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A new reserve & a puzzle solved - Reserva San Gaspar

23/3/2026

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For years I've been puzzled about the status of the old gravel pits adjacent to the famous Laguna de Medina. With paths criss-crossing the site, several small pools and a makeshift 'hide' was it an extension of the Laguna de Medina reserve, a hunting area or something else entirely? I made enquiries a few years ago but nobody seemed to know the answer. Happily, if rather creepily, Facebook's algorithms knew better and today they threw up a post by Sociedad Gaditana* de Historia Natural (SGHN - Cadiz Natural History Society) that revealed the answer.  Since 2024, it has been a SGHS nature reserve (see here).  
​* Gaditana comes from the old Roman name for Cadiz, Gades.
Split in two by the A 381, only the eastern part of the old excavations are easily viewable from the service road (although by stopping by the crash barrier may risk a fine). The nearest 'official' parking is at the Laguna de Medina c1 km to the south which doesn't seem too far until you walk it on a hot summer's day. You can just squeeze in a single car by a gate further along the service road but it's not ideal.   This area has several small pools which, except when they dry out in the summer, often hold Red-crested Pochards, Coots, Black-winged Stilts and large numbers of roosting gulls. The drier gravelly areas can also attract small groups of Stone-curlews.  An underpass links the two service roads on either side of the A 381 but the view from it towards the rest of the old pits is almost entirely screened by trees (see photos). 
The first area, I've now discovered, is "Casa Colorada" and the second, by which the reserve seems to be formally known, is "San Gaspar". The owners of the nearby cement works (owned by the international conglomerate HOLCIM) carried out environmental mitigation & restoration work here supervised by the company "Cinclus" (see here) whose president, Beltrán Ceballos, is a well-known and highly respected ornithologist. HOLCIM handed over c105 hectares of the old quarry to the SGHN. In return the SGHN will monitor the site's biodiversity, set up a constant effort ringing site and use it to carry out conservation & educational work. As a former RSPB field teacher the latter is music to my ears as I firmly believe engaging the next generation in natural history is vital. 
For birders, the most important project undertaken thus far has involved the endangered Marbled Duck which, not surprisingly given its presence on Laguna de Medina, has been recorded on the small lagoons in Casa Colorada. As part of this project, 30 Marbled Ducks have been released and nest boxes for them put up. Several pairs have already bred on the reserve.  
Picture"Doncella Gaditana" (= Cadiz Maiden) or as it's known in English, the Aetherie Fritillary. (Photo: Jason Moule)
A second project involves a rare butterfly, the delightfully (and aptly) named "Doncella Gaditana"  (= Cadiz Maiden) or as it's known in English, the Aetherie Fritillary.  This attractive butterfly is found largely in North Africa, but has a toehold in the Iberian Peninsula particularly, as the name suggests, in the province of Cádiz.  It's a species that I've seen once near the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de los Santos (Alcala de los Gazules), much to the envy of my lepidopterist friends!  The Cardoon (or Artichoke Thistle), the main food plant for the fritillary, is common on the reserve which makes it an ideal site for the butterfly's (re)introduction. (The account doesn't make it clear whether they're already present). The plan is not simply to increase the population of this rare insect but also to study its life cycle in an effort to discover the reasons for its decline. 
* Understandably, given the nature of the educational and conservation work carried out there, the reserve is not open for casual, unsupervised visits by birders. To be blunt, visitors are unlikely to see much that they can't find a few minutes away at Laguna de Medina.  It would, however, be good if screens/hides and somewhere to park were available to allow viewing from the service road (esp. for the San Gaspar part of the reserve).  Either way, the addition of this small reserve to the inventory of nature reserves of the province and the role of the SGHN in its creation is something to celebrate. Warmest congratulations to the SGHN for their initiative.  It's certainly worth following the progress of these plans either via the society's Facebook page (see here) or its website (see here). 

*This paragraph is a re-edited version of my original post confirming (as I'd suspected) that the reserve wasn't open to the general public. Thanks to Eva Bratek for supplying this information.  
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Birding the Canaries

21/3/2026

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​I've mentioned in a previous post the impact that "The Birds of Britain and Europe with North Africa and the Middle East" (Fitter, Heinzel & Parslow) had on my birding horizons when it appeared way back in 1972 (see Larking about in Morocco). As I mentioned then, my ambition to see many of the exotic birds in that guide was dormant and forgotten until after retirement. I managed to get to Madeira 15 years ago but then Liz's illness prevented further jaunts until my Morocco trip.  It's taken me a while but this year I finally got to the Canaries. With worse hearing and less sharp eyesight than I had in the ‘70s, I again opted to join a bird tour (with Birding the Strait) rather than trying to “do my own thing”. This proved to be a wise move as I joined a pleasant small group ably led by Nacho Barrionuevo. As flight times were not convenient (and hotel accommodation a lot cheaper on Tenerife than at Gatwick), I opted to fly in to Aeropuerto de Tenerife Sur a few days early on 31st January. To my surprise and delight, my old friend, author and all-round naturalist, Jon Dunn was on the same flight. I stayed overnight at a soulless service town near the airport, San Isidro and then the next morning caught a bus north to Santa Cruz. (Tenerife appears to have an excellent, fast and moderately priced bus service)
​Saturday 1st February
Sites visited (Tenerife): Santa Cruz & the Palmetum
After leaving my bags at my hotel, I stepped out, sans binoculars, with my retired history teacher's hat on to explore whatever historic delights Santa Cruz had to offer. This proved to be a mistake since it transpired that, apart from the early 16th century Iglesia de la Concepción and a couple of streets nearby, the place has no “historic core”. Happily, though, it does have a superb museum (Museo de Naturaleza y Arqueología). As I meandered around something I couldn’t quite put my finger on was nagging me. Then the penny dropped, unlike every large town I’ve visited there were no sparrows! There weren’t even many feral pigeons either. Some tree lined boulevards had singing Atlantic Canary and hid a few Blackcap, but that was it. As I trudged the near birdless streets, I saw a distant tree clad hill that offered a respite from the dull urban landscape so I headed in its direction.

My destination proved to be the remarkable “Palmetum”, a botanic garden devoted to palm trees standing on a 'hill'  that was in reality the town's former rubbish tip repurposed and disguised! This was a wonderful arboreal oasis with small ponds and plenty of birds (but still no sparrows). I was now ruing my decision not to take my binoculars on my walk. An unfamiliar song soon penetrated my curtain of deafness and my hunch that it belonged to a Canary Chiffchaff was soon confirmed. Despite not having binoculars, I managed to get a very good view of one of the birds – it was noticeably darker above and below than Common Chiffchaff. I also had poor views of the local race of African Blue Tit (plus Moorhen, Little Egret & Atlantic Canaries).
Tour Day 1 - Sunday 2nd February
Sites visited (Tenerife): Zona Recreative Barranco de Ruiz, Mirador de Lance & Barranco de Ruiz
The trip officially started at mid-day but I was picked up from my hotel by Nacho at 11:00. A second client was picked up before we met up with the four others on the trip at our hotel (Hotel Rural Bentor, Los Realejos) Then we were off birding to the Zona Recreative Barranco de Ruiz. Having struggled to see Trocaz Pigeon on Madeira years before, I imagined that the two endemic pigeons would be similarly difficult. However, a (White-tailed) Laurel Pigeon quickly obliged by flying over as we got out of the van.  In the ensuing hour or more we had multiple sightings of the species. They’re bulky birds, suggesting a close family relationship with Woodpigeon, but much darker with a contrasting white upper tail. Also present here were African Blue Tit (like much else of a local race, teneriffae), Sardinian Warbler, (leucogastra), Kestrel (canariensis), Buzzard (insularum) & Robin (superbus) - I'll come back to the latter form anon. 


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Our next stop was Mirador de Lance which gave good views of the hillside below but little else although we enjoyed great views of African Blue Tit. Although not a 'lifer' I was delighted to see this bird as I'd only had poor views of the nominate form in Morocco.  A bolder version of ‘our’ bird like something a child might draw with sharpies! 

​Although I had seen one the day before, I had my first good view of the local race (superbus) of European Robin. I found it to be a far more distinctive bird, visually and aurally, than I had expected. Individual plumage differences were, perhaps, subtle, but in combination they were surprisingly distinctive (particularly the whiter underparts). The song lacked the nominate form’s mournful quality and had something Woodlark like about its tone. Good for a split, I think.

Our final stop was again at the Barranco de Ruiz but this time high in the hills where it drops down towards the sea. Naturally, there were still more Laurel Pigeons but I also managed to have a brief and distant view of Bolle’s Pigeon (seeing little more than a dark pigeon with a banded, not white,  tail as it disappeared into cover).
​Tour Day 2 - Monday 3rd February
Sites visited (Tenerife): Mirador Lomo Molino & Tiede National Park
At the start of the day my Kowa 55 ‘scope fell apart which was irritating to say the least and meant that there was now only one ‘scope amongst the whole group. Good views of Barbary Partridge near the hotel was no recompense.

Our first stop was Mirador Lomo Molino which gave us still more views of Laurel Pigeon but also good views of Bolle’s Pigeon which the rest of the party had missed the previous day. There were Atlantic Canaries here in abundance but a singing Canarian Chaffinch, disappointingly permitted only brief silhouetted views. The taxonomic status of this form has long been disputed but I was pleased to learn that the new Avibase taxonomy lists it as a full species
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​The landscape of the Tiede National Park is rather barren and dominated by the eponymous mountain. It was my first visit to an area with an active volcano and a geology to match – fascinating! It was pleasing to re-aquaint myself with Bertholot’s Pipit (which I’d previously seen on Madeira). Our first bird was surprisingly tame and, as was the case on Madeira, seemed to like car parks. A good example of how relatively minor plumage distinctions can combine to make a more distinctive bird than you might imagine.
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A stop in a picnic site in the pines quickly produced Tenerife Blue Chaffinch, my second most wanted bird of the trip. The colour seemed to vary enormously with the angle of the light, sometimes it looked startlingly blue but at other times more slate grey. Also present was a Great-spotted Woodpecker of the local race (canariensis).
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​Tour Day 3 - Tuesday 3rd February
Sites visited (Tenerife): Monte del Agua, Calle Masca, Bolico Hostal & Teno Alto
The highlight for me today was a visit to Monte del Agua, an atmospheric woodland with Tree Heath, Laurels, etc. and plentiful mosses and lichens. Our walk here started with good views of Bolle’s Pigeon. Deeper into the forested area, we had the local race of Goldcrest (teneriffae) which, like the Robin before it, proved to be more distinctive than expected. They were darker overall (particularly below) with a bolder black band on the forehead more akin to Firecrest. The woods also gave us excellent views of the very distinctive Canary Islands Chaffinch.

Next up was a stop at Bolico Hostal which was notable for the number of large West Canarian Lizards in a stone wall there. The final stop for the day was Teno Alto, an open area somewhat reminiscent of Cornwall, where we had Rock Sparrow and Corn Bunting.
Tour Day 4 - Wednesday 4th February
Sites visited (Tenerife): Zona Recreative Barranco de Ruiz &
Valle Molina
We started our final day on Tenerife by revisiting Zona Recreative Barranco de Ruiz where saw much the same mix of birds as on our first visit but also Grey Wagtail (schmitzi). Our final stop on the island was a small reservoir in Valle Molina conveniently close to the airport. Here our tally of wildfowl (and waders) was significantly boosted by all the familiar species plus a flock of a dozen Ring-necked Ducks and 28 Ruddy Shelducks.
Sites visited (Fuerteventura): Tindaya plains
After all the inevitable faff involved in arriving at an airport, collecting luggage, picking up a hire car and dumping bags at the hotel, we arrived at the Tindaya plains in the late afternoon. Finding our target birds here proved to be no problem … just look for groups of birders! We had Stonecurlews in the middle of the nearby village, Laughing Doves as we dropped down to the stony plains, then a couple of Cream-coloured Coursers by the first huddle of birders and a Houbara Bustard (fuerteventurae) at the second. I’d seen both on my jaunt to Morocco a few years back, but the bustard here showed much better (although the best was yet to come). Also present on the plains were Mediterranean (Lesser) Short-toed Lark (rufescens) and Berthelot’s Pipit.
PictureFuerteventura Chat - the bird I most wanted to see.
Tour Day 5 - Thursday 5th February
Sites visited (Fuerteventura): La Oliva, Barranco de Fimapaire, Florida laguna, Costa Calma, Tuineje, Balsa Barranco de la Florida, Las Casitas & Tiscamanita
Our day started with a fruitless search for Long-eared Owl at La Oliva although we were rewarded with good views of Spectacled Warbler.

However, I was keen to get to Barranco de Fimapaire, the site that had been earmarked for an encounter with Fuerteventura Chat, my most wanted species of the trip. Happily, we quickly found a female and then, after a pause, a male of this handsome endemic. The female looked like a washed out Stonechat whilst the male was like a Whinchat-Stonechat hybrid! The area also held Hoopoe, the local race of Buzzard, Spanish Sparrow and a family of the local race (keonigi) of Great-grey Shrike. These showed superbly well.  

Our subsequent peregrinations around the island took in several small pools at one of which we had a long-staying vagrant Eastern Yellow Wagtail. We drove south to visit the resort of Costa Calma to look for the introduced Red-vented Bulbul but, although vocal, the birds offered only brief UTVs as they flitted around high in the foliage. (To be honest, I felt we spent far too long looking for this 'plastic; addition to the list). We did, however, obtain excellent views of the island’s own race of Kestrel (dacotiae). At Las Casitas, a goat farm, we had good views of Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Our last site for the day, Tiscamanita, was for yet another local race, this time of Egyptian Vulture (majorensis). Unlike the nominate form in mainland Spain, this rather dusky subspecies is a resident of the islands. Here I also had my best views of Mediterranean (Lesser) Short-toed Lark (rufescens) .
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Tindaya Plains at sunset
​Tour Day 6 - Friday 6th February
Sites visited (Fuerteventura): Tindaya plains & Betancuria
Our morning started with the first of two visits to the Tidaya plains. This again produced views of Houbara Bustard and Cream-coloured Courser but also added Black-bellied Sandgrouse to the list for the area. The bustard gave us stunning close and prolonged views. News that an early Red-billed Tropicbird had been seen from the nearby sea cliffs inevitably led us to check the area, but, alas, what would have been a huge bonus bird was nowhere to be seen. However, we did get superb views of a pair of Peregrines. They were very pale birds of the local race, pelegrinoides, previously regarded as a full species, Barbary Falcon.

As noted earlier, the Canary Islands do not seem to be gifted with many attractive villages, but Betancuria is an exception. This site wasn’t very fruitful ornithologically, but gave us more views of Egyptian Vulture and African Blue Tit (again an new island race, degener).

Nacho, our guide had a hunch that, after the light rain we had experienced, Houbara Bustards might be displaying so we headed back to the Tindaya plains. He was right and we enjoyed fabulous views of two displaying birds. The display involves first elevating their black feathers either side of their chest into epaulettes, then throwing their heads back onto their back, fluffing up their white feathers into a ball and running headlong across the rocky terrain despite having little or no forward vision. An amazing sight!
Tour Day 7 - Saturday 7th February
Sites visited (Fuerteventura): Llanos Pelados
Before our flights off the island we had time to visit a site for Trumpeter Finch which we had missed elsewhere. Happily, soon after we arrived we found seven of them feeding in a muddy depression. A bonus here was another chance to see Fuerteventura Chat.  ​
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La Janda - access March 2026

14/3/2026

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Predictably, after the exceptional flooding of La Janda, access has been compromised by damage to the track beside the Canal Prinicpal. 

At the western end (i.e. nearer Vejer) a bridge has collapsed and to the east the road is also closed.* I assume that it will take some time to repair/replace the bridge but, hopefully, the other damaged stretch will be sorted out relatively quickly.  I'm not sure what state the bridge (Puente del Pericón) across main canal and the one further along the track (i.e. near the large weir) are in, but they too may be damaged (please let me know).  As a result it's advisable to come in from the A 2226 east of Benalup at the moment.   
*Many thanks to Liza Kempe Chapman for permission to use her two photos.
The flooding has been an unmitigated disaster for many people living in the area, but the Laguna de la Janda reasserting itself so dramatically seems to have put its restoration back on the political agenda (see here).  I gather that local radio and TV stations have also covered the issue. Those who have been following this saga for years will know to temper their optimism with realism, but every little helps!   
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Laguna de la Janda lives!

4/3/2026

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The extent to which the old Laguna de la Janda reasserted itself in 2026 cannot be fully illustrated or grasped by still photos alone but drone footage is another matter!  More a time machine than a drone! See here.
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Water, water everywhere - Feb. 2026 Updates 3

27/2/2026

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Trebujena-Sanlucar Road Improvements
As I suspected in a previous post, the CA 9027 (which takes you to La Algaida without the tiresome necessity of driving into Sanlucar de Barrameda) has now been resurfaced and is much improved.  Surprisingly, the improved surface overshoots the turning for La Algaida itself (circled in red on the map) making the turning easy to miss (unfortunately the tracks cutting through to Lagunas de Camino Colorado have got worse). Oddly, this improved stretch suddenly ends after c1 km and becomes a gravel track again. This continues for c5 km until it reaches the turning for the pines. This gravel track was in good condition but inevitably the winter rains have taken a toll. (I didn't check but I gather the track through the pines is still in a poor condition). After passing the entrance to the pines, the road is again metalled (albeit very patched & bumpy), but at the weir a miracle happens ... the road along the river has been entirely tarmacked and resurfaced all the way to the turning up to Trebujena!. This isn't entirely good news as cars now whizz along this stretch at much greater speed!  
​Adventus Marismas, New Reserve, etc
As I didn’t have much time available to explore the area properly, the obvious target on my short visit to the Trebujena area was to find Pin-tailed Sandgrouse for my visiting friends from Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory. This could only mean checking the track besides the Adventus marismas.

I got there early, but even before I arrived I could see, as I dropped down from Trebujena, that the whole area was extensively flooded, more so than I’d seen it previously. This raised two concerns, first whether the track, which can be very slippery after rain, was going to be navigable and second whether the sandgrouse had remembered their water-wings & wellies! Happily, my first fear proved to be unfounded but the second was a real concern.
Having driven the length of the track, it was clear that much of the most attractive sandgrouse habitats were under several inches, if not feet, of water (see photos). With few birds at the far end of the track, I headed back towards the road where I soon met up with my friends. We scanned the area for several minutes before they decided to check the far end of the track (c3 km). I thought it made sense for me to remain where I was and continue checking the area closer to the road.

I was really feeling the absence of my ‘scope (which had fallen apart a week earlier), but kept scanning back and forth with my binoculars. After 10-15 minutes I caught sight of two birds flying low – sandgrouse! They continued but soon dropped into the low saline vegetation c800m from the track. Even at a fraction of that distance Pin-tailed Sandgrouse can be impossible to spot on the ground. But at least I seemed to have found where the birds had an ‘island’ of suitable habitat to feed.

A quick phone call and, 10 minutes later, my friends arrived. I had kept scanning but hadn’t seen any more birds. Happily, the sandgrouse had waited until my friends arrived and set up their scopes … but this time it wasn’t two birds flying around but a considerable flock!  At first 20 or 30 came up and circled around but they were soon joined by more birds. They were mainly distant but a few came much closer giving good flight views even through binoculars. I counted over 80 but another party came up to join them so the final count was of 96 birds! To put this into context, the previous high counts here on eBird have been around 20-30 with a maximum of 50 in 2022. Seeing almost 100 birds is even more extraordinary when you consider that estimates some years ago put the entire Andalucian population (mainly concentrated in the Lower Guadalquivir) at only 400-600 birds. Thus our flock may have constituted c25% of the Andalucian population! Presumably, the extraordinarily wet conditions had concentrated them in a small area.  A magical moment!
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Two shots of part of the distant flock of Pint-tailed Sandgrouse.
​Although the rest of the day was by no means an anti-climax, we’d got out highlight of the day in early. Other than the much improved road, there aren’t many more changes to report. I was pleased to see that the Manegodor Taberna (behind the ruined thatched buildings) was open for once. Even more unusually, the gate into the small reserve across the road was open although I don’t know if this was by design or accident. The lagoons here had several Marbled Duck. The new reserve continues to be relatively birdless but the bare shingle is slowly being clothed in green and the vegetation grows. The Lagunas de Camino de Colorado, like all the lagunas this year was overflowing with water but had few birds. It was nice to see a new sign for the back pool though (see photos).  The Lagunas de Martin Miguel were also full and birdless. 
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Water, water everywhere - Feb. 2026 Updates 2

26/2/2026

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La Janda
​The ancient laguna of La Janda was drained in the 1960s but after the incredible rainfall in early 2026 reasserted itself giving a glimpse, for the first time in 60 odd years, of what has been lost.  My photos cannot do the extent of the flooding justice, but drone footage (see Laguna de la Janda. Inundación enero-febrero de 2026.) does so admirably. Not so much a drone, more a time machine!   
Perhaps ironically, the vast flooded area held fewer birds than usual; passerines were flooded out, wetland birds dispersed across a greater area and the raptors presumably finding a less than usual amount of prey. However, on my sole visit I did see my first Red-knobbed Coot for the area, a handful of Common Cranes, numerous White Storks & Spoonbills, a fine adult Great-spotted Cuckoo near the finca and my first Short-toed Eagle for the year. Unfortunately the wide-ranging Greater-spotted Eagle wintering here eluded me (again).  My SBBO friends a distant Spanish Imperial Eagle along the road to the Presa de Celemin which I missed, but fortunately we later had much better views of four birds (inc. a close juvenile) along the Valcargado track.  
Laguna de Medina 
​Although I'd previously seen water levels edge towards the boardwalk here and impinge upon the cycle path here, I'd never seen the latter under several feet of water before!  This is a huge contrast to a few years ago when in late winter (when water levels should be high) the laguna was reduced to a isolated puddle surrounded by hard mud!  Unfortunately, as elsewhere, the high water levels did not translate into large numbers of birds and waterfowl were in very poor numbers.   
Alcala de los Gazules & the Embalse de Barbate

For most of the time I was in Alcala de los Gazules it rained so I only ventured on to my terrace twice, the second time to sweep it up before leaving. On the first occasion (17/02), the first day of warm sunshine, instead of 1-2 very damp Lesser Kestrels sitting in trees nearby, I had c30 Lesser Kestrels cavorting about chattering in the sky above.  Almost all were gone the following morning.  On the following day I was busy sweeping up but a glance at a trio of approaching vultures prompted me to get my camera - one was a Black Vulture!  (Interestingly, when I returned to the UK I discovered that a programme was starting this year to introduce the species to Cadiz province although birds have not yet been released).  A little while later two Black Storks came over high. 
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Not directly bird related but the persistent heavy rain and storms has cause a lot of damage in the area with many minor roads (and some not so minor) closed by flooding an land slips. In Alcala, early one morning a roof collapsed and a man sleeping below was lucky to escape unhurt. 
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A collapsed row of houses in Alcala
During the deluge one of the roads flooded and impassable was the one between Alcala and Benalup.  The Embalse de Barbate overflowed and blocked the route.  The photo below shows part of the embalse (viewed from a few km along the road) this February. However for years no water at all was visible from this point which was used for grazing cattle.  Ironically, in recent years a water bowser was stationed there to provide water as the embalse had retreated so far away (see inset).  
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For years no water at all could be seen from this viewpoint across the Embalse de Barbate towards Alcala de los Gazules (see inset GoogleEarth image)
My next (and final) update will cover the Sanlucar-Trebujena area. 
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Water, water everywhere - Feb. 2026 Updates 1

25/2/2026

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Overview
After a very successful week on the Canaries with Birding the Strait, I spent ten days in Andalucia, in part helping friends from Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory explore the area.  Accordingly, I wasn't able to check too many sites but the overriding impression was that much of lowland Seville and Cadiz provinces were drowning in water.  
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​Previously, there had been years of severe drought which had reduced the water levels in reservoirs to such a degree that it was popularly suggested that they'd never be full again. Some authorities were forced to implement water rationing.  There were also very real fears that the wetland ecosystem of world famous Coto Doñana reserve was about to collapse (see Urgent action needed to reverse ecological collapse of Donãna | WWF)  As I've noted previously, several lagunas became dry birdless basins, often choked by tamarisk.  Even Laguna de Medina, historically the least likely laguna to dry out completely, now regularly did so during the summer (and even once in early spring when it should have been full).  Some respite came in early 2025 in the form of heavy winter rains but that was nothing compared to what was to follow in the winter of 2025/26. Grazalema, famously the wettest place in Spain, received its average annual rainfall in less than two weeks in February and well before the end of the month had exceeded the previous record for annual rainfall.  On a single day the pueblo had as much rain as Madrid has in an entire year.  Not only did the streets flow with water but the subterranean pressure caused earth tremors causing the town to be evacuated. 

​The most emblematic visual evidence of this deluge was that the nearby redundant "Embalse de Montejaque" became full for the first time in its 100 year-old history causing fears that the dam might collapse from the weight of water. This ill-fated HEP project never worked as the limestone leaked water faster than the reservoir could fill ... until now!   It is estimated that even if there's no more rain it will take 50 days for the reservoir to empty. 
Picture"Embalse" de Montejaque in normal times (top) and in February 2026 (below).
   
It is, of course, too early to assess the impact that this will have on wildlife although it will probably mean a wonderful show of flowers in the spring.  Hopefully, it will save several lagunas that had looked fated to dry into total oblivion in the immediate future.  Inevitably the account of various sites visited that follows has a focus on the rainfall.  
Osuna Area
​I stayed over for two nights in Osuna, largely to meet up with friends from Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory but also to revisit the town and finally walk up to the huge quarry (dating back to pre-Roman times) that supplied stone to build the place. 
Many of the low lying fields around the town were flooded whilst to the north-west the Laguna de los Ojuelos eased itself across a larger area than usual proving attractive to Flamingos, Lapwings, Green Sandpipers and various ducks. The ford across the normally shallow & placid Arroyo del Peinado (behind the works on the A 407) was impassable.  Along the SE 7201 to the west of Lantejuela several extensive 'new' bodies of water had appeared.  I didn't get to explore the Complejo Endorreico de Lantejuela, but I was informed all the lagunas were full to overflowing (presumably including the damp hollow that was the "Laguna" Verde de Sal.  Ornithologically, the area was very productive with sightings of Black-winged Kite,  both bustards and the always elusive Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Thanks to a tip from my Simon Tonkin (of 'Inglorious Bustards') the latter were found in an area I've infrequently visited in the past (see map below) 
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The area circled is where I had two Black-bellied Sandgrouse.
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This view photo doesn't do justice to the from 'c' (see map). The sandgrouse were in a ploughed field behind where I took the photo.
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Top: the Arroyo del Peinado is usually no more than a small stream but not only was it in full spate but thick mud a metre or more deep guarded the side of the ford making transit impossible even for a 4x4! Bottom: Laguna de los Ojuelos luxuriated below the viaduct & over fields
Laguna de Fuente de Piedra 
​With my friends from Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory, I made a quick visit to the Laguna de Fuente de Piedra.  Unusually, there were no Flamingos to be seen below the Visitors' Centre, but seeing the famous laguna full to the brim was an even rarer sight.  The smaller lagunas here had White-headed Ducks. 
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Laguna de Fuente de Piedra is rarely this full!
My next update (of three) will cover Laguna de Medina & La Janda.
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Inventario de Humedales de Andalucía - Cadiz

9/12/2025

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The Humedals of Cadiz Province - newly established sited are shown in red. Green circles indicate three surprising (to me at any rate) omissions,
(42.28 ha) The Junta de Andalucía maintains a list, Inventario de Humedales de Andalucía (IHA),  of protected 'wetlands' in the region which they periodically update (see here ). The most recent revision was published in October 2025 when a total of 229 sites were designated in Almeria (18), Cadiz (38), Córdoba (31), Grenade (26), Huelva (35), Jaén (18), Malaga (25) and Seville (38). This revision added five new sites to the inventory all but one of which are in Cadiz Province (the exception being Laguna de la Alberca, (52.01 ha) near Ronda, Malaga Province). The four new sites In Cadiz Province are Lagunas de Bonanza (aka Lagunas de Camino Colorado), Marismas de Cetina (see here),  Haza de la Torre (see here) and Huerta de las Pilas.
Lagunas de Bonanza and Marismas de Cetina (see here) are regular haunts of mine (see previous blogs).  Unfortunately, access to  Haza de la Torre (see here) is not permitted but there are much delayed plans to open it up for visitors and provide a watch tower.  I've only once visited Huerta de las Pilas which is obscurely tucked away on the outskirts of Algeciras.  Checking the information on this small (3.73 ha) laguna, I was surprised to discover that the only animals listed for the site were Squacco Heron and Ferruginous Duck.  On my visit there were no ducks at all and very few reeds making it an unlikely spot for either species. 
PictureCharca de la Camilla, Grazalema
I've only visited Huerta de las Pilas once and confess that I wasn't hugely impressed.  I'm sure that getting lost in the one-way streets in the nearby suburb of Algeciras en route didn't help and neither did failing to find my target, a Red-knobbed Coot, that had been reported there a few days earlier.  As it's an old man-made steep-sided water-filled pit with scant vegetation, it has the advantage of being easy to scan.  However, I found few birds and decided it wasn't worth the faff  (and seem to have deleted all my photos of the place!  
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Huerta de las Pilas
Note that although 'humedals' is usually translated into English as 'wetlands', this is somewhat misleading.  The English word conjures up an image of vast areas of marsh and reedbed with numerous plants and animals of interested present, but 'humedals' also embraces tiny, often transitory, ponds. 

At one extreme there's  Charca de la Camilla, Grazalema  (see here ) which is tiny (0.04 ha), roughly shield shaped laguna measuring c33m long and c20m across at its greatest breadth (but far smaller after an extended drought).  It's listed for the presences of just four amphibians, Iberian Frog, Fire Salamander, Marbled and Southern Marbled Newts.  It's about a kilometre as the crow flies over a ridge from a minor road between Grazalema and Zahara de la Frontera, but much further to get to on foot along a serpentine footpath. At the other extreme there's the Bahía de Cádiz (see here) which sprawls across 10,522.04 ha, takes several pages to describe and hosts multiple species. 
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Bahía de Cádiz
Of the 38 sites listed, I've managed to visit (or view) all but four sites. Not surprisingly, three of the unvisited sites are small difficult to access locations in mountainous areas with limited birdlife.  These are Charca de la Camilla, Laguna del Perezoso and,  most embarrassingly, Lagunetas de Alcala. All but the first site are small lagunas (04 ha, 0.27 ha & 0.38 ha respectively) tucked away in the mountains. The Lagunetas de Alcala consists of two small lagunas (although the smaller one of which appears completely dry - see photo above).  They're situated just beyond the end of the Molinos valley walk and next to the cycle route. Listed for their (limited?) botanical interest, I've never been inclined to visit them.  ​
PictureLagunetas de Alcala
PictureThe start of the sendero off the service road (c2.6 km south of Junction 4 to Lagunas de Canteras & el Tejon.
The odd one out on the list of unvisited sites is Laguna el Tejon (9.72 ha) which is located in rolling farmland just south of Jerez de la Frontera close to  the ​Laguna de la Canteras - 6.3 ha). It's listed for the presence  (not necessarily breeding) of Black Stork, Red-knobbed Coot, Marbled Duck, White-headed Duck, Osprey, Squacco Heron, Ferruginous Duck and Black Tern  plus Viperine Snake, Western Spadefoot Toad and Iberian Ribbed Newt.  Over a decade ago , not being precisely sure where these two lagunas were, I cheekily drove along farm tracks until I blundered across Laguna de la Canteras.  It looked superb with Black-necked Grebe and plenty of ducks (etc) but I'd scarcely arrived when a farmworker appeared and politely asked me to leave.  I've since discovered that the 2.7 km track to Laguna de las Canteras is a footpath (sendero) albeit an unmarked one but this path doesn't appear to extend as far as Laguna el Tejon which is tucked away out of sight.  I've always meant to go back but there's no guarantee that the lagunas will be full (or even wet at all) and a walk of over 5 km in the hot Spanish sun doesn't appeal (particularly as all the species listed can potentially be seen more easily nearby at Laguna de Medina),  But perhaps the real reason was that the farmworker was herding a large group of impressively horned cattle that straddled across the road ...
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Several of the remaining humedals can only be viewed fairly distantly from nearby roads (for example Marismas de Casa Blanca,  Haza del Torre [see here], Laguna de Montelano, and Laguna de San Antonio) whilst others are so comprehensively screened by trees that viewing is very difficult (Lagunas Comisario, Montelano & Jeli, Lagunas  Salada & Chica in the Lagunas de Santa Maria complex).    Very few have hides - Laguna de Medina, Marismas de Cetina, Lagunas de Espera and Lagunas de Bonanza are exceptions - but even some of these are obscured by vegetation or poorly placed.  ​
Looking through the list it's not always very clear what criteria are being used to include some sites but not others. With some listed sites being very small, sometimes dry and with scant evidence of particular importance why haven't the Marismas de Trebujena been listed?  With part of the area consisting of a new reserve with extensive pools and huge areas of interesting halophytic vegetation providing one of the last areas for Pin-tailed Sandgrouse in Cadiz plus Spectacled Warbler, both short-toed larks and, when wet, huge numbers of waders, it surely has as good a case for protection as other sites listed.  Similarly, I've often found that the shallow Laguna de Los Tercios (see here for my most recent visit to the site) has far more birds than the nearby listed Lagunas de El Puerto de Santa Maria (and easier to scan).  The other "missing" site is La Janda.  On one level this is understandable as the laguna here was drained decades ago but this ignores that the remaining pools and cut-offs (plus drainage channels) harbour a lot of 'wetland' species.  In this case, there are wealthy vested interests who are strongly opposed to restoration of the laguna and who presumably oppose any move that might support such a plan. 
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Laguna de Los Tercios
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​
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Autumn 2025 Update 4 - all at sea (again)

1/10/2025

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A pelagic trip is now a fixed part of my schedule when in Spain in autumn.  Places are relatively few and they are very popular so it's best to book well in advance and even then I have sometimes struggled to find a place on one.  However, I've now been on four - one out of Cadiz with 'Birding Tarifa' and three - one with 'Birding the Strait' and now two with 'Oxyura Birdwatching' - out of Chipiona.

The first in 2022 was excellent - a fly-by Wilson's Storm-Petrel (my target bird on this trip), c40 European Storm-Petrel, c40 Balearic Shearwaters, a few "Cory's", a Roseate Tern and a Grey Phalarope. The second in 2023 was very disappointing with no petrels at all,  relatively few shearwaters (4 Cory's & 7 Balearic) and only 18 Gannets.  Happily, the trip in 2024 was a huge improvement with 2 Arctic & 6 Great Skuas, 2 Wilson's & 5 European Storm-Petrels, the best haul yet of shearwaters (87 Cory's/Scopoli's, 26 Balearic,  2 Sooty & 3 Great Shearwaters) and 46+ Gannet.  I hadn't seen Great Shearwater for decades so seeing one was a huge bonus but it was the large number of "Cory's" loafing around the boat that was the highlight of the trip (and photos confirmed some as Scopoli's).  I had better views of storm-petrels too but I still hadn't them pattering on the waves ...  * 
​This year's pelagic was scheduled for 30th August and I was very pleased to get a lift from Alcala with friends Derek Etherton & Ricky Owen early that morning.  It was also good to have the company of another friend, Mick Richardson, on board and the company of the organiser, Manuel Barcena (Oxyura Birdwatching)  However, the omens for a good trip were not auspicious.  The winds were offshore pushing the birds further out and the sea was so choppy that it was touch and go whether the trip would run at all.  Presumably due to the sea conditions, we left later than planned and as the boat chugged further out towards the watery horizon, it quickly became apparent that the sea was bereft of seabirds.  It was a struggle to find a single Gannet or a shearwater (of any species). My mood, and I think that of others on board, quickly became one of resigned pessimism.  Even chumming failed to increase the number of seabirds beyond one or two fairly distant views of Wilson's Petrel, two Gannets (at last) and two shearwaters (a Cory's and a Balearic - again at last!).  ​
So with our first chumming effort not paying dividends, it was decided to try another area closer to where the Guadalquivir disgorged into the sea. It was one last desperate throw of the dice and would use our remaining chum.  I can't say that I was very optimistic that we'd see much more ... then the magic happened!  

To be honest, I can't now recall whether we saw a Wilson's and started chumming or we started chumming and only then saw one but there was no doubt that we'd hit the right spot.  Within minutes we had an increasing number of these oceanic sprites dancing on the rolling swell before us- 5, 10, 15 and finally 25 Wilson's were dipping, paddling, frog-hopping and banking before a stunned group of birders. They were like long legged models strutting their stuff on a watery catwalk! Much to the delight of two Australian birders on the trip (for whom it was a lifer) a European Storm-petrel (perhaps two) briefly joined the throng. After multiple fly-past views of storm-petrels (of both species) on previous trips this was what I had been hoping for but didn't dare believe would happen!  I'm disinclined to view birds through a camera lens so it was only when the birds were drifting away that I thought to take some photos hence their indifferent quality but I hope they capture some of the magic of the moment. 
We all were revelling in the magic of the moment when there was a call of "Skua!" (or was it "Jaeger!"?).   As the bird headed towards us it was clearly one of the smaller skuas and was initially called as an Arctic.  However, I was unsure and alarm bells rang as the bird appeared very slim and light weight but not having seen a long-tailed for several years I was uncertain.  So I commented that we ought to chase it up and check it wasn't a Long-tailed Skua.  On doing so we got more extensive and closer views and concluded that it was indeed this species.  Despite some subsequent cold feet, the excellent photos taken by the long lens brigade confirmed the bird was a Long-tailed Skua ... sometimes it pays to go along with your initial gut feelings! 
What the final check list for the trip lacked in quantity, it more than made up for in quality ... 

   1 Long-tailed Skua
   3 Audouin's Gull
   x Yellow-legged Gull
  X  Lesser Black-backed Gull 
   1  Little Tern
  10 Black Tern
25+ Wilson's Storm-Petrel
    1 European Storm-Petrel
​    1 Cory's/Scopoli's Shearwater
    1 Balearic Shearwater
    2 Northern Gannet
  (plus c10 Little Swift)

           ... but is it too much to hope that in 2026 I will get good views of these magical storm-petrels again AND a good mix of shearwaters?  Perhaps, I'll finally get a decent seabird rarity - a tropicbird, a South Polar Skua, a Fea's, White-faced or Madeiran Petrel would do nicely!   ​
I've a great fondness for Chipiona, so when it looked like the pelagic trip would be postponed to the following weekend I decided to book a hotel there overnight as a fall back position.   I discovered that it was the Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Regla, the town's patron saint.  This commemorates the miraculous rediscovery, after the 'Reconquista', of a wood carving of the Madonna linked to St Augustine of Hippo. She is also credited with saving lives after the tsunami of 1755. She's also the patron saint of sailors and fishermen although, after the festivities her patronage would be better directed to the local roadsweepers!  An extra bonus was that I was able to visit a favourite bar, Bar La Casa Vieja  ​
* For details of previous trips see - 
2022 - Autumn Updates 2022 - IV All at sea!   
2023 - Autumn Update III - Chipiona
2024 -   Autumn Update 4 (2024) - Chipiona pelagic   

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Autumn 2025 Update 3 - concerns about La Janda

25/9/2025

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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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    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. I've served on the committees of both my local RSPB group and the county ornithological society (KOS).  I 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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