Iberia is exceptionally blessed with unique wildlife whether they be plants, reptiles, amphibians, mammals or birds.  Amongst the latter are about a dozen species whose European range is entirely (or almost so) on the Iberian peninsula and three species - Iberian Green Woodpecker, Iberian Chiffchaff, Spanish Imperial Eagle - that essentially breed nowhere else in the world. Happily, most of these 'special' birds are not too challenging to see but, unsurprisingly, given its habits and history, Dupont's Lark.  I'd tried to see them once back in 2001 but my attempt was hampered by not knowing precisely where to look and having little idea, beyond a wordy description, what they sounded like (plus a cold and reluctant wife for company).  The Hamlyn guide's description of the song as "contains rasping notes" was vague and misleading.  Heinzel did better by calling the song a "double whistle on a rising scale, hoo-hee". Peterson did better still describing the song as "short high, musical and nasal phrases, the most distinctive being "dzee-too-see" but, frankly, such descriptions make little sense until after you've heard the real thing (and often not even then).   ​

We arrived at Ablitas mid-afternoon to begin our search along a series of dirt tracks crossing what seemed to be perfect habitat - low dry scrub (see photos).  Unfortunately, although we saw a few larks and other species, we heard and saw no sign of Dupont's Lark until dusk.  Then several birds started to sing along the track we'd spent much of the afternoon investigating.  Nigel and I caught a glimpse of a bird scurrying around where one had been singing and as dusk gave way to darkness, I had a brief view of a vague shape sitting up on a rock from the direction of a singing Dupont's. Disappointing, but at least we knew we were in the right area! 

We arrived the next morning before it was light and were treated to a chorus of 13+ Dupont's Lark singing away along the track in the dark.  As the light grew most of these birds fell silent, but one continued to sing unabated.  After some anxious moments, Brendan spotted the alaudine chorister  on top of a small rock.  This bird proved to be surprisingly showy changing its song perch several times as we watched. Although the bird mainly sang from the ground using small boulders or low bushes as song posts, it also launched itself into its song-flight several times. Far from the mere glimpse I had feared, the bird favoured us with excellent 'scope views. Against all expectation, I even managed to get some decent photos and video footage with my bridge camera (Nikon Coolpix 900).  I was both surprised and delighted by how clearly I could hear it singing (probably helped by my inability to detect other songsters!). We returned the next morning for a repeat performance and the bird duly obliged. This time, we also had views of two birds as they sprinted through the low scrub. Only the word "sprint" will do as "run" hardly does justice to the speed and acceleration that the birds demonstrated. They're not so much larks as mini-Roadrunners.  Walking along an old track to a distant ruin, managed to locate a third bird singing a couple of hundred metres away (see photos).  I've since read that Dupont's will often sing during the day but we had heard none the previous afternoon and 80% of the birds here fell silent shortly after dawn.  So my advice is to get there pre-dawn to work out where the birds are singing and then quietly scan from the track (perhaps using you vehicle as a hide) for any movement. 

Sadly, Dupont's Lark is in trouble.  As noted above we had at least 13 songsters along a couple of kilometres of track at Ablitas.  There seemed a lot of suitable habitat for the species in the area but evidently the birds we heard represent a third or more of the local population.  Nationally, a recent survey found just under 2,300 territorial males but this figure gives an over optimistic picture as males outnumber females. Research in 2018 suggested that there were only 1,200-1,400 pairs and that the  population is falling at about 4% per annum. The primary cause of decline seems to be habitat loss and fragmentation leaving many sub-populations vulnerable. Even the population at Ablitas may be at long-term risk as it is relatively isolated and the indications are that genetic exchanges between populations are low. Unless urgent remedial work is undertaken it looks likely that the species will soon become extinct in Andalusia, Valencia, Murcia and Cataluna.  A key problem is that much of the population lies outside reserves and protected areas so at risk from the constant nibbling away of its habitat. Having been 'lost' for most of its history it would be tragic to lose them entirely. 

For a species list of what we saw and some better photos look at  eBird Checklist - 14 Apr 2024 - 31523, Ablitas ES-Navarra 41.95917, -1.61279 - 23 species

Marismas de Trebujena
The new reserve on the Marismas de Trebujena continues to be developed and now features a car park and a noticeboard. The (translated) text on this reads as follows:
​The Esparraguera marshes, in Trebujena, were transformed in the middle of the last century by means of a drainage system for cultivation, an operation that failed due to the high salinity of the substrate and its excessive clay content but which left the soil profoundly altered. hydrological and ecological functioning of the system.

In this context, the Junta de Andalucía has recovered some of the old pikes (fresh or brackish water lagoons) with the aim of conserving the biodiversity of the area, especially by recovering one of the main nesting areas for bird species. aquatic species such as Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris), Red-knobbed Coot (Fulica cristata) or White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala).

These wetlands will also help to recover the functionality of the Guadalquivir estuary by functioning as refuge and fattening areas for fry of the numerous species of fish and crustaceans that develop in the estuary and helping to laminate the floods that occur in winter. Finally, this action also pursues the development of business initiatives linked to nature tourism and the sustainable extraction of renewable resources (shrimp, salicornia, etc.) that help diversify the current uses of the region.

Enjoy these spaces but do so with respect and caution: remember that you are in a sensitive system whose conservation depends on everyone. Do not abandon the trails and, if your dog accompanies you, remember the importance of always keeping him on a leash". 

As can be surmised from this information, it seems that the footpath across the reserve will be open access to all. The reserve currently remains in a raw state and unvegetated but should be much improved by 2025.

The map on the information board would have been scorned by my old Geography teacher, Mr Clowser, as merely a pretty picture as it has neither a scale nor a simple compass rose. An added confusion is that you're facing south as you look at the information board and, since the map is conventionally organised with north at the top, you have to mentally turn it upside down to orientate it with what you see!     

The viewing screen at Laguna de Tarelo is a popular place to catch up with White-headed and Marbled Ducks and view nesting Spoonbills (which seem to have displaced most of the smaller egrets and herons that nested on the island).  Those using my guide and savvy birders have long appreciated that the laguna could also be viewed from an unofficial viewpoint along Calle 'N'.  As long as you pull well over to allow tractors and attendant agricultural machinery to get past, the locals don't seem to mind you parking here for a while.  The birds might be less forgiving so be careful not to disturb them. 

A decade or more ago when I started writing my guide I continued along Calle 'N' but found a sturdy pair of gates behind the laguna prevented further progress both on foot or in a vehicle.  However, these gates have now been removed so you can drive along the track behind the laguna, turn left and then pull off where the track turn right.  From this third viewpoint, you can scan across the salinas for Marbled Duck (which seem to like the wetter areas) and across to the Marisma de Henares for Flamingos and waders. This is a quick alternative to driving around to Bonanza if you want a 'wader fix' but take care to view from a distance to avoid unduly disturbing the birdlife. Whether this route will remain open for long remains to be seen but the farm workers didn't seem to object to my presence here.     

Pinar de la Algaida.
The track through the Pinar de la Algaida and on to the Guadalquivir is now in an extremely poor condition and a couple of winters with heavy rain could make it undrivable in anything other than a 4x4. Fortunately, an alternative route exists to reach the far end of the pinewoods via Calle 'G' which is not only in better condition (currently!) but affords good 'scope views of the large Spoonbill colony that has developed at the northern end of the woods in recent years.  This area also holds nesting White Storks and Black Kites. Visitors should avoid disturbing these birds and the area is out of bounds in the breeding season (see photos below).  Note that reports of Azure-winged Magpie at this once reliable site continue to be very sparse.  

Note that the track which continues north to the river is, if anything, worse than that through the woods (although mercifully much shorter) so great caution should be used when using it.  Once you reach the river the condition of the road improves particularly after the car park for the new reserve.  Hopefully this new facility will encourage the authorities to improve the route.    

I wrote about the exciting development of a major reserve due to open this year (2024) on restored marismas in a previous post (More cheers for Trebujena! (weebly.com)) so I was keen to see what progress had been made with this ambitious project.  Looking at GoogleEarth images (see above), I already knew that major earthworks had already been undertaken but there's no thing like seeing things for yourself to get a feel for what's going on.   

Although I had seen the plans and the GoogleEarth view, I was not prepared for the sheer scale and ambition that was apparent 'on the ground'.  The reserve will be vast.  My photos are entirely inadequate to the task but I hope that they give some sort of useful impression.  The exposed earth is still in a raw state without vegetation as too are the pools but the potential is extraordinary even though I couldn't see the southernmost pools (Lucios ES 3 & ES 4 and Lucios GH 5, 6 & 7 on map below).   Several bridges connecting the islands have already been built and, hopefully, the two viewing towers I could see will be supplemented by hides elsewhere.  It will take time for things to 'bed down' but it should be a stunning place to visit in spring 2025 - I can't wait!    

Properly managed - and there's the rub - for both birds and birdwatchers, it will become a mecca for visiting ornithological tourists.  Similar reserves on Majorca (and elsewhere in Spain) are managed well for both wildlife and visitors but in my experience Andalucia doesn't have a great track record in this respect, The excellent visitors' centre with an interesting botanical garden near Alcala de los Gazules, for example, has been closed for years (although the buildings have been repainted indicating this may change).  Closer to home, the small reserve nearby (where the road turns along the river) seems to be permanently closed but thankfully can be viewed from the road. (I suspect it's role is educational but the new reserve is surely too large for that to be the sole aim). Decent management and access will mean on-going funding to employ a workforce after EU grants have expired  Without this investment, due to the huge scale of this new venture, there will be only limited options to do so along the road beside the Guadalquivir. 

In short, if well managed this reserve threatens to shift the understandable (but limiting) ornithological ' centre of gravity' away from Tarifa towards the  north of the province. Hopefully, the progressive local council in Trebujena will grasp this opportunity whilst visiting birders will repay them by spending money locally!