Barbate & La Janda 24th February 2024

Barbate & La Janda 24th February 2024

26 February 2024

Outing Report: Barbate & La Janda 24th February 2024

The morning started with our traditional breakfast stop, in Tahivilla in La Janda. We found that it was low tide and decided to make the Barbate estuary our first stop. A drive down a dirt track produced plenty of birds, but muddy conditions made driving difficult. Highlights were Black-winged Stilts, Avocets, some Spoonbills and Greater Flamingos, an assortment of waders including the only Turnstones of the day, and a Great Egret. The surrounding slopes held many Corn Buntings, Thekla’s and Calandra Larks, whilst Crested Larks and Yellow Wagtails were on the salt marsh. A pair of Stone-curlews produced great excitement. They provided excellent views.

We moved on to a different section of the marsh, next to the bridge at Barbate itself. Barn Swallows were nest-building under the bridge. Sanderling and Common Ringed Plover were common on the mudflats, where there were hundreds of Dunlin. A few Kentish Plovers, Grey Plovers and Common Redshank were also present. Whimbrel and Curlew strutted close to each other, allowing for useful comparison, and a Black-tailed Godwit and Oystercatcher were also present. The many Cormorants engendered discussion about the huge increase in the species throughout the region. A scan of the gulls and terns produced Yellow-legged, Lesser Black-backed, Audouin’s, Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls, as well as Caspian and Sandwich Terns. An Osprey sat on a pole and then flew over the marsh.

A very satisfied group headed to La Barca de Vejer, to enjoy the extremely confiding Northern Bald Ibises at their most accessible breeding colony, where they share ledges with many Jackdaws. Excellent views were had, of birds sitting metres away from us and others constantly flying in. A quick bite was in order, after which we headed into La Janda via Benalup.

We stopped immediately past Benalup, at the entrance towards La Janda. There were many White Storks, two or three Lesser Kestrels and a small group of Red-rumped Swallows hawking over a field. We were looking for another inhabitant of the area though and were soon onto two superb male Little Bustards that gave excellent prolonged views. This was surely the bird of the day. Further along were many Spanish Sparrows and a few hundred Common Cranes. La Janda was quiet, no doubt because it was now afternoon, but a reasonable range of birds of prey were picked up such as Hen and Marsh Harriers, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Common Buzzard, Griffon and Egyptian Vultures. We eventually made our way back to Gibraltar, most satisfied after a very enjoyable and well-attended outing, with 78 species of birds recorded.

Birds observed

Mallard	Common Greenshank	Osprey	Red-rumped Swallow
Red-legged Partridge	Sanderling	Black Kite	Zitting Cisticola
Greater Flamingo	Dunlin	Egyptian Vulture	Common Chiffchaff
Common Woodpigeon	Little Stint	Griffon Vulture	Cetti's Warbler
Rock Dove	Black-headed Gull	Short-toed Eagle	Eurasian Blackcap
Collared Dove	Audouin's Gull	Western Marsh Harrier	Sardinian Warbler
Little Bustard	Mediterranean Gull	Hen Harrier	Spotless Starling
Common Moorhen	Yellow-legged Gull	Eurasian Sparrowhawk	European Stonechat
Common Crane	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Common Buzzard	House Sparrow
Stone-curlew	Caspian Tern	Eurasian Hoopoe	Spanish Sparrow
Black-winged Stilt	Sandwich Tern	Lesser Kestrel	Grey Wagtail
Pied Avocet	White Stork	Common Kestrel	Western Yellow Wagtail
Eurasian Oystercatcher	Great Cormorant	Peregrine Falcon	White Wagtail
Grey Plover	Little Egret	Eurasian Jackdaw	Common Chaffinch
Common Ringed Plover	Western Cattle Egret	Common Raven	European Greenfinch
Kentish Plover	Great Egret	Calandra Lark	Common Linnet
Ruddy Turnstone	Grey Heron	Thekla's Lark	European Serin
Whimbrel	Glossy Ibis	Crested Lark	Corn Bunting
Eurasian Curlew	Northern Bald Ibis	Barn Swallow
Black-tailed Godwit	Eurasian Spoonbill	Western House Martin