
Walking around to the back pool along the Camino Troncosa, I was disappointed to see that locals continue to use the site as a rubbish dump despite its recent designation as a protected site. This problem has been the subject of protests by Ecologistas en Acción Jerez so it’s disappointing that it continues to be an issue.
I’d seen Red-knobbed Coot here in the spring and I knew it was still present but the number of flies was off-putting so I didn’t stay long. There were plenty of Little Egrets and a few Night Herons but I dipped on the coot.
My next stop was Laguna Tarelo which is hidden in the pinewoods just beyond La Algaida. This is usually another good spot for White-headed Duck but, unusually, I failed to find a single one here. However, despite the lower than usual water levels the laguna had many more ducks than usual and I was surprised to find so many of them were Shovelers (c400-500). Amongst them were two more Marbled Ducks.
Finally, I had a very quick look at Lagunas de Martín Miguel and discovered where all the Coots had gone! Also present were 150+ Glossy Ibis, Great-crested Grebe and a few more Night Herons.