Cloudy, wet, dull, cold & windy.......no I'm not talking about the UK. The weather in Spain has been pretty bad over the last few days and has curtailed many a day's birding.
However, Roger and his wife of Polish descent, Taysha, booked me for a day's birding and were not put off by the weather forecast. We met on the coast at Sabinillas and after a short detour to Estapona we stopped at the Casares Beach.
However, Roger and his wife of Polish descent, Taysha, booked me for a day's birding and were not put off by the weather forecast. We met on the coast at Sabinillas and after a short detour to Estapona we stopped at the Casares Beach.
Roger and Taysha in the hide at Palmones
The rain had eased a little but it was still wet and cold. Our first birds were Spotless Starlings quickly followed by a Black Redstart, we then turned our attention to the sea and watched several Northern Gannets fishing and had views of Sandwich Tern, Cormorant, Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A walk along the raised footpath above the beach produced Sanderling, Common Sandpiper, Chiffchaff, Goldfinch, Robin, Blackbird and House Sparrow.
Next we made a futile effort to walk around the nature Reserve at Torreguadiaro, we lasted about 5 minutes seeing only a Grey Heron and a Common Coot before being driven off by the rain. We then spent 30 minutes watching from the car at San Enrique. There we saw Cattle and Little Egrets, lots of Meadow Pipits, Crested Lark, White Wagtails and more Sparrows.
By driving inland to Pinar del Rey pinewoods we thought we could avoid the brunt of the weather.....wrong it was just as bad there. We never got out of the car but we saw lots of White Storks on their nests, a Stonechat on the fence and some Paper White Narcissi in a filed.
By the time we reached the salt marsh at Palmones it had stopped raining but it was still cold and windy. From the Algeciras side of the marsh we stood in the hide sheltered somewhat from the wind. We saw hundreds of White Storks, dozens of Grey Herons and a good selection of waders which included Redshank, Greenshank, Black Winged Stilt, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Sanderling. There was also Eurasian Spoonbills (5), Marsh Harrier, Common Kestrel and we saw a Sparrowhawk on the way back to the car.
After a warming cup of coffee in Palmones we walked along the promenade to look at the sand spit and muddy shoreline of the river. We added Ruddy Turnstone, Kentish Plover, Avocet, Whimbrel, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit to the wader list and we extended the gull list with an oiled Mediteranean Gull, a Little Gull, a single Audouin's Gull and 4 Slender Billed Gulls, what a great little tally!
Audouin's Gull from the promenade at PalmonesThe expected Osprey failed to show but we had better views of the Spoonbills and of the Marsh Harrier.
A last attempt at bird-watching was made at Soto Grande where we added a couple of Balearic Shearwaters, an Arctic Skua and a Purple Swamphen to the list. We also stopped at the bridge over the Guadiaro to watch Crag Martins and also added House Martin, this was our last sighting as it getting dull and the rain started again. One final coffee was taken in Torreguadiaro before we drove home.
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