We began the day at 8:30am as we left Gaucin heading for the coast along the Algerciras road. We didn't go far as we stopped at the entrance to the "Smuggler's Walk" just outside the village boundary. A nice walk in open woodland and heath produced a number of orchids and some great 'in-the-scope' views of Bonelli's Warbler and Common Cuckoo.
WOODCOCK ORCHID
WOODCOCK ORCHID
A brief stop was made along a track just east of San Pueblo, we were looking for the Rufous Bush Robin and the first bird we saw along the track was, in fact, a Rufous Bush Robin. What a find, the bird flew up in front of the van and perched on a fence giving us excellent views. We also found Corn Bunting, Short-toed and Booted Eagle, Melodious Warbler, Lesser Kestrel and lots of common finches.
Next we stopped at a railway bridge just south of Los Angeles where several pairs of Lesser Kestrels are breeding. The kestrels showed well and also we found Jackdaw, White Stork and Griffon Vulture too.
We took lunch in the pine woods at Pinar del Rey then we walked for an hour in the pines looking for woodland species. It was a bit windy and most of the birds kept their heads down but we did find Blackcap, Bonelli's Warbler, Jay, Great Spotted woodpecker and we had excellent sightings of a Nightingale in full song (se pictures below).
The afternoon was spent looking at the salt marsh at Palmones, it was very windy there too and many kite-surfers were out practicing. A few waders were on the mud and sand banks, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover and a few Sandwich Terns. After speaking to another birder we discovered that we had just missed a White-winged Tern! What a blow, we searched for the bird without success.
To make up for our disappointment we spent half an hour at Sierra Crestellina on the way home watching the Bonelli's Eagle nest. What a great time we had, first we found that 2 chicks were in the nest and then one of the parents turned up with a 'kill' and fed them, terrific stuff and as Pat commented " we had a serious Attenborough moment".
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