Having spent the past week exploring new sites for a guided tour next year for Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory, we spent two days in La Janda and Algerciras and a day and two nights at the apartment.
La Janda has had an exceptional winter with several major rarities. So it was that we arrived with our friend John Cantelo at the southern end of the Canal Principal where we joined a small group of birders eager to see a recently found BLACK- FACED BUNTING. The bird has been elusive and after over two hours of searching there was no sign. We did however find 4 BLUETHROATS, a male HEN HARRIER, c150 COMMON CRANES, a male WESTERN SUBALPINE WARBLER, a SHORT-TOED EAGLE, a BLACK STORK, and a BLACK- WINGED KITE.
Fortunately the BLACK-FACED BUNTING appeared by the concrete bridge and gave brief but good views. We enjoyed a celebratory lunch in Tahivilla and then continued to explore the marshes finding several HOOPOES, an adult and juvenile BONELLI’S EAGLE, two adult SPANISH IMPERIAL EAGLES and then two over-wintering RUSTIC BUNTINGS and a single LITTLE BUNTING.
As we headed back to the main road we suddenly saw a very pale Buzzard, which after closer scrutiny turned out to be the over-wintering AFRICAN LONG-LEGGED BUZZARD!
Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny and after a short trip to La Janda where we found a SQUACCO HERON and a newly arrived SEDGE WARBLER we headed south to Algerciras. Here we managed to locate an over wintering PACIFIC DIVER. Then nearby we had views of a HOUSE BUNTING – one of a small colony in the old town.
And to finish the day off we had great views of a wintering rarity – a drake BLUE-WINGED TEAL!
Monday the 24th was a much quieter day but we watched several GANNETS and SANDWICH TERNS from the Balcony. Nearby we saw two OSPREYS. In the evening we took a short drive to the Las Camelias Pool by the port and watched 3 LITTLE BITTERNs.
