Birding Cadiz Province
  • Birding Cadiz Province
  • Birding Site Guide
  • Cadiz Birding Blog
  • Six of the best!
    • 1- Laguna de Medina
    • 2 - Tarifa
    • 3 - Sanlucar - Bonanza
    • 4 - Llanos de Libar
    • 5 - Bolonia Area
    • 6 - La Janda
  • Professional Bird Guides
  • Crossbill Guides & other information
  • Other Wildlife
  • Further Information
    • Information: Books, Information Centres & Leaflets
    • Trip Reports
    • Alcala de los Gazules
    • About Me
  • Contact

Laguna de Paja revisited

21/5/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
PictureLaguna de la Paja from (b)
As hoped I was able to visit this laguna several times this spring and, after the wettest March for 70 years, I couldn't have picked a better time.  The place was very wet and fairly buzzing with birds.  I was fortunate too to visit with Richard and Michelle Page-Jones who have a place nearby in Chiclana and have visited the site far more times than I have.  It was Richard who pointed out to me that a now demolished goat farm had left behind a concrete platform which allowed you to park under the eucalypts along the road into Chiclana (b). (Although take care when pulling off since drivers behind you may not realise that there's space to get off the road). From here you get an excellent view of the laguna.  From this vantage point we could see twenty or more Purple Gallinules, a trio of Purple and a single Squacco Heron, a White-headed Duck or two and, best of all, 8 or 9 Ferruginous Duck. The sheer density of breeding gallinules here was extraordinar.  Glossy Ibis also came over and it's clear that, when wet, this can be a very attractive site.  

Picture
Purple Gallinule - Laguna de la Paja
PictureGate into Laguna de Paja reserve
Unfortunately, access to other parts of the laguna continue to be unclear.  As it's on an embankment, viewing from the N 340 gives reasonable view over the laguna (although beware the road here can be quite busy).  However, parking here is impossible and there's no room by the reserve gate to pull off obliging you to leave your car elsewhere(see map). The old 'Polanco' store is closed so you need to park either further along the  A 9034 or by the roundabout to the south and walk back.  when we visited, the gate into the reserve was hanging off its hinges and the fence next to it more hole than wire.  The path into the reserve, despite several information boards was weedy and neglected.

PictureFerruginous Duck from (b) looking towards (c)

Another viewpoint can be accessed via Callejon de Borregitos (see map) by taking the first turning on the right (Camino de los Montes Universales) which takes you to some ruined yellow buildings.  It should be possible to park here (or at least no signs forbid it!).  

Picture
The sendero across the reserve
0 Comments

Missing Lynx no longer

17/5/2013

1 Comment

 
PictureLa Lancha track - February
In February Liz and I ventured up to Andújar (in Jaen) in search of the Iberian Lynx.  Now reduced to a wild population of just over 300 animals, this is the rarest large feline in the world. 

Despite  being cold, wet and foggy we managed to see a good range of raptors (several Spanish Imperial Eagles, a similar number of Golden Eagles and a good sprinkling of Black Vultures amongst the Griffons) and were delighted to find Azure-winged Magpies abundant. We even saw a Wild Boar, but of Lynx we saw not the slightest sign.  We twice missed one – by ten minutes or so– but they proved extremely elusive and reluctant to show more than once.  Naturally just before we'd got to  Andújar, when the weather had been sunnier and warmer, they'd performed well.  The day after we left, when the weather had improved, the also relented and showed themselves to the waiting enthusiasts. Not only that but we'd managed to get a ticket for parking on the road!

So another visit in May was scheduled in the hope of more co-operative Lynx and better weather.  Whilst we had highhopes of the latter, the former was more problematical since we'd been told that in early May the females had cubs and tended to sit tight. Unwilling to leave it until September, we gambled on an early May jaunt leaving a September visit as a back-up. It didn't start well. We'd planned to get there in the late afternoon allowing time for an evening visit to Área de Recreativa El Encinarejo, but couldn't find where we were staying. So we wasted a couple of prime lynx watching hours driving in ever decreasing (and frustrating) circles looking for our accommodation. Once we got there it proved to be a pleasant place to stay, but it was a bad start to our visit.
PictureLower slopes of the Sierra de Andujar near our accommodation
Up and out the next morning (5th May)  we hoped that the disastrous start wasn't an ill omen, but at least it was sunny!  With Hooopes 'hooping' and Azure-winged Magpies scolding all around us, things didn't seem so bad.  We had three clear days to look for our target after all. We headed up towards La Lancha admiring how pleasant the landscape now looked in the sunshine and hoping for a glimpse of our quarry.  Perhaps one'd be basking in the sun down in the scrub somewhere, but it'd take some finding  I was wondering too whether we should have got a couple of cheap chairs for what was inevitably going to be a long wait.  Although Lynx can be seen almost anywhere along the track to la Lancha, by common consent the best place is where the road snakes along the flank of a hill and you've a good view across to an old finca (Cortijo de Nava de Pedro Vegar if my map reading's up to scratch).  Obvious concrete blocks, some painted white, guard the drop and there's plenty of  places to pull over safely.  Best of all the view across an open area of scrubgives you a good chance of spotting a skulking Lynx.

PictureRear view of Iberian Lynx
We were just approaching the 'zone' and could see the concrete slabs guarding the drop further down the valley when I came slowly round the bend to see a Lynx calmly strolling along the road no more than 10m away from the bonnet!  Now an 'arse-on view' is never the best one for ID purposes so after exclaiming “Lynx!” I did wonder if, after blinking a couple of times, it'd resolve itself into a large dog.  But no, it really was a Lynxand so close!  Not that the Lynx cared one jot since it calmly strolled along as if it owned the place which, of course, in a way it did! 

Never in our wildest dreams did we expect to see one so close nor, as it transpired, for so long! 


Picture'Dingo' strolling along the track as if he owned it!
Gradually the backside view became a three-quarters view and we could see it had a radio collar – this was the famous one eyed male  'Dingo'.  Seemingly oblivious to our presence he sauntered on as we slowly and
carefully free-wheeled down the slope behind him.  The animal casually crossed the road to our left, but then came back to the right and began to climb the slope to our right passing just above the car as he did so.  He obviously knew we were there, but just wasn't worried!  Far from getting a distant heat hazed view, we'd had a stunning 5 minute audience  with this fantastic creature going about its business and pretty much ignoring us.  Amazing!

Picture
Picture
Having allowed us grandstand views 'Dingo' exited stage right ......
Picture
.... and climbed the slope, into the sunlight and disappeared into the scrub.
Picture
Prime Lynx habitat along the La Lancha track
1 Comment

    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.

    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    February 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    October 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    November 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    September 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    December 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.