TUESDAY 15TH OCTOBER 2013 - 8 DAY TOUR - DAY 2

EL ROCIO - MATALASCANAS CLIFFS  - ACEBUCHE VISITOR'S CENTRE - EL PALICIO DE ACEBRON WOODLAND WALK - LA ROCINA NATURE TRAILS - EL ROCIO

We had a packed itinerary today with perfect weather once again, although it did get a little too hot during the afternoon.

We met at 8am outside the hotel, it was still dark but we could see the sunrise in the distance as a Tawny Owl called its' way onto the day list. We walked the short distance to the edge of the Laguna Marisma de Madre where we could hear Greylag Geese and Greater Flamingos. The light improved and we scoped several species out in the muddy pools of the marsh, the laguna itself did not hold much water.

the gang in the woods at Palicio de Acebron

We added Eurasian Wigeon and Eurasian Teal to our list as well as seeing Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, lots of Common Snipe and a good number of the species seen yesterday.  From El Rocio we drove to the coast at Matalascanas where we walked along the cliffs looking out to sea hoping for some seabird passage. However it was very quiet, we did see the odd Northern Gannet, Sandwich Tern and the usual gulls but nothing to write home about. On the cliffs we found a mixed flock of Thekla and Crested Larks, Sardinian Warblers, Stonechats and Goldfinches. A peregrine Falcon flew over us as we left to return to the car.

Acebuche centre was also very quiet it took a while to find a bird other than House Sparrows and Azure-winged Magpies. We did find Tree Sparrow and both Pied and Spotted Flycatcher but after spending an hour or so visiting two or three of the hides we found nothing great for the list. On the way out of the park we stopped to watch a small number of Crested Tits just as a Dartford Warbler hopped about in the scrub.

what is left of the laguna at Acebuche after a dry summer

The Palicio de Acebron was built in the sixties and is surrounded by a unique woodland which sits on a large peat-bog. We found a few new species but again it was very quiet. Garden Warbler was new for our list and a Short-toed Treecreeper appeared as we were leaving.

The hides at La Rocina overlooked dry open scrub where water usually stands so not much was seen there. Both Pied and Spotted Flycatchers were in good numbers and we did see a Booted Eagle as we drove there.

Azure-winged Magpie

 Our second visit to the laguna at El Rocio was more rewarding with much better late afternoon light, we approached it after stopping a couple of times around the outskirts of El Rocio town. During our stops we found White & Yellow Wagtails, Meadow Pipits, Cattle Egrets and more Crested Larks.

On and around the muddy pools of the main laguna we found lots of Ruff, Ringed Plover, Common Snipe, Northern lapwing, a few Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank and many Mallard, Shoveler and Greylag Geese. In the distance we found a two Ravens, they sat on the shore near some Red Deer, also Common Buzzard and two Griffon vultures.

Tree Sparrow

We called it a day around 5:30pm, we had seen just over 60 species, the list was almost identical to that of last year's tally when we visited the same sites (check out the archive blogs).