday was the "cultural visit" to Rio Tinto and a visit to the mine, railway and fabulous museum. However, the extra height did give us the opportunity to see a Blue Rock Thrush, a small party of the resident Crag Martins and then a Black Vulture moving across with a small party of Griffons. Whilst upstairs in Casa 21, former home to the Mines' Chief Engineer and now restored as a public exhibit, we looked out in time to see a beautiful Nuthatch arrive and take up residence in the tree immediately outside the bedroom window.


On Wednesday the girls stayed behind for a rest whilst Eric and I took to the Donana park proper, complete with its 40+ km track circumnavigation to the Jose Valverde Centre. The Park itself provided good numbers of raptors including Kestrel, Marsh Harrier, Red Kite and Common Buzzard but the real beauties were the male Hen Harrier which rose from a ditch immediately in front of us and a single Spanish Imperial Eagle soaring high and in, relatively, close proximity of a half-dozen Griffon Vulure. Similarly, we must not forget the sighting of "our" Black-shouldered Kite on the same electricity cable on both the outward and return journeys.

All the usual larger water birds were seen and, at the Jose Valverde Centre, we were also able to see close views of Purple Swamphen and the arrival of 4 Cranes. Many charms of Goldfinches were seen along with Corn Bunting, Crested Lark, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Serin, Greenfinch, Linnet and a Tree Sparrow.

A second visit to the Acebron Centre did not find any more Bullfinches. Indeed, it seemed to find almost nothing at all!

Thursday was our chance to visit the Lagunas de Palos on the Mazagon - Huelva road. We eventually found a place to park the car and fight our way to the water's edge to be well-rewarded with a couple of Purple Swamphen, 3 Great Crested Grebes, a number of Little Grebe and, especially delightful, at least 5 Squacco Heron. Also present were a handful of Gadwall. The second pool proved devoid of birds so we pressed on to the ponds on the far west of the Province before crossing the border into Portugal. The Laguna de El Portil was completely dry and the river mouth of the Rio Piedras west of El Rompido produced a few resting Cormorants and 4 Sandwich Tern. Once in Portugal, we made our way to the small, but beautiful, village of Cacela Velha set on a small hill immediately in front of the beach. From here we had a lovely view of the bird-life below Great White Egret, Heron, Grey Plover, Kentish Plover, a single Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, Black and Bar-tailed Godwits, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Dunlin, White Stork, Oystercatcher and Spoonbill amongst others. On the banks were Meadow Pipit, Zitting Cisticola, Stonechat and White Wagtail whilst, above, Common Buzzards made lazy circles in the sky (to quote from Rogers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma") Finally, calling in at Ayamonte on the Guadiana estuary to visit the Isla del Moral, the most westerly site in southern Spain, we managed to record a Common Tern and met the only other birders we were to see during the whole week. Spanish - No. British, Dutch or German - No. A young couple who had travelled from Lithuania by Ryanair (that's a forgettable experience to start with!) via Stansted to spend ten days in Andalucia using Andy Paterson's "Where to Watch Birds in Southern and Western Spain" as both their "Guide and Bible." As they told us, there are no bird books in Lithuania so all their knowledge was in English; it rather made us feel a little ashamed if not embarrassed.

Friday it was back to the Odiel Marshes for a full day without any distraction on the way. As with the previous visit, there were scores of waders and larger water birds plus the usual ducks on the small fresh water pool. Inside the Centre grounds opposite the Chiffchaff were busy feeding along with a Robin and the White Wagtails. The small pool held a good number of Gadwall seeking shelter from the more exposed pool and a single Purple Swamphen was resting in the reeds at least a metre off the ground. In addition to the close sighting of another Grey Plover, there were also close views of Bar-tailed Godwits, Oystercatchers and Southern Grey Shrikes. Finally, another two new birds for the week. First a magnificent Osprey and then, feeding amongst a mixed flock of House and Tree Sparrows and a few Meadow Pipits, a number of Spanish Sparrows.

And so we set off for home on Saturday morning, calling first at the rice fields around Isla Mayor and then back to the steppes and the minor road to the the south-west of La Lantejuela near Osuna. The former turned out quite disappointing as all bar one of the Glossy Ibis had moved away. However, we did manage to record at least a dozen feeding Black Stork and the feeding Little Egrets and Heron also contained a single Great White Egret amidst their number. Also, we had another close look at the Black-shouldered Kite (same location as before) as we entered the Park proper and there was also the regular supply of Red Kite, Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier and Kestrel.

It was at our last stop that the week was finally brought to a triumphant conclusion with two new birds for the week. First we stopped to see a large flock of Lapwing then, a little further along the road. we encountered an enormous flock of Spotless Starling totalling well in excess of a thousand birds. Whilst scoping the far distance to look for the bird that came last, we suddenly realised that many of the nearer starlings were bright and shiny and full of spots; yes, Common Starlings to accompany our resident Spotless Starling variety. Meanwhile, Eric had found his small flock of "sheep", way off in the distance. The rumour was correct, Great Bustards do use these fields to rest and over-winter. But how to get a closer view of the 9 birds now seen by us all? Fortunately, with the building of the new high speed railway, the level crossings have been replaced by very steep and high over-bridges. So, off to the nearby bridge which, despite the increasingly strong wind, gave us height advantage, if not the best photographic conditions, to scope, what we now could count, the twelve feeding birds. Even at about 800 metres, neck markings could be distinguished and the birds appreciated. What a way to end a magnificent week and whet the appetite for more!


More photographs on the website (www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com)


Birds seen: Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Cormorant, Squacco Herron, Cattle Egret, Little egret, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, purple Heron, Black Stork, White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Flamingo.
Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard.
Black-shouldered Kite, Red Kite, Griffon Vulture, Black Vulture,MarshHarrier, Hen Harrier, Buzzard, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Booted Eagle, Osprey, Kestrel.
Red-legged Partridge, Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Coot, Crane, Little Bustard, Great Bustard.
Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Sanderling, Little Stint, Dunlin, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone.
Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern. Rock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove.
Kingfisher, Hoopoe.
Calandra Lark, Crested lark, Thekla Lark, Skylark, Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Blue Rock Thrush, Blackbird, Cetti's warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Dartford Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Firecrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Southern Grey Shrike.
Azure-winged Magpie, Magpie, Jackdaw, Raven.
Starling, Spotless Starling.
House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Bullfinch, Corn Bunting.