Although the Spanish economy is on its knees, it's good to see that they are still trying to promote birdwatching by producing excellent little booklets like 'Birds from the Coast of Trafalgar'. There is also a helpful leaflet which gives a truncated description of the routes only. Both are available, for free, from the information office of the Parque Natural la Breňa y Marisma del Barbate. This office is somewhat obscurely located within Barbate docks about 100m to the left as you pass through the last gates en route towards Canos de Mecca. This small centre also has a good display (in Spanish) about the park and its wild life and helpful English speaking staff.
The booklet's introductory section explains how to identify birds, describes the various habitats in the area and gives a short description of the phenomenum of migration. The English is distinctly better than many such documents although still rather stiff and formal at times with the inevitable handful of typos.
The next section of the booklet is rather misleadingly entitled "The most frequently seen species of birds". It gives brief details of the habits and status of 63 birds that can be seen in the area. However, only a third or a quarter of the birds selected might reasonably be called 'frequently seen'. Many are striking or iconic species such as Common Crane and Little Bustard (see right) which many visitors might struggle to find. Understandably, given the area's importance for migrating birds of prey it covers no less than 13 raptors. The description are both useful and informative.
The 'meat' of the book are a dozen birdwatching routes although, contra the book's title, not all of them are actually on the coast. Most are in the Conil-Vejer-Barbate area with two outliers to the southwest on either side of Tarifa (Playa de Los Lances and El Cuarton. The routes are well chosen and will introduce you to a wide range of species. Some are clearly meant to be driven and others walked or cycled. Some are a mixture of both although where you walk and where you drive isn't always very clear! This section also has a dozen more or less blank pages for 'notes'. Personally, I've never been able to write on a book and almost have a nervous collapse when I discover someone else has done so! Hence, I think these pages would have been much better used to give still more information about the sites and birds.
This is a great little booklet which I'd have happily paid 10€ (or more) for in a shop. Nip out quick and get a copy before they run out! Those involved deserve thanks and congratulations for producing such a useful guide.
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