The surface of this road has been gradually degrading over the past decade and some sections are now dotted with potholes but it's still reasonably drivable (with care) and there are plenty of opportunities to pull over the scan the marismas to the south or a series of large lakes between the road and river. The large numbers of Flamingos dotting the lakes are obvious but you need to look more carefully to pick out waders and the odd Marbled Duck (reduced to 13 pairs on the Coto Donana in 2022) hiding amongst the more numerous Red-crested Pochards. The scrubby marshes to the south conceal small birds including Spanish Yellow Wagtail, various larks and warblers but the prize here is Pin-tailed Sandgrouse. In my experience, one of the best places to look for this elusive species is the track near the Cortijo de Adventus.
Since the raptor passage across the Strait of Gibraltar is one of the great spectacles of bird migration not merely in Europe but the world, it’s understandable that visiting birders tend to congregate between Tarifa and Algeciras. Many seem to get scarcely any further north than La Janda or Barbate, fewer still venture as far as Laguna de Medina (for White-headed Duck et al), Bahia de Cadiz and the Sanlucar area (for waders and terns) and, more recently, Chipiona (for Little Swift). Those arriving via Seville may divert to take in Brazo del Este but for most visiting birders the area between that site and Cadiz Province is terra incognita. To be fair, this is not helped by a lack of information and, often, limited access. I cannot pretend that this is a top-drawer birding destination but exploring this area can be very rewarding and, for me at least, the shady drive along the Guadalquivir is one of the most relaxing sites for some gentle unhurried birding. Even those who manage to penetrate as far as Bonanza’s famous salinas don’t necessarily follow the Carretera de Practico (CA 9027) along the Guadalquivir. As you approach the marismas across what seems to be an open flat plain, it can be something of a shock when a large cargo boat interposes itself between the viewer and the horizon. Perhaps surprisingly, the twisting and turning Guadalquivir is navigable all the way up to Seville (c85 km). It comes as no surprise then that the name comes from the Arabic al-wādī l-kabīr meaning “Great River” The surface of this road has been gradually degrading over the past decade and some sections are now dotted with potholes but it's still reasonably drivable (with care) and there are plenty of opportunities to pull over the scan the marismas to the south or a series of large lakes between the road and river. The large numbers of Flamingos dotting the lakes are obvious but you need to look more carefully to pick out waders and the odd Marbled Duck (reduced to 13 pairs on the Coto Donana in 2022) hiding amongst the more numerous Red-crested Pochards. The scrubby marshes to the south conceal small birds including Spanish Yellow Wagtail, various larks and warblers but the prize here is Pin-tailed Sandgrouse. In my experience, one of the best places to look for this elusive species is the track near the Cortijo de Adventus. Heading further north along the Carretera de Practico (which is transformed into the SE 9013 when it crosses the provincial border) can be problematical as the track can be in a particularly poor state. If you balk at driving along the track it may be worth walking a little way along it to get views of the back of the “Manegodor Salinas". If you do persevere then that track progressively improves after you reach the Cano de Yesos (c3.5 km) which is marked by two low but prominent white towers. En route you pass an area of saline vegetation worth checking for Collared Pratincoles, Lesser Short-toed Larks, Spectacled Warbler, waders, etc. Following this route makes for a delightful drive along the banks of the Guadalquivir. The river to your left acts as a highway for Slender-billed Gulls, Caspian Terns, waders, etc and whilst the farmlands to the right are intensively farmed, occasional wet spots can hold birds. The first section runs along close to the river but c4 km from the towers a broad reed-fringed channel separates you from the river for c1.5 km. This can be good for herons, Great Reed Warblers, etc. Around this point the track becomes an old but surprisingly good well-patched tarmac road. For the next c10 km the road shifts a little away from the river to pass along an avenue of rather birdless eucalyptus trees but they do make for a delightful shady drive on hot days. You then reach La Señuela which is, arguably, the most scenic point along this drive. To the left you can access the Gaudalquivir again at a pleasantly shady spot ideal for a picnic and for scanning the river. However, the greater delight is the church on the right which is bedecked with White Stork’s nests – possibly the most photogenic colony in Andalucia. Both here and elsewhere along this route flooded fields can attrack large numbers of Collared Pratincole. At this point you can either turn down the road radiating out from Lebrija to reach the A 471 or continue north following the river along the Carretera de Practico. Returning to the Cadiz end of the Carretera de Practico (CA 9027), instead of continuing along the riverside you can turn right towards Trebujena. At the turning is a small reserve and a little further on a track into the Marismas de Adventus which, as I’ve described previously, I won’t dwell upon here. Similarly, I’m not discussing what could be regarded as the ‘jewel in the crown’ here, the vineyards surrounding Trebujena that harbour Spain’s largest population of Rufous Bushchat. (for more details on both see https://birdingcadizprovince.weebly.com/cadiz-birding-blog/may-2022-update-vi-trebujena-area-going-gaga-or-going-gaaa-gaaa). Continuing along the river after c4 km you reach a shallow pool on your left, Laguna del Rincón del Prado (see https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3062453 ). Although it looks somewhat unprepossessing, this site can be excellent for birding with good numbers of birds (recent counts include 90 Spoonbills, 20 Purple Swamphen, 200 Collared Pratincole,1,000 Avocets, 250 Lapwing and 150+ Black-winged Stilts plus a good mix of exotics (Black-headed Weaver, Yellow-crowned Bishop, Common Waxbill & Red Avadavat have all been reported) and small passerines (including Olivaceous Warbler & Spanish Sparrow). The odd rarity (e.g. American Golden Plover & Pectoral Sandpiper) has also been found here. A further inducement to come this way is that there’s a small authentic café, Venta El Santero, here which presumably largely serves the local campesinos so prices should be reasonable. By now you’re only 8 km from the famous Brazo del Este which, admittedly, holds a greater number and variety of birds. If you opt to return to the A 471 from La Señuela then, as noted earlier, the most direct route is to take the A 8150 back towards Lebrija. This route is erratically lined by palm trees hence it's name - Via Verde "Las Palmares". Like several other routes (see map) this track is bordered by a large canal. When full this can harbour various egrets and herons. These may linger in odd wet pools as the canal is dries out in late spring when they are joined by waders like Black-winged Stilt and Collared Pratincoles. The driest spots are also worth checking for larks and pipits. Just east of Lebrija you pass Balsa de Melendo (aka Embalse de Lebrija) on your left. I’m not sure about access to this reservoir as I’ve only visited once and then some years ago but a road off the A 8150 does permit at least a partial view of the open water. Such a large body of water is bound to attract good numbers of hirundines and swifts whilst eBird suggests it can hold several thousand ducks, mainly Shoveler including the odd rarity (see https://ebird.org/hotspot/L6218427). I've not visited the site but friends tell me that if you want to stop off somewhere to check for passerine migrants (and enjoy a little shade) then Parque de San Benito (on a low hill just east of Lebrique) is worth investigating. If you do opt to look around Trebujena’s vineyards rather than driving along the river but still want to check out La Señuela and Laguna del Rincón del Prado then you can do so by taking the A 471 towards Lebrija but take a left turn signposted to Desguace to explore the area. Note that this turning is not well signposted so look for the turn c1 km beyond the Repsol petrol station. You may want to stop before this point as the c2 km stretch between a car-breakers yard and the Repsol garage has been flooded in the past and the habitat looks interesting. Pulling off on to a track on the left by the yard or another near the garage should permit you to scan the area. I’ve only had Montagu’s Harrier and good numbers of Lapwing and Golden Plover here but I’m told Pin-tailed Sandgrouse have been spotted near here in the past. The proximity of better known and arguably more productive sites probably accounts in good measure why this area is often overlooked (including by me!) but for those wanting a pleasant riverside drive and the chance to make discoveries of their own then this route comes highly recommended. For the slightly less adventurous, note that Manuel Bárcena (Oxyura Birdwatching - https://oxyura.es/es/) is one of the few birding companies that visits this area so if you need an ornithological hand to hold he's the man to contact.
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i) Osuna Area Osuna is one of my favourite Andalucian towns with a superb architectural heritage which alone would make it worth visiting but it's the presence of some of the last remaining "pseudo-steppe" in Andalucia and accordingly a population of bustards that brings me back time and time again. As usual I started by exploring the SE 715 from Osuna stopping at the first bridge over the unfinished AVE railway line. In the past I've had Great Bustard here but the bare arable field has long since been replaced by an olive grove. Happily, the second bridge (which also crosses the SE 715) came up trumps with three droves of Great Bustard in view (one to the right, a second roughly in front of me at the edge of an olive grove and a third larger group further off towards the SE 710 - see photos). I could also see half-hidden smaller birds that I suspected to be a couple of Little Bustards. They were too distant and partly obscured to absolutely discount the possibility that they were Mallards (which occur here and can look surprisingly bustard-like at extreme range) Hoping to get a better view of the largest drove I took the track over the third bridge (the connecting track from the second bridge is undrivable unless in a 4x4) to get a closer look. En route I found another small group of Great Bustards way off to my left. Arriving at the junction with the track from the second bridge the Little Bustards (as they proved to be) were flushed by farmworkers. Rather than just a couple of birds, there was a flock of 11 individuals which, fortunately, soon pitched down in a field near the track (see photo) hundred meters towards the SE 710. As I hadn't seen this species on my last couple of visits I was delighted to catch up with them (but was chagrined to discover others saw a flock of Black-bellied Sandgrouse in the same area a few days later). Moving on to the fourth bridge, I briefly explored a few hundred metres along the gravel track running along the unfinished AVE line before heading for the track leading to the Lesser Kestrel Tower (at GPS 37.3076, -5.2314) which is an area where I've seen sandgrouse in the past. I failed in my quest but had a further two Great Bustards fly over (making my total for the day 56 birds) and a couple of Dartford Warblers. Less happily, I also saw further evidence of the encroachment of new olive groves on previous bustard/sandgrouse habitat (see photo). I also managed to explore a couple of areas I'd not looked at before or hadn't done so for a long time. The first was the Vereda del Alamillo off the SE 715 which I'd passed many times and stopped at before but never fully explored. This time I walked c1 km down the track to and under the unfinished AVE railway line (although in doing so I discovered the track was perfectly drivable). En route I saw disappointingly little (House & Spanish Sparrows & Corn Bunting). Beyond the AVE line I had views across towards the tower constructed for Lesser Kestrels (in theory at least this track should link up with the track there but it is very degraded and suitable only for exploring on foot). I also confirmed that the track back towards the 4th bridge was still in good condition and decorated with 'official' signs' (implying public access). In the other direction the track seemed to be degraded as it ran uphill. This track eventually reaches the SE 7201 but exit is prevented by a chain (see photo). A track on the other side of the AVE track was in a far worse condition. I remain uncertain whether either track allows public access to or an overview of Laguna de los Ojuelos (although eBird reports suggest there is some sort of access is possibly by prior arrangement by the estate). Caution is advised as the estate raises fighting bulls ... The second area I explored was along a track that's a westwards extension of the SE 715. This track soon becomes badly rutted and peters out after c500m just after it reaches a bare stony field. Black-bellied Sandgrouse have been seen in this area and the habitat (to my eye at least) looks ideal. Below at the foot of the hill lies the dry bed of the Arroyo Salado which also looks like suitable sandgrouse habitat. It may be possible to get a better view of this area by following the track immediately north of the AVE line where (after c1 km) another bridge crosses the unused railway (but not the active one). If you want to see Black-bellied Sandgrouse and both bustards in Andalucia my advice, considering the continuing growth of olive plantations, is to go as soon as possible. The Cordel de Jara is a narrow vein of wild habitat off the SE 7200 which threads its way trough a landscape dominated by intensive farming. It used to have a small observation tower but neglect seems to have taken its toll. The remaining information boards are so bleached by the sun that they are virtually illegible. Good to see that the pylon here has been modified to prevent large birds of prey perching on them, a major cause in mortality for Spanish Imperial Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle and other raptors. It's not a site you'd detour to see but it's a pleasant place to pause or have a picnic. ii) Costa Ballena It's a sad commentary on the current dire state of many wetlands in the province that this golf complex is (in 2021-2023 at least) the easiest place to find Red-knobbed Coot. It appears to favour the area where a bridge takes Calle Beethoven over a small canal linking the two 'lagunas' here. iii) Humedal Cerro de la Ciguenas Having 'discovered' this site online via GoogleEarth last autumn it was somewhere I was very keen to visit in person this February. Whilst I saw relatively few birds it proved to be a pleasant site with good potential for picking up interesting birds when conditions are suitable (i.e. wet). It's a couple of km NW of Los Palacios y Villafranca so is a very minor detour, particularly if heading along the NIV. To be honest, it has less to offer than Laguna la Mejorada (which is accessed off the same turning off the NIV) and still less than Humedal El Pantano on the other side of the town (best accessed off the E5/AP4). Yet if you turn off for the former then the extra 5 minutes to drive over to this site - if only out of curiosity - is very tempting and could pay dividends. With a dozen or so White Stork nests (most already occupied) dotted around the site certainly lived up to part of its name which means "Hill of the White Storks Marsh" but the flat open landscape offered no hint of a hill as far as I could determine. The fences surrounding the reserve are punctuated by two daunting-looking gates both of which, happily, proved to be unlocked. The hide has a good view across what would be after a wet winter a small shallow laguna. It was dry when I visited but eBird reports suggest it could hold Whiskered Terns, Glossy Ibis, egrets, various waders, hirundines, etc. There was a small wet area behind the levee on my visit (see photo) which had a couple of Black-winged Stilts, 4-5 Avocets and a single Glossy Ibis. The broad Cano de la Vera nearby was dotted with shallow puddles (see photo) which could well attract Pratincoles, waders, hirundines, etc if still present in spring. A noticeboard here gave some background about the site: The Ecological Reserve "Humedal Cerro de las Cigüeñas" is declared with this figure of protection on the 19th December 2017. It is a wetland located next to the Caño de la Vera, in the north-western part of the municipality of Los Palacios and Villafranca, in an old marsh area of the Guadalquivir river, which is currently highly modified by human activities. It has totally lost the tidal influence due to the multiple channels and dikes that have replaced the natural channels. Its waters essentially come from direct precipitation, surface runoff and artificial inputs through irrigation ditches and drainage from nearby cultivated areas. Despite this input, the wetland is seasonal, becoming completely dry during the summer period or maintaining very low water levels in the summer months, if rainfall and crop irrigation are scarce. Due to its characteristics and location to the nearby Coto Doñana marshes, this wetland is important for birds linked to wetlands. It is included within a property owned by the City Council and has an extension of approximately 21.67 Ha. of which some 5.37 Ha. correspond to the floodable area. This, specifically, is not a natural wetland but arises from the closure and environmental restoration of an old uncontrolled landfill of urban solid waste in which the extraction of solid waste accumulated for years was carried out and sealed in 1997. Open for public use. (Translated with minor modifications by Google). The Los Palacios y Villafranca council is also responsible for the hide and other work at Humedal El Pantano and must be congratulated not only for conserving these sites but also encouraging public access. I wish other local councils in Spain did half as much! iv) Humedal El Pantano This is one of three small wetlands around Los Palacios y Villafranca. Although the Laguna la Mejorada is the most well-known, in my experience Humedal El Pantano is much better with a greater variety of birds. On my short visit in February I had 65 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, a Pintail, 5 Teal, 20+ Mallard, 15 Spoonbill, a Glossy Ibis and a Purple Gallinule but in spring it's far better. In the past I've found it to be the best site I know for seeing Little Bittern and Purple Heron but that depends on the water levels. Hopefully, as my photos indicate it should be in good condition in April and May. The new noticeboards here give some interesting background to the site. The Google translation of the noticeboard (slightly amended) reads: HISTORY AND RELEVANT INFORMATION The Ecological Reserve "El Pantano" was declared on October 30, 2018. It has a flat morphology located in the zone of the transformed marsh, whose substratum is made up of Quaternary deposits. Ther artificial drainage and the Caño de la Vera accumulates water for long periods, generating detrital aquifers. Within the area you can differentiate three zones: the wet zone of about 14 hectares, a dried and cultivated zone of 21 hectares and another zone, also dried, separated from these two on the other side of the first arm of the Caño de la Vera occuping about 17 hectares. The characteristic vegetation of the area and its distribution are conditioned by two main factors, the duration of the flooding and the degree of salinity. The role played by these natural spaces in an environment as anthropic as this one is essential, especially as a refuge for birdlife. A large amount of zooplankton, water fleas, insects and various molluscs are found in the water. The abundance of the introduced Red Swamp Crayfish is remarkable. Among the vertebrates we find Common Frog, Ocellated Lizard and the water snake (presumably Viperine or Iberian Grass Snake - JC) , together with fish, including carp and eels. But the greatest value and attraction of these natural spaces is the abundance and diversity of waterfowl. Some species use these wetlands as a resting and feeding place during their migrations to Africa and others breed here. Respect the reserve and private property. I wish other municipalities were as active in preserving wetland habitats and trying to make them accessible to visitors as Los Palacios y Villafranca! The contrast with my visit to Lantejuela is telling. v) Casablanca I've rarely visited this site so detouring to do so when en route to Seville and then back to the UK was an irresistible temptation. On some maps the area west of the railway line here is shown as a vast laguna understandably so on the rare occasions when an exceptional heavy winter rains flood the area. I've twice seen it in such a state when the shallow waters have been dotted with a multitude of of gulls, waders and Flamingos. Unfortunately, on both occasions I was going past on the train. Whilst poor winter rains seem to have made flooding less frequent, the poor vegetation here clearly shows that large areas remain soggy and unsuitable for arable farming. This was also confirmed by presence of almost 200 Cranes, 500+ White Storks and hundreds of Cattle Egret here on my recent visit. Surprisingly, GoogleEarth shows that several tracks that cross the area have designated road numbers indicating that they're accessible for the general public. Next time I visit I must give the area a whole day! vi) Los Badalejos I visited the area around Benalup several times to look for Little Bustard and was rewarded by twice finding small groups of this fast declining species. On my first visit I had a flock of 11 birds but a few days later had a group of 10 birds plus another 5 in the distance. vii) El Portal The old sugar processing factory at El Portal has one of the largest White Stork colonies (c50 nests) in the area. It's always worth a stop if only to hear them bill-clattering - a sound used to give voice to triffids in the 1963 film "The Day of the Triffids". vi) La Janda During my two week stay in Alcala de los Gazules I visited La Janda several times but, as I have before, found the site failed to live up fully to its high reputation. The best area was along the track from Benalup near the road up to the Embalse del Celemín where the soggy fields held Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, LRP and Ringed Plover. However, I was delighted to be able to join the protest march for the restoration of part of the ancient laguna. This is a fantastic and well-thought through project that could transform the area for birders. My Spanish is shamefully poor but I was pleased to pick up in the speeches references to the pioneering efforts of Brits in discovering the ornithological delights of the Laguna de La Janda. See also - Cientos de personas marchan entre Barbate y Vejer para pedir que se recuperen los humedales de la Janda (lavozdelsur.es) viii) Puntas Secreta & Carnero My guest's flight out of Gibraltar was delayed which meant we had time for a quick look at Puntas Secreta and Carnero. A stiff onshore SW wind was blowing so we had many passing Gannets, Kittiwakes and Balearic Shearwaters at Punta Secreta (although, to my surprise no Bonxies). The bay at Punta Carnero was more sheltered and attracted c100 Balearic Shearwaters. ix) Palmones I stopped off at Palmones for lunch with my guest that week en route to Gibraltar airport. Wind surfing within the sandbar at Palmones (i.e. in the Nature Reserve) is banned but many surfers ignore this rule (in fairness signage is not good). Shortly after I took this photo the police arrived to tell the wind surfers to pack up but only once their friends had finished surfing. Happily, a few minutes later we met a British birder who'd just found a Lesser-crested Tern. With time pressing we'd only casually looked earlier through our binoculars so were pleased to have a look at the bird in his 'scope.
i - Lagunas de LantajuelaLaguna de Gobierno - As usual Laguna de Gobierno had plenty of birds - Flamingos, Black-necked Grebe, a good variety of ducks (inc. White-headed). Also as usual there was no access to the walkways and hides within the reserve nor even the "public" hide and viewpoint on the flat roof building nearby. Hence, visitors are obliged to peer over the wall on either side of the Observatorio Orntologico to see the birds. If there's a way to gain access then the authorities don't seem keen to share it! Hoya de la Verde Sal - In the context of this complex a hoya is, as I understand it, a shallow depression prone to flooding but drainage (or the lowering of the water table) seems to have reduced the Hoya de la Verde Sal to just another arable field. Nothing remains of the poor tussocky vegetation that marked it out a decade or so ago and the only reminder of its former status is a muddy smudge in its centre. Laguna de Ballestera - Happily this laguna was much as I remember it and was teaming with ducks (mainly Shoveler), a few Flamingo and a couple of Cranes. However, the perimeter of what looks like builders' rubble shows how close it too came to extinction as a wetland. Laguna Consuegra - My recollection may be at fault but in the past I'm sure that Laguna Consuegra was plainly visible from the SE 705. However, on my recent visit all I could see were some distant willow scrub suggesting that it too was dry (or at best slightly damp) although I admit I didn't look too hard or venture along the tracks heading that way. A bonus here, though, was a small flock of Cranes. Laguna de la Turquillas - as this site is sometimes referred to as a hoya rather than a laguna it is not, perhaps, surprising that it's often dry but I had hoped to see some water here in midwinter. When wet this can be a great place for Collared Pratincole, marsh terns, ducks, etc. but, frustratingly, there's nowhere you can legally park to view the laguna. That's not quite true as there is a car park off the A351 from which you can walk (c700m) along a sendero to a viewpoint overlooking this laguna but the track is invariably gated and invariably locked. Lagunas de Calderon - Chica & Grande - These lagunas are off the A351 immediately south of Laguna de la Turquillas. The larger, but shallower, Grande was dry but the smaller laguna, Chica, looked full and inhabited by birds. Exactly how many birds and of which species is less easy to ascertain as these lagunas too are invariably locked away behind the gate and there's nowhere to safely or legitimately to park. Even if - mirabile dictu - the gate's open, the car park is useless as there's no indication of opening times (if there are any). Hence the substantial sums of EU money spent on conserving the lagunas and developing 'ornithological tourism' here appear to be wasted (when I asked at the Osuna Tourism Office some years ago they knew nothing about access). Laguna Ruiz Sanchez - I only briefly tried to see what the situation was regarding this laguna and then only from the main road as the track I've used previously was in poor shape. I was not surprised that it was easier to find evidence of potentially damaging agricultural activity (laying drainage pipes) than the laguna itself. Concrete blocks with manhole covers have sprouted in fields all along this section of the A351 which may explain the absence of flooded fields I've seen here in previous winters. Clearly, far more money has been spent on improving farming than preserving wetlands here ... ii - Lagunas de Puerto Santa MariaBefore I left for Spain this February, I was intrigued by a FB post that showed that a new 'viewpoint' plus various noticeboards had appeared at Lagunas de Puerto Santa Maria. (more specifically at Laguna Juncosa) I had hoped that this development might mean that the authorities had at last optimised the potential of this site for ornithological tourism by providing facilities to encourage and help visiting birders. Disappointingly, my hope that a screen or hide might be constructed to give better views of Laguna Salada proved to be without foundation. However, it was good to see that both the Laguna Juncosa and the Laguna Salada were not as dry as I'd feared following my earlier visit to Lantejuela. Although I did not manage to visit the site, I was similarly pleased to see that Laguna de los Tercios was well flooded and looked good for the spring. iii - Lagunas de EsperaThe headline news regarding the Lagunas de Espera is that the track from the Castillo de Fatetar above the town to the lagunas has been resurfaced and what was a rather treacherous route is now an excellent, if narrow, road. Admittedly, the route to the castillo through Espera isn't well signposted and the more obvious route via the SE 5207 still requires you to negotiate a rather rough 1 km track. That said, it's worth driving up to the castillo for the impressive view across the campo. As far as the lagunas are concerned, little has changed. Laguna Hondilla remains choked with vegetation, the view from the "hide" overlooking Laguna Salida de la Zorilla is still largely obscured (although the laguna is reasonably wet). In contrast, Laguna Dulce de la Zorilla remains bone dry. iv - Lagunas de LebrijaI made a quick stop here after visiting Lagunas de Espera to check the state of Laguna de la Galiana and Laguna Cigarrera. These lagunas have been declining for some time and what I saw gave no cause for optimism. Laguna de la Galiana is currently a damp hollow choked with vegetation without any sign to standing water (although I was pleased to see a Black-winged Kite here). Laguna de la Cigarrera was in an even sorrier state. I found a dense 40+m deep 'necklace' of tamarisk surrounding a dry weedy centre without a hint of moisture let alone standing water (see photo). Even if there's an exceptionally wet winter and it refills to former levels seeing waterbirds from the track will still be virtually impossible. Given the state of these two "lagunas" I didn't check Laguna de Pilon as it's usually the first to dry out whilst, being on private land, neither Laguna de Taraje nor Laguna de Pena are accessible. It seems depressingly likely that these lagunas, like several others, will soon be little more than a memory. v - Laguna de los Tollos I've told the sad story of Laguna de los Tollos and the efforts to restore it elsewhere on this blog. Sadly, the laguna remains no more than a dry basin with, on my recent visit, a few small rainwater "flashes" along the northern rim and a couple of deeper pools. The 'laguna' is surrounded by a protective wire fence but with several breaches around the circuit it now seems a popular place to exercise dogs. An well worn but entirely unofficial path now links the hide (a) with Mirador la Mina (d) via two such holes on the fence. There were a few Shovelers and Flamingos here but the best birds were a flock of c70 Stone-curlews resting on the dry bed of the laguna. vi - Laguna de Medina Happily water levels at this laguna were good this February when I visited the site with plenty of wildfowl (c400 Shoveler, c200 Red-crested Pochard, c130 Mallard, c30 Teal, c25 Gadwall and a similar number of Pochard but only 2 White-headed Ducks) and c250 Flamingo). vii - Lagunas de Camino Colorado Superficially, the Lagunas de Camino Colorado looked to be in good shape when I visited the site in February with the usual White-headed Ducks, Purple Gallinules, etc. However, not all is well here with the pools still being impinged upon and polluted by agriculture despite recently being legally protected. Not long after I visited this site the Ecologistas en Acción (see www.ecologistasenaccion.org/284556/celebran-haber-conseguido-que-las-lagunas-de-bonanza-esten-protegidas/). Click here to edit. Overview
Despite the good work of Ecologistas en Acción and others, my tour of lagunas (real and virtual) has left me deeply concerned about their future or, indeed, whether they have a future at all. Whilst the cycle of dry and wet years are part of the essential ecology of these lagunas, a combination of increasingly dry winters and more intensive agriculture seems to have resulted in a lowering of the water-table making many former lagunas no more than, at best, damp hollows. Despite the heroic efforts to restore lagunas like Tollos, Ruiz Sanchez, Calderon, etc conservationists will never have the resources (financial and political) enjoyed by large land-owners and agriculture. In Spain, just as elsewhere, it seems that the lefthand doesn't know what the right hand is doing with lofty conservation projects being undermined by grants/subsidies to intensify agriculture. The lack of practical management evident at several sites and the half-cocked attempts to encourage "ornithological tourism" in Andalucia don't help; it can and is being done in other regions in Spain. |
About me ...Hi I'm John Cantelo. I've been birding seriously since the 1960s when I met up with some like minded folks (all of us are still birding!) at Taunton's School in Southampton. I have lived in Kent , where I taught History and Sociology, since the late 1970s. In that time I've served on the committees of both my local RSPB group and the county ornithological society (KOS). I have also worked as a part-time field teacher for the RSPB at Dungeness. Having retired I now spend as much time as possible in Alcala de los Gazules in SW Spain. When I'm not birding I edit books for the Crossbill Guides series. CategoriesArchives
May 2023
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