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Birdwatching Calendar of the Province of Cadiz - review

19/8/2022

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The Cadiz Turismo has a history of producing useful ornithological guides to the region and its latest offering, “Birdwatching Calendar of the Province of Cadiz”, is arguably the best yet even though it seems to be more aimed at general tourists than experienced birders familiar with the area. This is entirely understandable given the likely ‘target readership’ for a publication sponsored by a tourist board.  The author, Manuel Morales, is one of the region’s premier bird guides (see http://www.birdingtarifa.com/en/about-us) which is reflected in the knowledgeable content.   
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This guide was originally published in Spanish (see https://issuu.com/cadizturismo/docs/calendario_de_ornitolog_a_-_provincia_de_c_diz - worth a look even if you don’t read Spanish to access the QR codes).  This is a slightly shorter English version of the guide (87 pp vs 94 pp) and was presented at the inaugural ‘Global Bird Fair’ in Rutland in July 2022.  The guide uses a ‘landscape’ format which I confess I often find somewhat irritating (cf the Sound Approach books) but which, in this instance, works well. After a brief ‘How to use this guide’ introduction, there are three pages devoted to the author’s “Top Ten” iconic species representative of the region’s habitats - Spanish Imperial Eagle, Bald Ibis, Bonelli’s Eagle, Little Swift, Marbled Duck, Red-knobbed Coot, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Slender-billed Gull,  Rüppell’s Vulture and Cory’s Shearwater.  Although one can quibble about the inclusion of an introduced species and a relatively rare visitor (the ibis & the vulture) over that of, say, White-headed Duck and Lesser Short-toed Lark, most birders would pick a very similar selection of special birds.  Presumably, the absence of Iberian endemic Azure-winged Magpie reflects the species scarcity at its one site in the province although this doesn’t apply to the near-endemic Iberian Grey Shrike.   
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The “top ten” is followed by a dozen pages summarising the habitats and birdlife of each region. Aesthetically, this is beautifully presented with an attractive layout and some excellent bird photos. Personally, I’d have preferred a more detailed text at the expense of aesthetics (particularly where the Bay of Cadiz is concerned since the text gives no idea of the impressive number of birds using this area). However, I suspect that the target readership will be happy with the balance between the content and the guide’s visual attractiveness.
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The ’heart’ of the book is the 36 pages devoted to the birds to be seen and the sites to visit in each of six ‘natural regions’ (see map) every month of the year.  Calling them ‘natural regions’ seems to me to be something of a misnomer as the boundaries are based on those of the area’s municipalities rather than a natural subdivision. However, in practice, this isn’t a problem (although it should be noted that “La Janda” covers a much larger area than simply the well-known birding location). The three-page overview for each month gives a representative example of the birds  expected in each region at that time and is linked to a fourth page that suggests sites to visit. For example, in February the focus is on Spoonbills in the Bay of Cadiz (Site - La Caseria  Beach, San Fernando) , Great-spotted Cuckoos near La Janda (Site - Mesa de la Mediana, Benalup), Ring Ousels, Alpine Accentors and Redwing in the Cadiz Mountains (Site - Cerro Coros, Grazalema), Tree Sparrow on the Northwest Coast (Site - La Algaida Pine Forest, near Sanlucar ), White Storks in the Jerez countryside  (Site - El Portal near Jerez) and “aguilas del viento” (literally “wind eagles” as migrating raptors are called locally) in the Campo de Gibraltar (Site - Punta Comorro).  The descriptive notes for each region and the relevant site are in colour co-ordinated boxes (although, oddly, not presented in the same sequence).     
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The monthly overview for each region is somewhat brief varying in length between c30 – c80 words although this is supplemented by a short description (c25 – c30 words) about each site.  This can only give the briefest of reviews of the birding possibilities in the area in each month but collectively they still convey a good idea of the province’s birding potential. This section is also beautifully illustrated by a collection of excellent photographs. This is aesthetically very pleasing, but I suspect I’m not alone (again) in favouring smaller/fewer photos but more text. The page on the specific sites includes QR codes for each one.  Before accessing them, I had hoped this would allow access to a more detailed text about the area and its birdlife (to flog a dead horse still further).   However, they are restricted to showing each route on a map preferably via the ad-free Mapas de España app (available via Google Play.  This is an excellent app well worth downloading. As many (but not all sites) are featured on eBird it would have been helpful to add a link to that excellent resource where available (although keener birders will already be aware of this excellent resource).
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Although there are 36 texts on the suggested sites there is, understandably, some duplication in the sites covered.  Laguna de Medina is mentioned twice as a site in the Jerez countryside section, but the remaining ten sites are all little known. Somewhat surprisingly, to me at least, several sites further east go unmentioned in favour, it seems, of four urban sites (perhaps reflecting that many tourists will be based in Jerez itself). The section on the Cadiz mountains includes two visits to Puerto de las Palomas and one to nearby Cerro Coros but not, surprisingly, to nearby Grazalema (which is an excellent area for Black Wheatear). Counter intuitively, given the name of this area it includes a visit to two wetlands,  Laguna de Espera and Bornos reservoir.  Not surprisingly, no less than eight of the sites noted under “La Janda” are indeed part of or adjacent to that iconic birding destination. The remaining four include some excellent places to visit: Barca de Vejer (for Bald Ibis), Barbate marshes (for waders), Rio Salado at Conil (again for waders) and, to my delight, Alcala de los Gazules (for the Lesser Kestrel colony). The suggestions for the North-west coast include five visits to areas close to La Algaida (but not surprisingly the well-known Bonanza Salinas) plus several others around Chipiona and Trebujena. The most coherent region in terms of habitat and birdlife is, unsurprisingly, the Bay of Cadiz which offers a good number of sites (although not the newly opened Marismas de Cetina, potentially the best site for birding in the area).  Finally, and understandably, the section on the Campo de Gibraltar concentrates on coastal areas with no less than ten of the suggested localities being on the coast (from Bolonia in the west to Princess Sofia Park, La Linea in the west).  The two exceptions are San Isidro Church (Los Barrios) and El Pajarraco Gorge (Pinar del Rey) which means some good sites in Jimena de la Frontera and Castellar de la Frontera are omitted.  
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The remaining dozen pages of the book consist of a checklist of 100 species (cross-referenced to each area), useful lists of tourist offices information points/visitor centres, bird guides & relevant NGOs and, finally, two maps (showing the location of Natural Parks and other nature reserves).
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This is a very attractive guide that all keen birders will benefit from reading even if it is probably aimed at the more general reader.  Of course, it’s no substitute for Ernest Garcia’s “Where to Watch Birds in Southern & Western Spain” but it’s not meant to be and taken on its own terms it does a first-rate job of promoting the province as a birding destination throughout the year, not just at peak migration times.  It’s certainly very welcome that the Cadiz tourism authorities take birdwatching so seriously and have knowledgeable advocates like Manuel Morales (amongst others) to plead the cause. I pride myself on knowing the province better than most visitors but there were still several sites I didn’t know.  Keen birders may well hope that the author writes a more detailed book based on this novel idea but in the meantime, it’s well worth picking up this guide (presumably available at any Turismo in Cadiz and hopefully, at some, point available on ISSUU).


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El Aguila Project, La Janda - a cause for optimism & hope

1/8/2022

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PictureLooking across to the site of Laguna del Torero from near Vejer
It was reading Guy Mountfort’s iconic book “Portrait of a Wilderness” (1958) in the late 1960s that inspired me and a group of friends to first go birding in Spain in 1970.  There were no guides back then, no internet and little information about where to see birds beyond the maps in Peterson’s field guide. As a result, the closest thing we had to a site guide in southern Spain was Mountfort’s book but, as I recall, that only mentioned three sites, the Coto itself, Bonanza saltpans and La Janda. ​

Surprisingly we got permission to visit the Coto, but found access to Bonanza saltpans denied by a locked gate and so went in search of the Laguna de la Janda.  We knew where to go as it was marked on the cheap roadmaps we’d picked up at petrol stations en route.  So it was with some excitement that we headed along the road from Vejer towards Tarifa.  When no laguna appeared, we just assumed that, such was the scale of the map, we'd somehow missed it or, perhaps our map reading skills weren’t as good as we thought.  In reality, our error was not one of map reading, but of timing as the last remnants of the laguna had disappeared in 1967.  I still rather resent the fact that after decades of trying the drain the place, they finally managed it just before I got there! Had we been better informed we’d have still turned off the road and explored the site as even the ghost of the old laguna is good for birds.
PictureHistoric map of La Janda
The historic maps on the excellent Asociación Amigos de la Laguna de La Janda blog (http://blog.lagunalajanda.org/cartografia/) show that the exact shape and extent of Laguna de la Janda was never fixed but shifted and changed according to the amount of rainfall and by season. These changes could be extensive as the laguna was shallow being no deeper than 3m so rapidly changed shape as the water evaporated or the laguna was fed by rainfall.  At its greatest extent Laguna de la Janda may have had a surface of 7,000 hectares but could shrink to around 4,000 hectares.  Hence on maps it sometimes it appears as a thin sausage-shape, a lozenge or, at its greatest extent in wet years, a huge boomerang  stretching north-east to include Laguna de Espartinas. In fact, in some ways the name Laguna de la Janda is a misnomer as Lagunas de la Janda (as it is sometimes styled) would be more apt since in drier times it became a string of smaller lagunas –  Aguila, Rehuelga, Espartinas, Jandilla, Tapatana y la Haba, Tapantanilla and Cabrahigos. I've not found the latter on any map so I've assumed (quite possibly incorrectly) on my map that it's synonymous with Laguna del Hiero which I have found.  Laguna de Alcala and Laguna del Torero usually (if not always) seem to have been comparatively isolated outliers . Some of these satellite lagunas were close in size to Laguna de Medina so must have been impressive sites for wildlife in their own right. Today the Rio Barbate (with  a minor road beside it) still squeezes between two low hills just east of Vejer before opening out at the site of Laguna del Torero.  Occasionally heavy rains mean that the old laguna tries to reassert itself and by squinting your eyes you can almost imagine it's still there. I've seen various herons, White and Black Stork and Cranes there in the past but birds like  Red-knobbed Coot are long gone (although the odd one has turned up on La Janda in wet years).   ​

Ownership of La Janda has been a matter of dispute for decades with the Asociación Amigos de la Laguna de La Janda (https://www.lagunalajanda.org/) playing a significant role in the fight to demonstrate that it remains public, not private, land.  A definitive legal opinion was sought and eventually came down in favour of recognising public ownership.  However, in Andalucia (as elsewhere) de jure facts seem slow to trump the de facto occupation of the land by powerful agricultural interests. 
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The lagunas of La Janda
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However, ambitious new plans give hope that a small part of this laguna may be restored. Plans to restore – or in modern parlance rewild – La Janda aren’t new. At the turn of the century modest proposals were made to create small wetland (a) just north of the turning to Zahara. Nothing came of the proposal partly, I assume, due to the then unclarified legal position but also, as I recall, because it was predicated on mitigation funds being available from upgrading the N 340.  For good or ill, converting the road to Tarifa into a dual carriageway has got no further south than Vejer. Not all improvements to the local environment have been unsuccessful as the work at El Cañillo in the Marismas de Barbate shows (b).  Unfortunately, ambitious plans to convert the pastures in the valley between Barbate and Vejer into a wetland reserve with hides and shallow lagunas (c) appear to have stalled despite the involvement of Barbate council and optimistic comments about funding being available (see https://birdingcadizprovince.weebly.com/cadiz-birding-blog-page/a-new-wetland-proposed-near-vejerbarbate). Talking to local environmentalists it seems that this project is unlikely to go ahead in the near future, if at all. This is a pity as, on paper at least, the proposals looked excellent and would, in conjunction with the next project make the area even more of a birding hotspot.  ​

PictureGlobal Brid Fair 2022
At the Global Bird Fair in July 2022 a new and very exciting plans were unveiled to improve the habitat in a relatively small but significant part of the old Laguna de La Janda. This time, however, there seems grounds for quiet optimism.  First, the legal position now seems more clear cut than it was twenty-five years ago. Second, the plans are a result of collaboration with half-a-dozen or so local organisations and have the support of still more national and international organisation (inc. the IUCN, WWF & SEO). Third is the eventual success of the campaign to open a previously closed pedestrian/cycle route on La Janda along the Canal de Churriana and on to El Canal.  Perhaps most importantly, the fourth reason is that publicity and funding from the Global Bird Fair should ensure the plans have a high profile and sufficient financial backing.   ​

The ambition, scope and detail presented at the bird fair were impressive.  I’ve drawn a map of my own to put the plan into context within the area involved (highlighted in green on the main map) and inserted a map showing Stodmarsh NNR to give some idea of context for British birders (or at least those in SE England) who don’t know the place.  The similarities don’t stop with a broadly comparable size but also the mix of farmland and wetland.
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Comparison of proposals with Stodmarsh Kent (my local reserve)
The attractive artist’s impression of the site and maps give a good idea of what is intended.  If additional land is purchased, then the area involved will be a shade over 400 ha of which almost 100 ha will be farmed (irrigated & unirrigated), 100 ha converted into a wetland (including small lagunas and reedbeds), 62 ha restored grasslands, 7 ha of woodlands (some of which will screen the site from the road) and 2 ha improved flooding. The plan also includes better access, hides, a visitors’ centre and its use as an educational resource.  One of the aspects of the plan which makes it, in my view, a more viable prospect is that the area devoted to ‘ecological farming’ will not only provide a model for others to follow but also provide funds to run the reserve.  In my experience too many projects of this nature in Spain founder because there isn’t a regular source of funding. The area may be minuscule compared to what has been lost but it's a start. ​
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Overview of the planned changes
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PictureThe logo of the Asociación Amigos de la Laguna de La Janda
When, not if, this scheme goes ahead it will owe much to the tireless work over decades by the Asociación Amigos de la Laguna de La Janda and many other Spanish enthusiasts.  Without their ambition and determination none of this could have happened.  Despite setbacks and disappointments, they have continued to fight not only for what was and is their patrimony but also for hispanophile birders everywhere. I've only given a thumbnail sketch of the plans here so check out their website Laguna de La Janda (lagunalajanda.org) for more details and how you can support their work.  For an excellent explanation (despite the indifferent quality of the video  watch the talk given by Javier Elorriaga and Manuel Morales at the Global Bird Fair at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=480j8sVUgIc&t=1s

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    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.

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