As I've mentioned previously, from the start of my project to promote birding in Cadiz Province I had hoped that both my notes and this blog would be interactive and engage a variety of people for two simple reasons - a) I alone can't hope to keep my notes on over 100 localities accurate and current and b) a diversity of opinions and views makes for a more interesting blog than me just banging on about things that come to mind. Accordingly, I'm very grateful to Hilary MacBean for stepping up and promptly producing (on the plane home!) her account of a visit to Cadiz this September:
I have enjoyed a connection to John on Facebook for some time and very much appreciate his
contribution to the "Crossbill Guide to Andalucia" (see https://crossbillguides.nl/bookstore/western-andalucia), his blog and his contributions to the Andalucia Bird Society's quarterly magazine “Birds of Andalucía” (see - https://www.andaluciabirdsociety.org/our-magazine-birds-of-andalucia/). I also managed to miss him at Birdfair, so it was like meeting an old friend when we finally met in Alcalá de Los Gazules on 14th September. Birding buddy Lesley Silcock and I were birding the southerly migration based in Punta Carnero and Tarifa and then we moved up to Alcala to check out the wooded hills of Parque Natural de Los Alcornocales and inland sites such as La Janda. A very worthy combination for Spring or Autumn migration and the bird breeding season.
contribution to the "Crossbill Guide to Andalucia" (see https://crossbillguides.nl/bookstore/western-andalucia), his blog and his contributions to the Andalucia Bird Society's quarterly magazine “Birds of Andalucía” (see - https://www.andaluciabirdsociety.org/our-magazine-birds-of-andalucia/). I also managed to miss him at Birdfair, so it was like meeting an old friend when we finally met in Alcalá de Los Gazules on 14th September. Birding buddy Lesley Silcock and I were birding the southerly migration based in Punta Carnero and Tarifa and then we moved up to Alcala to check out the wooded hills of Parque Natural de Los Alcornocales and inland sites such as La Janda. A very worthy combination for Spring or Autumn migration and the bird breeding season.
Laguna de Medina Sept 2019 (Photo John Cantelo)
We were road testing John's "Birding Cadiz" guide (July 2019 edition) and I had already marked up most of his sites on my navigation system. John is extremely generous in the help, friendship and support he offers to fellow birders and the publication of his blog is a testament to his generous attitude (Thank you, JC). He does, however, ask two things in return: one, a contribution to a worthy and relevant cause, mine will go to a conservation effort in Andalusia and two, very importantly, feedback and updates. Written site guides are only as good as the latest visits, as changes are regular and inevitable. John says himself that he can't visit everywhere and much is based on his in-depth knowledge of Cadiz Province. He invited me to be a guest on his blog to pass on our very pleasing birding experiences in the area.
We stayed at Punta Carnero Hotel near Algeçiras (see http://punta-carnero.andalucia-hotels.com/es/) for six days and then at Casa Vista, Alcala de los Gazules (see https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/casa-vista-alcala-de-los-gazules.es.html) for five days. John laughed when he saw the size of our vehicle on the tight little streets in Alcala, but it did come into its own on the tracks of La Janda. Punta Carnero Hotel is quite new and comes highly recommended as a small contemporary hotel by the sea, with fantastic views of Gibraltar round to Tangiers. It offers great potential as a base for the Spring migration in particular. Its terrace and hospitality are a big improvement on the postage stamp-sized layby at the nearby lighthouse, as reported by John in the guide. Yeray Seminario of Birding the Strait (http://birdingthestrait.com/) gave us a very good introduction to the area, with two days guiding round the migration observatories at El Algarrobo and Cazalla, with sorties up to Sierra de la
Plata, Barbate and La Janda.
Plata, Barbate and La Janda.
Gibraltar from Punta Carnero - Sept 2019 (Photo John Cantelo)
John’s notes are excellent and clear. His lettered points of interest are plotted on exquisite maps
that accurately show paths and features, but I would urge users to identify them on their navigation system in advance, just to help things along. Of course, every site varies with the seasons, but all good birdwatchers can make the necessary adaptations. Key species are identified by site, particularly for the migration and breeding seasons, helping to focus a plethora of choices about where to go. John admits he has left out a few key sites for conservation reasons, but that’s OK by me. He warns about the state of some tracks, but most are passable with a normal car and care in the dry season. Wet spells will be more of a problem. One at SW 8 Sierra de la Plata Point g, known as La Zarga, gives access to an impressive cliff holding a good population of Griffon Vulture, sometimes Ruppell’s Vulture, Blue Rock Thrush and if you are lucky, Bonelli's Eagle and even the now scarce White-rumped Swift, but don't count on getting your car up a very steep and rocky track, best to walk the last 500m distance up hill!
that accurately show paths and features, but I would urge users to identify them on their navigation system in advance, just to help things along. Of course, every site varies with the seasons, but all good birdwatchers can make the necessary adaptations. Key species are identified by site, particularly for the migration and breeding seasons, helping to focus a plethora of choices about where to go. John admits he has left out a few key sites for conservation reasons, but that’s OK by me. He warns about the state of some tracks, but most are passable with a normal car and care in the dry season. Wet spells will be more of a problem. One at SW 8 Sierra de la Plata Point g, known as La Zarga, gives access to an impressive cliff holding a good population of Griffon Vulture, sometimes Ruppell’s Vulture, Blue Rock Thrush and if you are lucky, Bonelli's Eagle and even the now scarce White-rumped Swift, but don't count on getting your car up a very steep and rocky track, best to walk the last 500m distance up hill!
Barbate disappointed, perhaps because the water quality at the recommended Point g seemed seriously degraded, possibly by agricultural pollution from large numbers of cattle around the site. Passage migrants, indeed most birdlife was thin on the ground on two visits. The Barbate River was much better. We also called off at various sites at San Fernando, Laguna Medina and Chiclana, much closer to Cadiz. An arrival at Jerez airport made this straightforward and added considerably to our list. Tres Amigos at San Fernando (NW 15.1) and Salinas de Chiclana (NW 16.1) near the rotunda were productive and John’s notes worked a treat. We even had a Lesser Yellowlegs amongst mixed waders in the pools at the rotunda access track (to be checked out and confirmed by one of Yeray's colleagues). The rotunda restaurant is a nice lunchspot as well as coffee stop, by the way.
San Jorge Church, Alcalá de Los Gazules, Sept 2019 (Photo John Cantelo), So to Alcalá de Los Gazules, John’s base. His terrace is everything he says it is and his welcome warm and genuine for fellow birders. Alcalá is a classic Andalus white hill town, in a cracking setting and great for watching migrant raptors moving down the valley. The town offers a friendly Spanish and expat welcome. We did the plains, spotted Montagu’s Harrier, missed Little Bustard and revisited La Janda, with some success, seeing a large kettle of White Stork desperate to get underway on migration but thwarted by poor visibility. We enjoyed the Roman ruins Baelo Claudia at Bolonia in the heat of the day. The first few hours of the mornings in the Molinos Valley and up into the Alcornocales, to Presa de los Hurones were both stunning in the cool of the morning and produced a Redstart passage, Pied Flycatcher, Spot flys, Nuthatch, Cirl Bunting, Firecrest, Crested Tit, the local race of Long-tailed Tit (ssp. irbii), several nice raptors and the only running water of the trip, so Grey Wagtails at Hurones, plus wintering Robin and tantalising signs of a possible Dipper on Garganta de Ortela, where it crosses the A375 road, but not marked in John's guide.
The upper part of the Molinos Valley (Photo - John Cantelo)
John always welcomes new information and updates and I thank him for a great guide. A dual location trip to Cadiz Province opens up lots of habitat and bird sites and is thoroughly recommended. They all said, “you must come back in the Spring”. I think that they are right! A big thanks to John Cantelo and friends.
El Picacho, from the Area ERecreativo (Photo - Hilary MacBean)
I thank Hilary once again for her contribution to my blog, for her flatteringly generous praise and, above all, for her donation to a conservation cause in Andalucia. With regard to Hilary's useful point about identifying points on a navigation system, I'm currently experimenting with adding What3words co-ordinates (see https://what3words.com/daring.lion.race) to my guide but with 400+ points to cover this will take some time (if I complete the task at all!). And, yes, we are right - come back in spring!
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