John & Jenny's Birding Trip: Day 3

And so the sage continues with John and Jenny wainwright now on the very windy Costa Luz.  But they are still finding the birds and the bars to enjoy and evening's light refreshment to prepare for the next day!


Day 3:  24th May 2012 Barbate Marshes_La Janda

Tawny Pipit Bisbita Campestre  Anthus campestris  (PHOTO: Jenny Wainwright)

It would have been a hot day but you can hardly stand up with the prevailing wind!  We stayed in Zahara for the evening so after breakfast we drove back over to the marshes at Barbate - only without the wardens company . We turned off right just after the 3km marker where there is a huge sign proclaiming the reclamation of the marshes. First views were of several Spoonbills, juvenile Greater
Flamingos, Cattle & Little Egrets, Black-winged Stilts, over sixty Collared Pratincoles, Yellow Wagtails, Stonechats, Dunlin, Kentish and Ringed Plovers.  A nice surprise was the three Stone Curlews calling and parading along on the marshy spits; Corn Buntings, Pallid & Common Swifts, Barn & Red-rumped Swallows, lots of Yellow-legged but only one Herring Gull (seen), Goldfinches, a Spectacled Warbler, Whinchat, Grey Plovers, Sanderling, Thekla Lark,
White Storks, Zitting Cisticola, Spotless Starlings a few House Sparrows and a very obliging Tawny Pipit. We were now getting mobbed by midges so we headed for La Janda.

La Janda

Glossy Ibis Morito comun Plegadis falcinellus (PHOTO: Jenny Wainwright)

The wind seemed to have picked up a little, but the mosquitoes were still literally after our blood. Our first encounter was a flock of some thirty Cattle Egrets, then a Spanish Sparrow and his wife posed for us on a barbed wire fence alongside a Stonechat. Also seen here were Zitting Cisticola, Mallard, White Storks, hundreds of Glossy Ibis, a Lesser Kestrel, more Spoonbills, a lone Cormorant and a single Purple Swamphen.  Next came Buzzard, Moorhen, several Turtle Doves, Red-legged Partridge (one of only two all day) and again a few House Sparrows.

We then turned right onto the track for the dam.  Along this track we saw at least three hundred Cattle Egrets all clamouring for nesting spaces, several were already sitting on nests, a hen Pheasant was seen and a Black Kite gratefully posed for photos whilst feeding on something in a field. Still lots of Nightingales singing, although only one shrike  - a Woodchat - was seen all day.  Collared Doves around the farm yard and just away from the farm a cock Pheasant called and was seen. In the distance we could make out four Griffon Vultures and closer to us we spotted a Booted Eagle, several more Black Kites and two Ravens. A couple of dozen Jackdaws and the same number of Wood Pigeon were about, as well as Crested Larks, two Little Egrets and Ringed Plovers.  A
Purple Heron was spotted by Jenny and a Reed Warbler was heard in the reed bed.  Small songbirds were at a premium today at La Janda possibly due to the windy conditions.

We called in at Bolonia to try to pick-up the "Swifts".  We did see three Swifts but could not id them before they disappeared, so but  we dipped out here - although we did get eight Honey Buzzards, three Griffon Vultures, a Booted Eagle and a Blue Rock Thrush.

Found a smashing hostal and enjoying a few beers....