OCT 4TH - DAY TOUR

LAGUNA MEDINA - SALINAS DE PUERTO MARIA - SALINAS DE BONANZA - LAGUNA TARELO

Another long and hot day, we set off at 7am in the dark and drove to the coast at Manilva where we collected Rosie and Mike who were joining us for the day. We set off in a two car convoy and made good time in reaching Laguna Medina by 9am.

It was a very still and bright morning, just perfect, the surface of the laguna was like a sheet of glass, not a ripple. we quickly identified White-headed Duck, Common Pochard, Red-crested Pochard, Gadwall, Shoveler and the usual 3 grebe species, Great-crested, Black-necked and Little.

In the scrub and reed-beds we found several Cetti's Warblers, Blackcaps, Garden Warblers, Common Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers. A couple of 'coveys' of Red-legged Partridges were found in the ploughed fields along with several Northern Wheatears and a Whinchat.

In the distance we watched up to 3 Black-winged Kites, a family party, perched and hunting over the olive groves. From the hide we had a few, all but brief, views of Penduline Tit, an adult female bird.

Moving on, we drove to the Salinas de Puerto maria where we finally caught up with a number of

Stone Curlew. We also found lots of White Storks, Little & Cattle Egrets, more Northern Wheatears and Whinchats.

We stopped briefly at the Rio Guadalquiver at Sanlucar and searched for a wader that was missing from the weekly list, a Turnstone, which was duly found along with, Bar-tailed Godwit, Kentish Plover, Whimbrel, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Red Kite, Booted Eagle and lots of gulls.

We by-passed the Salinas de Bonanza in favour of driving directly to the Laguna Tarelo where one of Mike's target birds, the Marbled Duck was to found. Within minutes of parking the vehicles we had located up to 9 birds, a great relief to Mike! We also found the usual array of ducks and also Night Heron, Purple Swamphen, Red-crested Pochard (2 eclipsed males) and along the hedgerow Rosie founs 2 Chameleons as well as a very large Preying Mantis.

The two Chameleons - I wonder why they are different colours?? Answers on a postcard please.

Our last couple of hours was spent on the Salinas de Bonanza looking at many species of waders, herons, flamingos, storks, and gulls. One particular 'pan' was covered in birds with over 20 species to views and in perfect afternoon light, it was a joy to behold. The birds of note were: Black Stork (2), Osprey, Greater Flamingo (500+), Black-tailed Godwit (50+), Grey Plover, Little Stint, Cyrlew Sandpiper, Greenshank, Caspian Tern, Common Tern (a good bird for October) and hundreds of Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Sanderling, Redshank, Avocet, Black-winged Stilts.

Click on this video link to watch the Flamingos at Salinas de Bonanza.