TOP BIRD - WRYNECK
Another superb day in Donana. We ate breakfast at 7:30am and left the hotel at 8:30am reaching the cliffs at Matalascanas within 10 minutes. There was a chill to the air so fleeces were the order of the day but it was bright and clear. Out to sea not a lot was happening, a Gannets flew by as did two groups of Audouin’s Gulls and a Sandwich Tern. On the beach we saw many Lesser Black-beck Gulls and Yellow Legged Gulls and small flocks of Sanderling.
BILL AND BEN LOOKING OVER THE LAGUNA AT EL ROCIO
At Acebuche we stopped to watch a Hoopoe (the first of 8 birds) along the entrance drive and then we spent sometime in the car park watching the antics of the Azure-winged Magpies and tried to get decent photographs. From the hides we could see that the water level was extremely low and much of the laguna had dried up, however, we did some interesting birds. A Water Rail showed very well as did Common Snipe, Purple Swamphen and Spoonbill. We also great views of Dartford Warbler as a pair flitted from tree to tree. A Kingfisher was superb in the morning light and other species included Shoveler, Marsh Harrier, Teal and Little Grebe.
Back at the car park you wouldn’t believe it, we had just finished watching a Male Dartford Warbler when we noticed a WRYNECK sitting just above our van!! How incredible, we followed the bird as it searched for food on the trunks of the pine trees and eventually it flew off – what a show stopper!
The laguna at El Rocio was virtually dry but we drove through the town to the new visitors centre and scoped from there. Greater Flamingos were joined by Lapwing, Golden Plover, Greylag Geese, White and Yellow Wagtails, Little and Cattle Egrets and we also found two Great White Egrets. We ate lunch in the town before driving the short distance to La Rocina, we took the woodland walk to the Palacio de Acebron before visiting the hides. During the walk we didn’t see many species but we enjoyed the walk. Birds seen Eurasian Robin, Long-tailed Tit, Common Redstart and we heard both Great Spotted Woodpecker and Eurasian Nuthatch.
AFRICAN GRASS BLUE
From the hides and along the boardwalk we added Pied Flycatcher, Mistle Thrush and we heard a Cetti’s Warbler singing.
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