88 SPECIES SEEN TODAY IN A VERY DRY COTO DONANA
Today we
spent all of our time in and around the Donana Parque Nacional. It was very
misty as we left our hotel in Matalascanas but by the time we reached our first destination
it was bright and sunny with no wind.
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| The small gap in the bushes where we viewed a laguna - hundreds of birds were on it including 3 Ferruginous Ducks |
We drove to
the Corredor de Verde which runs right through the park north to south and we
joined it near Villamonrique. The group was amazed to see so many large flocks
of finches; we had stopped to look at huge numbers of Greenfinches,
Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Spanish Sparrows and Tree Sparrows before we actually
reach the Corredor. Once we arrived in the Corredor finch numbers were truly
astounding. We also stopped to watch a very confiding Hoopoe and we saw two
Black-winged Kites, many Azure-winged Magpies and an abundance of Crested
Larks.
Our first
planned stop was at a laguna found just off the Corredor track; it was covered
in birds which was understandable as Donana this year is extremely dry. A
flotilla of hundreds Mallards, Common Pochard, Shoveler, Eurasian Teal and
Common Coot also held; FERRUGINOUS DUCK (3), Red-crested Pochard (1
female), Northern Pintail (1 female), Great Crested Grebe (1), Greylag Goose
(3) and several Great Cormorants. On the laguna banks and in the surrounding
scrub we found, Kingfisher, Cetti’s Warbler, Eurasian Chiffchaff, Sardinian
Warbler, Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpiper and a lovely Osprey came over and began
fishing over the water (without success).
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| Black-winged Stilts with Ruff and flamingo - can ypou pick out the Ruff in the picture below? |
The track
took us through some lovely open woodland and then passed many hectares of arable
farmland where potatoes, cotton and rice was being grown. We stopped a few
times to look at Northern Wheatear, Thekla and Crested Larks, Marsh Harrier and
a few Common Buzzards.
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| Black Redstart |
At Dehesa
Abajo the laguna was almost completely dry with just a few small pools of water
remaining, so we concentrated our efforts in the rice fields on the other side
of the road. Sitting on the telephone wires was alarge flock of starlings which held both Common and Spotless, the two species sitting side by side. We also found Zitting Cisticola, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Little Egret,
Cattle Egret, Greater flamingo, Eurasian Spoonbill, Black-winged Stilts (200+),
Ruff (50+ we only realised this number were present a little later when a
Peregrine put the whole flock up), Pied Avocet (8) and many Grey Herons, White
Storks and large numbers of gulls were also milling about.
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| Lesser Short-toed Lark with a Linnet |
From there
we drove along tracks that dissected the rice fields where we stopped to look for
more species. We found two ‘exotic species’ in the form of Common Waxbill and
Yellow-crowned Bishop, also Green Sandpiper, Purple Heron, Peregrine Falcon,
Red Kite and several Marsh Harriers.
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| Views along the track near the Jose Valverde centre in the centre of Coto Donana |
Our journey to the Jose Valerie centre was
punctuated by a scheduled stop (our picnic lunch). During lunch we found
Black-winged Kite (5), Black Stork (5), Great White Egret (7 – that was 3 now
and 4 later). Black-crowned Night Heron (1 juv), Little Grebe and several
Lesser Kestrels.
The whole
area was very dry with very little water in the channels and certainly no
standing water. As we approached the Valverde centre we turn off towards El
Rocio to look for Sandgrouse. It was along this track that we stopped to look
at birds that were drinking from a small pool of water that had leaked from a
Horse’s drinking trough. We found LESSER SHORT-TOED
LARK (50+, THEY ARRIVED IN SMALL FLOCKS TO DRINK), Linnets, Crested
Larks, Northern Wheatear and Stonechat. Further along this track we stopped to
watch many Griffon Vultures circling above the park.
We reached
the centre at 3pm and promptly ordered coffee! From the Valverde Centre we saw
Purple Swamphen, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and lots of Mallard.
At 4pm we
set off back towards Villamonrique via a different route, we stopped to look at
a flock of some fifty Skylarks and a party of seven Great White Egrets. Our
journey back took via Isla Mayor rice fields which held thousands of gulls,
storks, ibis, herons, egrets and flamingos. At one stop we counted 700 Glossy
ibis, 2000 Greater Flamingos and countless gulls in just one field.
It was now
5:30pm and time for us to make the long journey back, but before we got off the
marshes we stopped to watch a Hen Harrier (female) our first of the trip so
far. We arrived back at the hotel at 6:30pm, with just enough time to get ready
for dinner.
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