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Autumn 2025 Update 3 - concerns about La Janda

25/9/2025

I've written at length (and enthusiastically) about the El Aguila Project to restore a small section of La Janda and establish a nature reserve (see birdingcadizprovince.weebly.com/cadiz-birding-blog/el-aguila-project-la-janda-a-cause-for-optimism-hope). It's a wonderful project and would give an insight into what was once the Laguna de La Janda.

However, this spring I heard rumours that a large section of the proposed reserve had been purchased by a local farming estate for development. This autumn I was concerned (but not surprised) to see that a large area had been ploughed up with extensive (and expensive) drainage work underway. I'm no expert but the work (the construction of "ridge & furrows") looked like preparations for planting (avocado?) trees. If my suspicions about this work are accurate then it must jeopardise, if not completely prevent, the development of a reserve here. This would be a tragedy and a huge disappointment to all those who have worked on this project. It seems that, as ever, agricultural interests will always have access to greater funds than conservationists.

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Autumn 2025 Update 2 - Trebujena - Bonanza

24/9/2025

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Trebujena
Having seen one of the first Rufous Bushchats to arrive in April, I was keen to visit the Trebujena area again in September to find one before they left on migration. Knowing that they are most active in the early morning, I left Alcala in the dark and arrived on site not long after dawn. Having met with success there previously, I went straight to what I call the "Trebujena Triangle" and more specifically the habitat near an attractive ceramic sign depicting Bee-eaters. Checking one of the species' favourite singing posts, I almost immediately saw my target flicking around the bush. Unfortunately, I had scarcely raised my camera when it dived into cover and did not reappear. So all I got was a rather blurred record shot but I was very satisfied to see one at all. Despite searching, I failed to locate any more bushchats and I saw little else at the site other than Pied & Spotted Flycatcher and a rather more obliging Zitting Cisticola.

Along the Guadalquivir - Educational & Marisma Reserves
As I was in the area, I decided to check the two reserves located beside the Guadalquivir between Trebujena and Algaida. The first, on the corner where the road reaches the river, is not open to the public but can easily be viewed from the road. Unfortunately, instead of being packed with wildfowl and waders as it often is in the autumn, I found that save for a small channel it was entirely dry. There wasa digger on site so, hopefully, this was due to conservation work being carried out rather than some deeper problem.

The larger second reserve, the entrance to which is c3 km along the track looked much better with good water levels although it is not yet attracting many birds (see photos)

Road improvements ... & closures
In spring, the old tarmac track beyond the weir at the far end of this route as it heads towards the pine woodland was very degraded and tricky to negotiate. Happily, I found that it had been entirely resurfaced (albeit by fine gravel) and no problem). Impressed by this new surface, I followed the track down southwards but discovered that it was blocked just as you reached the market garden plots of Algaida. It seems that the whole of the CA 9027 - a useful cut-off to avoid going through Sanlucar de Barrameda is currently closed (although it seems to be resurfaced). This also means the short-cut from this road to the Lagunas de Camino Colorado is not currently viable.

Lagunas de Tarelo & Camino Colorado
As expected, the water levels in both lagunas were high this autumn, perhaps too high as the absence of any muddy margins meant the only waders present were Black-winged Stilts. Both lagunas held the usual variety of ducks - White-headed Duck, Shoveler, Red-crested & Common Pochards - and grebes (Black-necked & Little).
Note though that the short cut onto the CA 9027 (thus avoiding driving through Sanlucar) is not currently possible (see above)

Embalse de Barbate
The dam of the Embalse de Barbate offers an excellent view across the reservoir and can be a good place to scan for the local Ospreys, check for swifts and pick up an assortment of terns and wildfowl. Notices announcing restricted access have come and gone over the years but the appearance of a pair of gates here (with pedestrian access to one side suggests that vehicular access may soon be restricted entirely.

New gates on the road up to the dam at Embalse de Barbate

Castillo de Torrestrella (Medina Sidonia)
When time is short and I've insufficient time (or inclination) to drive along the Valcargado Track, the road up towards the prominent Castillo de Torrestrella (sometimes called Castillo de Torre Estrella) is my go-to site for seeing Spanish Imperial Eagle as it's only 20 minutes from Alcala. This autumn I nipped over to the site four times. On three occasions I saw Spanish Imperial Eagles within minutes of getting out of the car (at least two and once four birds) but on my last attempt saw none at all after 3 hours. You can guess on which occasion I was trying to help a friend leading a bird tour! Whose law?

Castillo de Torrestrella - a hotspot for Spanish Imperial Eagles ... unless I'm helping a tour group!

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Autumn 2025 Update 1 - Lagunas de Medina & de Jeli

19/9/2025

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Laguna de Medina
The complexes of lagunas that dot (or used to dot) Cadiz Province (also edging into Seville Province) represent an important ecosystem of wetlands long famed for harbouring some of Andalucia's most threatened birds. However, a combination of a long run of dry winters and a lower water table (thanks to the extraction water for agriculture) have rendered them a shadow of their former selves.

Laguna de Medina long had the reputation of being one of the few lagunas that never (or at least only very rarely) dried up entirely. However, even Laguna de Medina wasn't immune from the impact of a series of dry winters (when most rain falls) in the past decade and in recent autumns it has shrunk to a fraction of its former self sometimes being entirely dry. Red-knobbed Coot was a casualty of this change and numbers of White-headed Ducks also suffered (sometimes being reduced to only 2-3 birds if any at all).

Fortunately, the winter of 2024/2025 restored the laguna to its former glory but even so I was pleasantly surprised to find it brim full of water this August/September. Selected maximum counts for August tell the story - 370 Red-crested Pochard, 186 Common Pochard, 220 Gadwall, 47 White-headed Ducks, 3 Marbled Ducks, 41 Ferruginous Ducks, 25 Shovelers, 95 Little Grebe and 55 Black-necked Grebe. Most gratifying of all, up to 8 Red-knobbed Coot have been present although winkling them out amongst the 3-4,000 Eurasian Coot is something of a challenge! Despite best intentions it's easy to fall prey to 'coot blindness' after several minutes tediously checking through the throng of Eurasian Coots. I visited the laguna several times and saw Red-knobbed Coots twice; once from the Observatorio De La Malvasía (thanks to the sharp eyes of a young Spanish birder, Bruno Asencio Sevillano) and second from where the view of the laguna opens out along the boardwalk. On the latter occasion, I picked up two birds myself, largely thanks to the blue tone of their bills with the famous 'red knobs' being more hard to pick out red pimples! Others have seen several Red-knobbed Coots from the hide. Even though I missed the high total of 41 Ferruginous Ducks, the 11 I saw (including an adult with well-grown young) is by far the largest group of this scarce species I've seen here.

Laguna del Jeli (Lagunas de Chiclana)
With my optimism running high after visiting Laguna de Medina and seeing the Embalse de Barbate fuller than it's been in autumn for years, I decided to check out Laguna del Jeli just east of Chiclana. Looking at maps of the area, this appears to be a vaguely kidney-bean shaped laguna c1km in length and up to 400m wide. I've previously accessed the laguna by driving along the Cañada de Marchantes to the Puerta Verde de Chiclana and walking south towards the laguna. This time, however, I opted to park off the A 390 and take a longer walk (2.8 km vs 1.5 km) up to the small hide ('observatorio').built some years ago to afford views over the laguna.

Along the route there were several marshy areas, a stream and dense bushes which held large numbers of sparrows (probably mainly Spanish), a few hundred Corn Buntings and finches (mainly Goldfinches), Zitting Cisticolas and a few number of Red-rumped Swallows. A pleasant enough walk but the pay-off was going to be, I hoped, views across a rejuvenated laguna from the hide. Sadly, I was to be greatly disappointed as all I could see from the hide was a dense screen of tamarisks. Given the circling Yellow-legged Gulls, there seemed to be water beyond the curtain of vegetation but even if there had been a break to see what remains of the laguna then at c300m views would have been limited. In short, I walked there to take a look so you don't have to! I found it odd that Laguna de Medina was so full yet Laguna del Jeli remained but a sad remnant of what it had once been (assuming maps can be believed). The lack of management probably doesn't help but water supply would seem to be the main problem. Despite the absence of any improvement of the wetland, exploring along the Cañada de Marchantes is still worthwhile as the area continues to hold Rufous Bushchats and the ridge along which it runs frequently attracts migrant raptors looking for that helping updraft.

I should have checked other lagunas, particularly Laguna de los Tollos which had been so productive this spring, but my disappointment here discouraged me from looking elsewhere.

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Autumn 2025 Update 3 - concerns about La Janda

Autumn 2025 Update 2 - Trebujena - Bonanza

Autumn 2025 Update 1 - Lagunas de Medina & de Jeli

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