CREAM-COLOURED COURSER - BIRD OF THE DAY (A SPANISH TICK FOR ME)
A big improvement in the weather today, it got much warmer, the wind reduced and there was very little cloud cover. After our breakfast we drove down to the coast via Casares where we collected Penny Hale who was joining us for the day.
Our first stop was in the hills between Algeciras and Tarifa, it walked through a park just above Pelaya. It was a bit breeze up there which kept many species out of sight but there were many Common Nightingales singing, a Cuckoo called in the distance and we found Blackcap, Cirl Bunting, Serin, Stonechat, Griffon Vutlure and Short-toed Eagle.
The westerly wind wasn't conducive to raptor migration so we didn't stop at the 'watch points' and went straight to Los Lances Beach. Unfortunately there were many joggers, dog-walkers and strollers on the beach so not many birds were present, the same applied to the grass meadows behind the beach. We saw a flock of 10 Whimbrels, Sanderling, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Kentish Plover and a single Yellow-legged Gull. On the grass meadows we found: Short-toed Larks, Crested Larks, Northern Wheatear and more Kentish Plovers, the whole area was a bit disappointing.
The same can be said about La Janda, the wind had picked up so not many birds were on show, there were many White Storks and good numbers of both Pallid & Common Swifts but not much else. We did see a few Purple Swamphens, Grey Heron, Cattle Egrets and Corn Buntings. We ate our picnic lunch along the Benalup track where we found Common Pheasant, Black Kite and we heard a Cetti's Warbler.
Next we drove to Vejer to look for the 'now breeding' bald Ibis, there were four nest with accompanying birds in attendance. The nearby marshes at Barbate held a good number of Glossy Ibis, Purple Swamphen, Moorhen, a single Wood Sandpiper and lots of Black-winged Stilts.
We made a short stop at the Sierra de la Plata where we looked for Little Swifts but all we found was a pair of Blue Rock Thrushes and a Griffon Vulture.
Lastly we returned to Los Lances, after we had heard of a rarity for Spain, in the shape of a Cream-coloured Courser. We all had excellent views of this little gem and it was a great bird to end the day with.
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