LA JANDA - BENALUP TRACK - VEJER & BARBATE - RIO BARBATE ESTUARY - BARBATE NATURAL PARQUE
WEATHER: very hot and humid too, very windy. Tope temp. 35C
Wow! That was a very hot and windy day, very tiring too. We started out after breakfast, having watched a large flock of Bee-eaters over the hotel as well as Spotless Starlings and numerous Cattle Egrets.
It was a short trip to La Janda, it looked very dry and windswept. We parked at the top of the rise along the entrance track and watched a good number of raptors. Many Marsh and Montagu's Harriers were visible as well as a several Lesser Kestrels. A few Black Kites drifted over as did Honey Buzzards and Booted Eagles. at least 3 Short-toed Eagles were sitting on the top of the pylons.
On the ground we saw Northern Wheatear, Zitting Cisticola, Corn Bunting and flocks of Spanish Sparrows dashed from one Sunflower crop to another, a Red-legged Partridge walked across the track ahead of us.
Next we parked at the central canal, it was blowing a hoolie there! We found both Stonechat and Whinchat, also our first Woodchat Shrike, Sardinian Warbler, Moorhen, Little Egret and fly-over Turtle Doves. Distant Harrier sightings continued to please the group and more Lesser Kestrels appeared. Small groups of Yellow Wagtails flew over or dashed along the canel reedbeds.
my group exploring the area around the canal
We drove the full length of the central track, stopping to look at Green Sandpipers, Turtle Doves, Lesser Kestrels, a beautiful male Montagu's Harrier and some White Storks. Glossy Ibis appeared at our next stop where we photographed Spanish Sparrows, an Iberian Frog and Red Crayfish. Banded Groundling dragonflies dashed around our feet with a few Common Darters.
juvenile Woodchat Shrike
On the Benalup track we stopped at a sliuce gate to look for Night Herons, but European Bee-eaters grabbed our attention, we saw two flocks on the power lines totalling about 50-60 birds. A Kingfisher was seen by a few of us, Cetti's Warbler showed to two of the group, although everyone heard it.
Glossy Ibis
At the smelly farm we saw more Turtle Doves and at least 14 Lesser Kestrels were 'hunting' over a single field. We searched for roosting Red-necked Nightjars without finding any. On our return journey we stopped to watch an Otter!! It showed very briefly a couple of times before disappearing.
Iberian Frog
We drove off La Janda and headed for Barca de Vejer where we stopped for coffee before driving into Barbate to buy lunch. From the car park at Aldi's Keith found Common, Pallid and Alpine Swifts!! We all got to see them as they repeatedly flew over us, amazing!
The bridge over the Rio Barbate Estuary
We ate our picnic sitting on a bench overlooking the Rio Barbate estuary, it was windy there too. We listed several waders that were feeding out on the mud where hundreds of Signal-Crabs had made their homes.
the mudflats at low tide are expansive and covered in birds
Wader sightings included: Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Redshank, Dunlin, Sanderling, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone and lots of Yellow-legged Gulls. Walking under the bridge to view the wide tidal-marsh area we were amazed to see hundred and hundreds of birds. We picked out Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Great Cormorant, Curlew, Whimbrel, Black-winged Stilts, Grey Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Caspian Terns, Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls.
there are two Mediterranean Gulls in this picture - can you find them?
Barbate Marshes consist of two or three huge lagoons which contain brackish water, but birding there was difficult because of the wind and the heat. We saw 100+ Audouin's Gulls, we added Avocet, Common Shelduck and a distant Stone Curlew to the list.
Stone Curlews in flight
there are six Stone Curlews in this picture!
Driving deeper into the reserve we stopped to watch a large number of Stone Curlews, probably over 50 were present. At another stop we had much closer views of them, along with another Caspain Tern. Black-tailed Godwits went onto the list but, we couldn't find a single Osprey (there are usually several here). Apart from a single Woodchat Shrike we saw not small passerine birds at all, I'm not surprised due to the weather conditions.
Squirting Cucumber plants are everywhere at La Janda
We called it a day, earlier than usual, my group were exhausted, poor things!!