One of the aims I set myself when I started blogging and posting about birding in Cadiz province, was to dismiss the idea that birding here only meant witnessing the phenomenal passage of raptors in spring and, particularly, in autumn.  That said, I find it hard to deny that this world class ornithological spectacle isn't the 'jewel in the crown'.  Perched somewhere along the Algeciras-Tarfia coastline as waves of storks, kites, buzzards, vultures and eagles head south has to be one of the top two or three birding experiences in Europe. No question too that it's up there with the best that the world can offer.
The passage is carefully monitored by the 'Foundacion Migres' (www.fondacionmigres.org) supported by volunteers from across Europe.  Their watchpoints (see the photo at the top of the page) are dotted along the coast.  They produced detailed reports (in Spanish) giving details of the migration and analysing the figures so painstakingly collected.  All good stuff and yet .......  To be honest, with the honourable exception of some (usually Scandinavian) volunteers, I've often felt someting of an unwanted interloper when I've arrived at 'official' watchpoints.  When I've left it's felt like I'm slinking away rather than saying 'Cheerio!' to like-minded enthusiasts (as it should be).  Now, to be fair, to a great degree the fault is mine as I don't speak Spanish and, of course, the watchers do have a serious job to do.  Even so, it's always seemed to me that the absence of even the most rudimentary 'whiteboard' detailing recent (or even current) movements has typified the attitude that, somehow, visiting birders are a nuisance to be endured.  Surely, I've argued with the more friendly types, some sort of effort to inform or educate wouldn't be too hard to organise!  Yes, I know their work is 'pure science' and above such petty populism, but without public support where would conservation be?

So imagine my delight when I rolled up to the watchpoint at Cazalla and found a new white board proudly standing in the sun and detailing yesterday's sightings and giving the 10 year averages for the main migrant species. Better still, weren't those volunteers just a little more friendly?  They even waved 'good-bye' as we left!  To cap it all, now that I'm back home, I find that they've set up an excellent daily blog (http://datosmigres.blogspot.com/) to give regular updates about what's happening.  It's in English and Spanish too!  It's just a pity that the main 'Migres' website doesn't seem to have a link to this welcome new venture.  (To be honest it might have one, between its lousy design and my linguistic incompetence, I couldn't find one).

Things are looking up in other ways too.  All hope may be lost for the 'white elephant' across the road at Cazalla - an expensive purpose built watchpoint/cafe that somebody forget to organise water for or safe access to - but  February this year work was due to start on a new centre here.  Political, technological and, in all likelihood, financial considerations have ousted the army from one of its old coastal batteries just below the Trafico watchpoint (SW 13.1 if you have my notes) and the buildings are being converted into an international study centre on migration.  I would be delighted if this 'internationalism' extended to having their website (and other materials) in English, but that probably reflects more badly on me than on them.  Either way let's hope it'll have room for birdwatchers like me whose interest in birds is more aesthetic  than scientific.  Let's hope too that there will be some money left in the pot to resource a modest information/education centre at the Mirador del Estrecho.  It'd be a shame if all those 'ordinary' tourists - from many countries and with varying levels of interest - were left out of the equation.  You don't have to stand there long to hear gasps of delight as the great kettles of birds glide south.  They don't need much - little more than a few noticeboards and someone to offer a handy 'scope and tell them something about the birds that they so obviously instinctively admire. After all, directly or indirectly, most of them probably helped to pay for the new centre.  So it's only 2.5 cheers for the moment - let's hope that when the centre opens they'll have earnt all three! 

The farmland north-east of Osuna (Seville) is an area I've looked in half a dozen times before for Great Bustard, but with no success. My failure here is partly because I tried to do it en route to Alcala (when arriving at Seville airport), but also as mostly I've looked with people for whom Great Bustard was a lifer! A prime example of Sod's Law! All too often I've been searching in the late afternoon, not the optimum time to look, but, determined by the timing of flights into Seville, I had little choice. This time I was keen to look earlier in the morning – in spring Little Bustards here had been particularly active. Fortunately, this year I was meeting my daughter in Cordoba so an early morning departure from Alcala was planned and a detour (not too much of one either) to Osuna was plotted.

Since I'd heard most reports from a minor road running along the railway west from Osuna, this was where I headed. Taking exit 80 just west of Osuna (see map), I turned north as I came to the end of the slip road onto the minor road which runs along the side of a s mall venta (near a Repsol petrol station). This is a poorly marked junction so if uncertain just make sure you head round the eastern side of a newly laid out small industrial estate. At first you drive through olive groves. The road follows the Seville-Granada railway line, but after a few kilometres the new fast AVE line comes sweeping in from the south. This new fast line then runs paralell to the older track towards Seville, but unlike for the original, dusty level crossings are considered unsafe. Conveniently, a series of ramps and bridges, each offering panoramic views across the area, have now been built to cross this line. (Hopefully, as the bustards have grown accustomed to the old line this new fast service, open in 2012 shouldn't disturb them too much). Although bustards can be seen along both the A 407 and A351 (north of Osuna) looking here is by far the better option. The quietness of this road allows you to pull over where you please and these new viewpoints greatly improve your chances of spotting distant birds.

 I drove up to the first bridge (a) without too much hope as in the spring, I'd spent hours scanning here with bins and 'scope to no avail and, to be honest, the habitat doesn't look as good as elsewhere in this area. This time, however, I quickly picked a group of 'likely' birds with the naked eye as I drove up the ramp to the bridge. Bins rapidly unshipped, it took no more than a millisecond to realise that here was my quarry – a group of six fine Great Bustards! They were distant, but the light was perfect and good views were to be had in my 'scope. When Liz, my non-birding wife, took a peek at them she exclaimed “Wow!” To put that into context that's the first time any bird has elicited that sort of response in the 30+ years we've been married! It was Liz who as we turned to go suddenly noticed that there were now eight birds standing in the group. As no birds had flown in, this was a salutory lesson that these huge birds, when sitting down, could merge into the meagre cover. As usual here, the supporting cast was superb including Montagu's Harrier and passing Gull-billed Tern. I'd heard Little Bustard here in the spring, but several scans failed to produce a sighting. Collared Pratincole can be everywhere along this road in early summer.

 Pressing on we drove a couple of km further on to the second bridge (b). Taking the track on the left that climbs and swings over both the road and railway tracks I searched the first field to the left. Here In spring I'd had several displaying and raspberry blowing Little Bustard and a few Stone Curlew, but today, there were only a couple of Monties. The far side of the bridge offers good views across ideal bustard habitat - but today nothing much was happening. (A poor track runs across the farmland here and seems to eventually connect with that running from the third bridge). I've had great views of Roller here and this species seems to be a speciality of the area.

A similar distance further on you come to a crossroads – to the left are some ruined fincas (c) and to the right a track (d) that heads off towards the A 407. The fincas have Lesser Kestrel and I've seen Montagu's here. The track splits in two after the buildings and both routes look good for bustards (though so far I've drawn a blank here). The track on the other side of the road crosses good bustard habitat. I have seen Little Bustard here plus Roller, Black-winged Kite and Stone Curlew. Naturally the whole area hosts a good range of raptors (Short-toed and Booted Eagle, etc.) and, during migration periods, stray Honey Buzzards may pass over. Check buzzards for Long-legged Buzzard which have occurred not so far away.

Back on the 'main' road, a small (but metalled) road turns off to the right neasr a sign for the 'Venta la Romera' (no longer, it seems, in business). This road again heads through excellent bustard habitat and makes a great short cut if you're heading over towards La Lantjuela. At times a temporary pools is established on the right before you reach the railway bridge – check it for Collared Pratincole, Gull-billed Tern and Black-winged Stilt. As well a Roller, this is a good route for Southern Grey Shrike, Bee-eater and, near some ruins, Spanish Sparrow. The fields beyond the A 407 are worth checking for the same birds.

Back on the original road you soon pass though rolling cereal fields before you drop down into a hollow (f) - 'Laguna' de los Ojuelos. This area of temporary pools is the only place I've seen Black-bellied Sandgrouse in Andalucia, but I suspect I've used up both my luck and yours as I saw it from the train! (Amazingly, it flew up and flew along next to my window – not bad as it was a lifer at the time). There are fewer than 50 pairs in eastern Andalucia so I was incredibly lucky. This area, though, is good for Collared Pratincoles, wheatears, Red-rumped Swallow, Bee-eater and Roller so always worth a look. After a wet spring, large areas are flooded here attracting White Stork, Flamingo, stilts and many waders. Unfortunately, the best areas are beyond the railway line in a strictly private finca – even the most resolute twitcher might be put off trespassing here as it's a farm raising fighting bulls! A more permanent lake can be glimposed through the olive groves from the SE 720, but again this is strictly private. A track running west from the junction with the SE 720 may be worth exploring - the only time I tried to do so it was badly rutted and very wet..

Looking in my elderly copy of 'Peterson' (1974) the map for Great Bustard shows a great splash of solid red across much of Spain and Portugal. The map in the latest edition of the 'Collins Bird Guide' broadly reflects the same distribution, but, ominously, the more fashionable mauve comes in increasingly isolated blobs looking somewhat like a Roschach test card. Look more carefully and you can just see a tiny purple dot next to the strait of Gibralter. Alas, this is another example of 'field guide map' optimism. The last Great Bustard, a old, one eyed male, passed away on La Janda (once a stronghold for the species) in 2006 after many years of enforced bachelorhood. Thus the species became formally extinct in Cadiz province. La Janda is usually quoted as the last breeding site for the species in the province, but other sources suggest that the last proven breeding took place north of Jerez and towards the border with Seville province.

It was, though, surprising to read, a few months back, that the extinction of the La Janda bird meant that species was now extinct in Andalucia. Happily this is not the case and the species certainly hangs on in a number of areas in Andalucia. In fact, after decades of decline, the Spanish population is now thought to be stable overall. In some areas increases have been reported, but this is counter balanced by a continued decline in smaller isolated populations. The most recent Spanish atlas (2004) shows them to be present in Huelva, Seville, Cordoba and Jaen. That it still depicts several occupied squares in Cadiz merely underscores how quickly small populations can be lost.

According to the most recent national survey (2003) there were no more than 350 birds in the whole of Andalucia. Leaving aside a few isolated reports, there appear to be five population centres in the region:

    A - a small, isolated and seemingly declining population in eastern Huelva south of Villanueva de los Castillej
    B - small population (c30 birds) north-west of Seville near Aznalcollar, 
    C - a larger block of occupied squares around El Arahal (c30 birds) and east towards La Lantejuela/Osuna/El Rubio
       (c100 birds inc. 25 mature males) 
    D - a population stradling the Cordoba-Jaen border south-east of Cordoba (towards Valezuela) and into Jaen with 30+
        birds south of Porcuna 
    E - a population along the border with Extremadura in northern Cordoba at Llanuras del Alto Guadiato (near Los 
        Blazquez) where there are c100 birds (with more in winter) and in the nearby Pedroches Occidentalesa (east of 
        Belalcazar) with c50 birds. (This population probably also spills over into Seville province north of Guadalcanal).
   

With these figures the best part of a decade out of date and with smaller populations being vulnerable, it's not surprising that in Andalucia it's categorised as in 'critical danger.' Hardly surprising as less than 30% of birds survive their first year. The two populations in Huelva and western Seville (A & B) are now so small that they may not be viable in the long run (although they still seem to be reported from both areas). I don't have precise figures for the whole population in Cordoba/Jaen (D), but it appears to be rather low so it too may be endangered. Once small populations become extinct, natural recolonisation is problematical as Spanish Great Bustards are relatively sedentary (unlike eastern European populations). In Spain birds do not move much more than 20 km from their breeding sites although males may range as far as 65 km. The remaining two populations – Arahal-Osuna (C) and northern Cordoba (E) - have similar populations (100+ birds). Arguably, that in the north is the more secure as it is close to larger Extremaduran population. This is reflected by the influx of birds in the winter here which increases the population by c50%.

All the above suggests that, whilst the odd 'vagrant' may reappear in Cadiz province, recolonisation is not likely to happen anywhen soon and that some of the more isolated populations in Andalucia will gradually disappear. (For more details see http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/wildbirds/action_plans/docs/otis_tarda.pdf)