wolfbirder
Well-known member
Castro Verde/Mina de Sao Domingos/Serrania de Ronda/Coto Donana 25 - 27/6/09
LOGISTICS
Flights from Brum to Faro with 'reliable' Monarch, booked on line cost about £110 return. www.flymonarch.com
Car hire with Hertz cost me £42 plus £54 petrol on the bill for a full tank. Hertz were the cheapest I could find, but beware they have a £1000 excess fee. They provided me with a nice little Honda Civic.
Hotel accommodation - I stayed 2 nights at Dtransit Chucena hotel, on the A49 / E1 'autopiste' at km 37 Portugal-bound side. It cost 35 euros per night (per room!), & it had two single beds. A good, clean basic two-star place I would say. En-suite toilet and shower, with a 24 hour cafe where you can buy food and cans of cold beer. The hot food choice is not wonderful though. You are given remote controls for Spanish-only TV and for air conditioning operation. It also has a petrol station attached. This place is ideally situated for Donana. The A49 / E1 connects you from Portugal to Spain so was ideal for me. If you google it there are various sites where this place can be booked, but they speak little English once there.
THE WEATHER
I was expecting it to be hot, but the first day was unseasonally cool and overcast at about 20c, this probably made the quality of birding better than expected. The 26th was hotter and clearer at about 25c.
RESEARCH
I had studied many reports, and I will highlight a few as we proceed at appropriate points, but the late John Butlers 'Birding in Donana' as well as the excellent 'Lynx' Donana book were both useful for my second day when I visited this area. 'Where to Watch birds in Southern Spain' was also useful for the Ronda area, but I found 'regional' Spain threads on Birdforum equally as useful, and thanks must go Birdforum members Black Wheatear, John Cantello, Andrew Cunningham, Barred Wobbler, amongst others for their excellent input. It is what makes this forum so special !
THE BIRDING
After getting my car at 10am on 25th June 2009, I had a minor, calm panic when I couldn't find the petrol refuelling release button on the car, but I was soon on my way by 11a.m. after my arrival at Faro, switching to the IP1 toll road in the direction of Lisboa, and exiting after an hour at the Castro Verde/ Ourique exit (junction 12 I think), and paying the fee of about 6 or 7 euros at one of the 'manned' toll booths. Castro Verde was well signposted off the IP1, and the fast IP2 road soon brought me to the small town quickly. However, there was no sign for Mertola or N123 at the departing IP2 exit at the t-junction. You may think a right turn into beautiful countryside is correct, but in fact you must turn left off the IP2 into the town itself, and then keep your eyes peeled for N123 Mertola signs. You are quickly out of Castro Verde town and into the countryside, and the birds soon start to show - White Storks, Crested Larks, House Sparrows, common hirundines abound, and Black Kites seemed to be on every horizon. Actually I suppose there is only one horizon! The N123 between Castro Verde and Mertola is currently crated and potholed to an appalling degree, though there is much construction work to slow you down and infact nearly all the holes are shallow.
Much of the best birding is infact upon you soon after leaving Castro Verde town, around and inbetween two small river bridges. Ok these are not exactly Sydney Harbour bridge scale but neither are they 'Three Billy Goats Gruff' size, and there is probably room for several trolls except my self underneath! At the first bridge I spent time watching birds in the riverine scrub beneath, from the narrow footpath on the bridge. Road traffic was speedy but not too frequent to be disturbing. Cattle Egrets, Corn Buntings, Stonechats, Kingfisher, a few Red-rumped Swallows were seen, then I noticed an unfamilar song that I realised was Rufous Bush Chat (or Rufous-Tailed Scrub Robin to the politically correct amongst you). Over twenty minutes, this wonderful bird disappeared into vegetation then re-appeared, eventually offering superb views on small rocks just twenty metres away. It reminded me of a Nightingale with a white-fringed party dress on, and it seemed to flirt with me by flicking this up like a go-go dancer. A beautifully marked bird, it couldn't fail to impress! What a superb start. I felt my luck was in.
A short distance on I stopped again to look at an adult Roller on wires, but as I put my tripod and scope together it flew down to the ground, where a male Montagu's Harrier came 'over the hill like a monster', to flush it briefly. A Little Owl, Southern Grey Shrike and Woodchat Shrike were seen at this superb spot. I was in birding heaven. The second bridge produced more of the same with shrikes showing very well.
I soon came to the signpost indicating a right turn to Rolao and Sta Barbara de Pedroes. This is where the well-known circular interconnecting village route starts and finishes. The entire circuit is only about ten - fifteen miles long, but allow yourself plenty of time for numerous birding stops! At this point I refer you to an excellent August 2007 report containing Great Bustard sighting-location maps, that correlated with my own this time to a degree : -
www.stephenburch.com/trips/algarve/algarve.htm.
Hope you don't mind Steve!
It is worth keeping your eyes peeled at all times over the rolling plains that just go on and on at times. I have seperated sightings between the each village. Between Rolao and Monte dos Viseus I only saw a few Hoopoes and Southern Grey Shrikes, but after turning right at Monte dos Viseus towards Sta Barbara de Pedroes I located my first Great Bustard away to my right, typically strutting around on the peak of a slight incline. This was a 'huge tailed' adult male. I was highly relieved with this sighting, it was far better than a wing-tagged number 15 bird associating with Mute Swans in Somerset! A few Bee-eaters and Kestrels were seen nearby, but the next stretch away from the latter village was fairly quiet this time. I soon reached Figeurinha where I turned left towards Alcaria do Coelho and Guerreiro. A pale-phase Booted Eagle passed overhead as I left Figeurinha, and I then noticed a 'mid-sized' raptor on a telegraph pole - yes it was a highly sought-after Black-Shouldered Kite ! Views were allowed down to twenty metres, before it took to flight around and above me, revealing its clean white underparts and owl-like flight profile. Superb stuff! At the junction at Alcaria do Coelho, an adult Short-Toed Eagle was seen hunting, and a right turn here led to a pair of Ravens at the 'apparent' dead-end at Guerreira. Heading back towards Rolao, 4 'Monties' showed superbly, sat in a cereal field, including two stunning males. The loop was now virtually completed, and I headed back past Rolao towards the main N123 Mertola road. I stopped just north of the village (Rolao) though, as another male Great Bustard was on the crown of the hill to my right. After stopping the car, I noticed 2 females much closer to me, and then 2 more females and younger bird further down the slope. My two sightings had been at virtually identical spots to where Steve Burch saw his birds (though he saw Great Bustards at additional spots).
With the circular route completed, I travelled the very short distance along the N123 to the village of Sta Marcos da Ataboeira, which is just off the road. Directly opposite the sign marking the end of this village, a green open gate with some nature sign on it (possibly LPN) on your right, leads to a dirt road across barren but prime 'bustard' land. I saw 2 more Monties, Crested Larks galore, and a few White Storks, but no bustards! 2 Griffon Vultures lifted from the ground to my right, offering great views, and shortly after 46 more passed overhead! Even the recommended area of trees away to your left after a few kms produced no Bustards, although a nearby pool produced a number of Cattle Egrets, Black-winged Stilts and what I thought were Red-Crested Pochards (I did not look that closely). I came to another set of green 'LPN' gates, which I opened and accessed. I have read conflicting reports whether you should go through these second LPN gates, but I do not see what the problem is as long as you stick to the dirt road which locals clearly use. Anyway, another male Great Bustard was seen a few hundred metres further on on my right, my 8th Great Bustard ! It was seen in flight then on the ground. I quickly came to the village of Guerreiro - again! But I only realised it was this village as I exited briefly onto the tarmac road where there was a village sign. So clearly it would be possible to approach this LPN area and track from Guerreiro - the village I mentioned a short while ago - on the circular route. I had presumed Guerreiro was a dead end. The difficulty is that there are a few dirt tracks to choose from, when approaching the LPN area at this end, you need to simply go to the left of the village, but there are at least two 'unmarked' dirt tracks to make approach confusing. So I chose to drive back across the LPN land to the N123, but nothing of note was added to my bird list.
Back on the N123 country road, the journey to Mertola was uneventful, with a young Monty and a larger Black Kite sparring over a serial field, with the smaller harrier giving as good as it got! At Mertola, I went straight across the road bridge towards Mina de Sao Domingos - a journey of 17 kms, where shrikes and Azure-winged Magpies were plentiful. On entering this village, a lake appears on the left, and it is bordered by sand and used by holiday makers as though it was at the seaside. As you enter the village, the old mine workings are signposted to the right hand side, and a short drive of a few hundred metres then reveals the first of the old ruins associated with this fascinating landscape. A large pool or pit to the left had boardwalks, from where I enjoyed great views of Red-rumped Swallows and Crag Martins. There were many other hirundines, many too distant to identify. I took the nearby dirt road where a sign says 'officos' or 'officios', out past ruined mine workings buildings and pit slurries. I continued on for around two miles (or so it seemed) until I saw the 'twin-towers' with the tall chimney behind, highlighted in the photograph on the website :
www.avesdeportugal.info/sitminasaodoming.html
I printed off the photo and took it with me. I was advised that White-rumped Swift sometimes favour this area, though another birder I know spent a few futile hours at this exact site. Crag Martins were using the structure to nest in, and Bee-eaters and Golden Oriole could be heard. I climbed around to the other side when bingo - a White-rumped Swift emerged from somewhere and offered good views for thirty seconds before disappearing. I was struck by the dark colour and narrow white rump, and I checked the forked tail to eliminate Little Swift (yes I know this should be straightforward!). I felt I had been extremely lucky, so with time running out I headed down to the coast, once back at Mertola.
Before sunset I visited Niebla Castle where I enjoyed views of several Lesser Kestrels and Pallid Swifts, before checking in to my hotel after a very very productive and enjoyable days birding. Two small cans of San Miguel and a warmed-up pie purchased from the 24-hour cafe at the hotel went down a treat !
On the 26th I was up at 5a.m. and out on the road towards the mountains at Serrania de Ronda and adjacent Sierra de Grazalema. It took me around two hours to reach this wonderful zone, and I did well to circumnavigate the interlinking Seville motorway system, eventually taking the exit for Utrera. I had every intention of contacting Birdforum member and tour leader 'Black Wheatear' as I had provisionally arranged to enjoy a days guided birding with him. However, mobile phone problems dictated otherwise, so I had to negotiate the area myself. First port of call was Montejaque near Ronda. From this small village, a track is signposted Llanos de Libar. This stoney but driveable track leads out through the valley floor for several kms, and provides wonderful scenery and fantastic birds. It comes highly recommended by both Black Wheatear and John Cantello, both excellent, knowledge-sharing local birders. I spent two hours in sunshine here, though it did not seem overly hot or uncomfortable. My main target bird was Bonelli's Eagle, but although I scanned for long periods, I only managed 3 'fine' Short-Toed Eagles and many Griffon Vultures. A single Lesser Kestrel was seen as well as many 'Commons'. 2 Alpine Swifts were a highlight early on, and a few 'chattering' Melodious Warblers were easy to see at one point. Crag Martins were commonplace. Moving on, I was thrilled to locate a male Black Wheatear on rocks, with a female or juvenile in close procession. Another male was seen further up the valley, close to several Rock Sparrows - a bird I failed to see well. A 'singing' male Blue Rock Thrush was located eventually, and Spotless Starlings were also seen. Eventually, the track led down to oak woods where common UK species were seen, like Coal Tits, Jays, Nuthatch, Blackbirds, Wren, Blackcap, & Chaffinch. Of more interest were the 'noisy' Western Bonelli's Warblers. 3 birds offered stunning views down to a metre !
The route eventually came to an abrupt halt, so you return the same way, which is no bad thing! It was time to move on anyway. I tried to find a mini-supermarket in Montejaque, but unless you go to a cafe, it is hard to buy fresh meat or pies or sandwiches. I ended up buying plain baps and a small bag of mini-pepperamis for a filling! Very tasty!
I then drove the shortish distance to the excellent viewpoint between Villaluenga del Rosario and Benaocaz. The mountain crags along this route are what I presume to be the Sierra de Grazalema. I spent 2-3 hours at this viewpoint, scanning the crags and skyline for Bonelli's Eagle (it is a favoured area apparently), but I only saw Griffon Vultures, 3 Short-Toed Eagles and a pale-phase Booted Eagle. I was joined after a while by the only other birder / nature-photographer encountered on my trip - Birdforum member 'Happy Limpet' - also a Nick! After a while we started to watch the passerine activity in the trees and bushes at and below the viewpoint.......and we had a procession of birds - Sardinian Warbler, Greenfinch, Blackbirds, Serin, Melodious Warbler, Jays, Short-Toed Treecreeper, Great and Blue Tit, and best of all at least 1 Orphean Warbler. This latter bird was a 'lifer' for me, so I was dead chuffed to locate two birds flitting around on the fence below. They also seemed to favour the prickly dense bushes just below the viewpoint. We were distracted by a bizarre call from the valley above....that reminded me of Lapwing crossed with a deep gruff call -could this be the call of a juvenile Eagle Owl? Who knows! My colleague departed close to 3pm, which was sad as I enjoyed his company a great deal, but I stayed on an hour and enjoyed views of Orphean Warbler again, as well as a pair of Western Bonelli's Warblers, and an adult Subalpine Warbler ( we may have glimpsed this bird earlier). I consigned myself to not seeing Bonelli's Eagle, but I was very happy with the quality birding I had enjoyed here.
I drove the short distance round to the pretty white-washed hillside tourist town of Grazalema and visited two nearby viewpoints, both of which were pretty birdless in a strong breeze. Pt del Boyar only produced a single Short-Toed Eagle, and then Pt de las Palmas produced only Chaffinch, though Nick had advised me that his morning visit that day had produced a number of passerines including Rock Buntings. At the car park there, look over the edge into the field, where a water trough is visited by many birds apparently.
On the way back to the hotel, 2 Red Kites were seen near Utrera. Seville was again circumnavigated, following signs for E1 / A49. Before hitting the sack, I decided to visit areas of Coto Donana I had been unable to visit when I was lucky enough to be here a month ago. I headed for the village of Villamanrique de Condessa, the key access point to many of Donana's good birding areas. En route, I nearly had a fatal accident which was down to tiredness.......after turning round to look at an all-brown large raptor near Hinojos, perched on pylons, I adopted left-hand side driving syndrome for thirty seconds. I nearly caused a fatal crash as a car hurtled around a corner towards me. This shook me up considerably and demonstrates the danger of doing too much driving by yourself. I dread to think what the poor other driver felt like.
I persevered however, and at Villamanrique, checked the outskirts until I found the traffic island that contained a sign for 'Isla Mayor'. I was not going all the way there, but I knew that en route there was a sign for Corridor Verde. This track is ok, but I did not stop on the heavily-sanded tracks in the pine woods in case I got stuck or could not restart. I certainly would not use this track in a hire car after heavy rain. Bee-eaters and Black Kites were seen, but I did not linger. I rejoined the main road and went straight on about 7 or 8 kms to a t-junction. Turn left and park on your right at two locations within a few hundred metres, in front of old metal field gates that both offer a parking spot for a single car. This is Dehesa de Pilas. I failed to get here on my last visit, but the open plains were excellent on this evening visit. White Storks were again evident, and Kestrels and Black Kites hunted. Bee-eaters flitted around, and Crested Larks were everywhere. I picked out 2 Calandra Larks in the fields amongst the cattle and horses. Pleasingly, I quickly picked out 4 Pin-Tailed Sandgrouse that flew to and fro, across the road. Their markings were beautiful, and you could not fail to see them really, as they called noisily in flight. Evening visits in daylight are possibly best for this species, as they seemed to be fairly active.
Exhausted, I drove back to the hotel, where I enjoyed my first hot meal for two days, at the cafe at the hotel......meatballs and chips and a roll of bread, and of course two cans of Sam Miguel from the fridge!
I slept well, but arose at 5am, had breakfast and checked out. Me being me, I dopily left my wife's travel bag (which I always borrow last moment on these trips away). Now I just have to tell you this. The contents of this pink toiletry bag included toothbrush but no toothpaste, flannel, wetwipes, soap, eyedrops, and a tube of piles cream. My wife had a brief bout after the recent birth of my plump little daughter !! Having initially recoiled in horror at the thought of the cleaner going though these contents, I began to see the potential funny side! I have always imagined poorly-paid cleaners enjoying the perk of such 'left overs' - like the virtually unused jar of jam and tub of margerine I acquired there. I just hope she did not think the tube of Anusol was English toothpaste! Might not taste too nice but it might help any swollen gums!
Anyway, I digress. I left at 5a.m., determined to enjoy an hours birding at Coto Donana. So I sped quickly down to El Rocio where the beautiful white buildings were flloodlit by streetlamps as dawn rapidly unfolded, and I visited the nearby reserve centre of La Rocina. A Nightjar species offered great views on the car park, but to me it did not seem big enough in flight for Red-Necked, and it did not make a sound! I took the boardwalk track to several hides, noting Melodious Warbler, 4 Spoonbills, 'bill-chattering' White Storks, and a Nightingale creeping through the ground foilage. A Black Kite spectacularly put up around 500 Spotless Starlings from the reedbed here. It was time to move on as my flight left Faro at 10.20a.m. I took a brief look at the hundreds of Greater Flamingo's and Black-Tailed Godwits at the 'mother of all marshes' at El Rocio. A few Avocets and Redshanks were also seen, but I had no time to spend as is required here.
On the way back along the E1 / A49 towards Faro, I made the wise move of checking out Castro Marim, a reserve just across the Portuguese border that I was familiar with, and was accessable right by the motorway. On the access track, a couple of Fan-Tailed Warblers and Marsh Harriers were seen, and one of the breeding Little Terns was seen in flight ( I did not have time to walk to the pans). I wound my car window down by the reserve centre building to look at the 'resident' roof-based Little Owls, when I heard an unfamiliar call nearby. I got out my car, and immediately noticed 2 'stunning' adult Great Spotted Cuckoo's just twenty metres away, aggressively scolding the close attentions of a Magpie!
How pleased was I to have made this spontaneous and rushed visit !
This concluded a fantastic two day tour of Southern Portugal and Southern Spain. 85 species seen in all, including 8 lifers. I dipped on big targets such as Bonelli's Eagle, Little Bustard and Rock Thrush, but they can wait for another day. But I was heavily compensated by marvellous birding and great sightings - White-rumped Swift, Rufous-Tailed Scrub Robin, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Pin-Tailed Sandgrouse, Black Wheatear, Black-Shouldered Kite, Great Bustard, Orphean Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Rock Sparrow, Roller, Calandra Lark, Red-Rumped Swallow, Pallid Swift, Montagu's Harrier, Short-Toed Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Booted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Azure-Winged Magpie, Southern Grey Shrike, Little Owl, Short-Toed Treecreeper, Melodious Warbler, Greater Flamingo.....etc.
I had been very lucky and the trip exceeded all my expectations. I hope the tips help others on their journeys!
THE END
LOGISTICS
Flights from Brum to Faro with 'reliable' Monarch, booked on line cost about £110 return. www.flymonarch.com
Car hire with Hertz cost me £42 plus £54 petrol on the bill for a full tank. Hertz were the cheapest I could find, but beware they have a £1000 excess fee. They provided me with a nice little Honda Civic.
Hotel accommodation - I stayed 2 nights at Dtransit Chucena hotel, on the A49 / E1 'autopiste' at km 37 Portugal-bound side. It cost 35 euros per night (per room!), & it had two single beds. A good, clean basic two-star place I would say. En-suite toilet and shower, with a 24 hour cafe where you can buy food and cans of cold beer. The hot food choice is not wonderful though. You are given remote controls for Spanish-only TV and for air conditioning operation. It also has a petrol station attached. This place is ideally situated for Donana. The A49 / E1 connects you from Portugal to Spain so was ideal for me. If you google it there are various sites where this place can be booked, but they speak little English once there.
THE WEATHER
I was expecting it to be hot, but the first day was unseasonally cool and overcast at about 20c, this probably made the quality of birding better than expected. The 26th was hotter and clearer at about 25c.
RESEARCH
I had studied many reports, and I will highlight a few as we proceed at appropriate points, but the late John Butlers 'Birding in Donana' as well as the excellent 'Lynx' Donana book were both useful for my second day when I visited this area. 'Where to Watch birds in Southern Spain' was also useful for the Ronda area, but I found 'regional' Spain threads on Birdforum equally as useful, and thanks must go Birdforum members Black Wheatear, John Cantello, Andrew Cunningham, Barred Wobbler, amongst others for their excellent input. It is what makes this forum so special !
THE BIRDING
After getting my car at 10am on 25th June 2009, I had a minor, calm panic when I couldn't find the petrol refuelling release button on the car, but I was soon on my way by 11a.m. after my arrival at Faro, switching to the IP1 toll road in the direction of Lisboa, and exiting after an hour at the Castro Verde/ Ourique exit (junction 12 I think), and paying the fee of about 6 or 7 euros at one of the 'manned' toll booths. Castro Verde was well signposted off the IP1, and the fast IP2 road soon brought me to the small town quickly. However, there was no sign for Mertola or N123 at the departing IP2 exit at the t-junction. You may think a right turn into beautiful countryside is correct, but in fact you must turn left off the IP2 into the town itself, and then keep your eyes peeled for N123 Mertola signs. You are quickly out of Castro Verde town and into the countryside, and the birds soon start to show - White Storks, Crested Larks, House Sparrows, common hirundines abound, and Black Kites seemed to be on every horizon. Actually I suppose there is only one horizon! The N123 between Castro Verde and Mertola is currently crated and potholed to an appalling degree, though there is much construction work to slow you down and infact nearly all the holes are shallow.
Much of the best birding is infact upon you soon after leaving Castro Verde town, around and inbetween two small river bridges. Ok these are not exactly Sydney Harbour bridge scale but neither are they 'Three Billy Goats Gruff' size, and there is probably room for several trolls except my self underneath! At the first bridge I spent time watching birds in the riverine scrub beneath, from the narrow footpath on the bridge. Road traffic was speedy but not too frequent to be disturbing. Cattle Egrets, Corn Buntings, Stonechats, Kingfisher, a few Red-rumped Swallows were seen, then I noticed an unfamilar song that I realised was Rufous Bush Chat (or Rufous-Tailed Scrub Robin to the politically correct amongst you). Over twenty minutes, this wonderful bird disappeared into vegetation then re-appeared, eventually offering superb views on small rocks just twenty metres away. It reminded me of a Nightingale with a white-fringed party dress on, and it seemed to flirt with me by flicking this up like a go-go dancer. A beautifully marked bird, it couldn't fail to impress! What a superb start. I felt my luck was in.
A short distance on I stopped again to look at an adult Roller on wires, but as I put my tripod and scope together it flew down to the ground, where a male Montagu's Harrier came 'over the hill like a monster', to flush it briefly. A Little Owl, Southern Grey Shrike and Woodchat Shrike were seen at this superb spot. I was in birding heaven. The second bridge produced more of the same with shrikes showing very well.
I soon came to the signpost indicating a right turn to Rolao and Sta Barbara de Pedroes. This is where the well-known circular interconnecting village route starts and finishes. The entire circuit is only about ten - fifteen miles long, but allow yourself plenty of time for numerous birding stops! At this point I refer you to an excellent August 2007 report containing Great Bustard sighting-location maps, that correlated with my own this time to a degree : -
www.stephenburch.com/trips/algarve/algarve.htm.
Hope you don't mind Steve!
It is worth keeping your eyes peeled at all times over the rolling plains that just go on and on at times. I have seperated sightings between the each village. Between Rolao and Monte dos Viseus I only saw a few Hoopoes and Southern Grey Shrikes, but after turning right at Monte dos Viseus towards Sta Barbara de Pedroes I located my first Great Bustard away to my right, typically strutting around on the peak of a slight incline. This was a 'huge tailed' adult male. I was highly relieved with this sighting, it was far better than a wing-tagged number 15 bird associating with Mute Swans in Somerset! A few Bee-eaters and Kestrels were seen nearby, but the next stretch away from the latter village was fairly quiet this time. I soon reached Figeurinha where I turned left towards Alcaria do Coelho and Guerreiro. A pale-phase Booted Eagle passed overhead as I left Figeurinha, and I then noticed a 'mid-sized' raptor on a telegraph pole - yes it was a highly sought-after Black-Shouldered Kite ! Views were allowed down to twenty metres, before it took to flight around and above me, revealing its clean white underparts and owl-like flight profile. Superb stuff! At the junction at Alcaria do Coelho, an adult Short-Toed Eagle was seen hunting, and a right turn here led to a pair of Ravens at the 'apparent' dead-end at Guerreira. Heading back towards Rolao, 4 'Monties' showed superbly, sat in a cereal field, including two stunning males. The loop was now virtually completed, and I headed back past Rolao towards the main N123 Mertola road. I stopped just north of the village (Rolao) though, as another male Great Bustard was on the crown of the hill to my right. After stopping the car, I noticed 2 females much closer to me, and then 2 more females and younger bird further down the slope. My two sightings had been at virtually identical spots to where Steve Burch saw his birds (though he saw Great Bustards at additional spots).
With the circular route completed, I travelled the very short distance along the N123 to the village of Sta Marcos da Ataboeira, which is just off the road. Directly opposite the sign marking the end of this village, a green open gate with some nature sign on it (possibly LPN) on your right, leads to a dirt road across barren but prime 'bustard' land. I saw 2 more Monties, Crested Larks galore, and a few White Storks, but no bustards! 2 Griffon Vultures lifted from the ground to my right, offering great views, and shortly after 46 more passed overhead! Even the recommended area of trees away to your left after a few kms produced no Bustards, although a nearby pool produced a number of Cattle Egrets, Black-winged Stilts and what I thought were Red-Crested Pochards (I did not look that closely). I came to another set of green 'LPN' gates, which I opened and accessed. I have read conflicting reports whether you should go through these second LPN gates, but I do not see what the problem is as long as you stick to the dirt road which locals clearly use. Anyway, another male Great Bustard was seen a few hundred metres further on on my right, my 8th Great Bustard ! It was seen in flight then on the ground. I quickly came to the village of Guerreiro - again! But I only realised it was this village as I exited briefly onto the tarmac road where there was a village sign. So clearly it would be possible to approach this LPN area and track from Guerreiro - the village I mentioned a short while ago - on the circular route. I had presumed Guerreiro was a dead end. The difficulty is that there are a few dirt tracks to choose from, when approaching the LPN area at this end, you need to simply go to the left of the village, but there are at least two 'unmarked' dirt tracks to make approach confusing. So I chose to drive back across the LPN land to the N123, but nothing of note was added to my bird list.
Back on the N123 country road, the journey to Mertola was uneventful, with a young Monty and a larger Black Kite sparring over a serial field, with the smaller harrier giving as good as it got! At Mertola, I went straight across the road bridge towards Mina de Sao Domingos - a journey of 17 kms, where shrikes and Azure-winged Magpies were plentiful. On entering this village, a lake appears on the left, and it is bordered by sand and used by holiday makers as though it was at the seaside. As you enter the village, the old mine workings are signposted to the right hand side, and a short drive of a few hundred metres then reveals the first of the old ruins associated with this fascinating landscape. A large pool or pit to the left had boardwalks, from where I enjoyed great views of Red-rumped Swallows and Crag Martins. There were many other hirundines, many too distant to identify. I took the nearby dirt road where a sign says 'officos' or 'officios', out past ruined mine workings buildings and pit slurries. I continued on for around two miles (or so it seemed) until I saw the 'twin-towers' with the tall chimney behind, highlighted in the photograph on the website :
www.avesdeportugal.info/sitminasaodoming.html
I printed off the photo and took it with me. I was advised that White-rumped Swift sometimes favour this area, though another birder I know spent a few futile hours at this exact site. Crag Martins were using the structure to nest in, and Bee-eaters and Golden Oriole could be heard. I climbed around to the other side when bingo - a White-rumped Swift emerged from somewhere and offered good views for thirty seconds before disappearing. I was struck by the dark colour and narrow white rump, and I checked the forked tail to eliminate Little Swift (yes I know this should be straightforward!). I felt I had been extremely lucky, so with time running out I headed down to the coast, once back at Mertola.
Before sunset I visited Niebla Castle where I enjoyed views of several Lesser Kestrels and Pallid Swifts, before checking in to my hotel after a very very productive and enjoyable days birding. Two small cans of San Miguel and a warmed-up pie purchased from the 24-hour cafe at the hotel went down a treat !
On the 26th I was up at 5a.m. and out on the road towards the mountains at Serrania de Ronda and adjacent Sierra de Grazalema. It took me around two hours to reach this wonderful zone, and I did well to circumnavigate the interlinking Seville motorway system, eventually taking the exit for Utrera. I had every intention of contacting Birdforum member and tour leader 'Black Wheatear' as I had provisionally arranged to enjoy a days guided birding with him. However, mobile phone problems dictated otherwise, so I had to negotiate the area myself. First port of call was Montejaque near Ronda. From this small village, a track is signposted Llanos de Libar. This stoney but driveable track leads out through the valley floor for several kms, and provides wonderful scenery and fantastic birds. It comes highly recommended by both Black Wheatear and John Cantello, both excellent, knowledge-sharing local birders. I spent two hours in sunshine here, though it did not seem overly hot or uncomfortable. My main target bird was Bonelli's Eagle, but although I scanned for long periods, I only managed 3 'fine' Short-Toed Eagles and many Griffon Vultures. A single Lesser Kestrel was seen as well as many 'Commons'. 2 Alpine Swifts were a highlight early on, and a few 'chattering' Melodious Warblers were easy to see at one point. Crag Martins were commonplace. Moving on, I was thrilled to locate a male Black Wheatear on rocks, with a female or juvenile in close procession. Another male was seen further up the valley, close to several Rock Sparrows - a bird I failed to see well. A 'singing' male Blue Rock Thrush was located eventually, and Spotless Starlings were also seen. Eventually, the track led down to oak woods where common UK species were seen, like Coal Tits, Jays, Nuthatch, Blackbirds, Wren, Blackcap, & Chaffinch. Of more interest were the 'noisy' Western Bonelli's Warblers. 3 birds offered stunning views down to a metre !
The route eventually came to an abrupt halt, so you return the same way, which is no bad thing! It was time to move on anyway. I tried to find a mini-supermarket in Montejaque, but unless you go to a cafe, it is hard to buy fresh meat or pies or sandwiches. I ended up buying plain baps and a small bag of mini-pepperamis for a filling! Very tasty!
I then drove the shortish distance to the excellent viewpoint between Villaluenga del Rosario and Benaocaz. The mountain crags along this route are what I presume to be the Sierra de Grazalema. I spent 2-3 hours at this viewpoint, scanning the crags and skyline for Bonelli's Eagle (it is a favoured area apparently), but I only saw Griffon Vultures, 3 Short-Toed Eagles and a pale-phase Booted Eagle. I was joined after a while by the only other birder / nature-photographer encountered on my trip - Birdforum member 'Happy Limpet' - also a Nick! After a while we started to watch the passerine activity in the trees and bushes at and below the viewpoint.......and we had a procession of birds - Sardinian Warbler, Greenfinch, Blackbirds, Serin, Melodious Warbler, Jays, Short-Toed Treecreeper, Great and Blue Tit, and best of all at least 1 Orphean Warbler. This latter bird was a 'lifer' for me, so I was dead chuffed to locate two birds flitting around on the fence below. They also seemed to favour the prickly dense bushes just below the viewpoint. We were distracted by a bizarre call from the valley above....that reminded me of Lapwing crossed with a deep gruff call -could this be the call of a juvenile Eagle Owl? Who knows! My colleague departed close to 3pm, which was sad as I enjoyed his company a great deal, but I stayed on an hour and enjoyed views of Orphean Warbler again, as well as a pair of Western Bonelli's Warblers, and an adult Subalpine Warbler ( we may have glimpsed this bird earlier). I consigned myself to not seeing Bonelli's Eagle, but I was very happy with the quality birding I had enjoyed here.
I drove the short distance round to the pretty white-washed hillside tourist town of Grazalema and visited two nearby viewpoints, both of which were pretty birdless in a strong breeze. Pt del Boyar only produced a single Short-Toed Eagle, and then Pt de las Palmas produced only Chaffinch, though Nick had advised me that his morning visit that day had produced a number of passerines including Rock Buntings. At the car park there, look over the edge into the field, where a water trough is visited by many birds apparently.
On the way back to the hotel, 2 Red Kites were seen near Utrera. Seville was again circumnavigated, following signs for E1 / A49. Before hitting the sack, I decided to visit areas of Coto Donana I had been unable to visit when I was lucky enough to be here a month ago. I headed for the village of Villamanrique de Condessa, the key access point to many of Donana's good birding areas. En route, I nearly had a fatal accident which was down to tiredness.......after turning round to look at an all-brown large raptor near Hinojos, perched on pylons, I adopted left-hand side driving syndrome for thirty seconds. I nearly caused a fatal crash as a car hurtled around a corner towards me. This shook me up considerably and demonstrates the danger of doing too much driving by yourself. I dread to think what the poor other driver felt like.
I persevered however, and at Villamanrique, checked the outskirts until I found the traffic island that contained a sign for 'Isla Mayor'. I was not going all the way there, but I knew that en route there was a sign for Corridor Verde. This track is ok, but I did not stop on the heavily-sanded tracks in the pine woods in case I got stuck or could not restart. I certainly would not use this track in a hire car after heavy rain. Bee-eaters and Black Kites were seen, but I did not linger. I rejoined the main road and went straight on about 7 or 8 kms to a t-junction. Turn left and park on your right at two locations within a few hundred metres, in front of old metal field gates that both offer a parking spot for a single car. This is Dehesa de Pilas. I failed to get here on my last visit, but the open plains were excellent on this evening visit. White Storks were again evident, and Kestrels and Black Kites hunted. Bee-eaters flitted around, and Crested Larks were everywhere. I picked out 2 Calandra Larks in the fields amongst the cattle and horses. Pleasingly, I quickly picked out 4 Pin-Tailed Sandgrouse that flew to and fro, across the road. Their markings were beautiful, and you could not fail to see them really, as they called noisily in flight. Evening visits in daylight are possibly best for this species, as they seemed to be fairly active.
Exhausted, I drove back to the hotel, where I enjoyed my first hot meal for two days, at the cafe at the hotel......meatballs and chips and a roll of bread, and of course two cans of Sam Miguel from the fridge!
I slept well, but arose at 5am, had breakfast and checked out. Me being me, I dopily left my wife's travel bag (which I always borrow last moment on these trips away). Now I just have to tell you this. The contents of this pink toiletry bag included toothbrush but no toothpaste, flannel, wetwipes, soap, eyedrops, and a tube of piles cream. My wife had a brief bout after the recent birth of my plump little daughter !! Having initially recoiled in horror at the thought of the cleaner going though these contents, I began to see the potential funny side! I have always imagined poorly-paid cleaners enjoying the perk of such 'left overs' - like the virtually unused jar of jam and tub of margerine I acquired there. I just hope she did not think the tube of Anusol was English toothpaste! Might not taste too nice but it might help any swollen gums!
Anyway, I digress. I left at 5a.m., determined to enjoy an hours birding at Coto Donana. So I sped quickly down to El Rocio where the beautiful white buildings were flloodlit by streetlamps as dawn rapidly unfolded, and I visited the nearby reserve centre of La Rocina. A Nightjar species offered great views on the car park, but to me it did not seem big enough in flight for Red-Necked, and it did not make a sound! I took the boardwalk track to several hides, noting Melodious Warbler, 4 Spoonbills, 'bill-chattering' White Storks, and a Nightingale creeping through the ground foilage. A Black Kite spectacularly put up around 500 Spotless Starlings from the reedbed here. It was time to move on as my flight left Faro at 10.20a.m. I took a brief look at the hundreds of Greater Flamingo's and Black-Tailed Godwits at the 'mother of all marshes' at El Rocio. A few Avocets and Redshanks were also seen, but I had no time to spend as is required here.
On the way back along the E1 / A49 towards Faro, I made the wise move of checking out Castro Marim, a reserve just across the Portuguese border that I was familiar with, and was accessable right by the motorway. On the access track, a couple of Fan-Tailed Warblers and Marsh Harriers were seen, and one of the breeding Little Terns was seen in flight ( I did not have time to walk to the pans). I wound my car window down by the reserve centre building to look at the 'resident' roof-based Little Owls, when I heard an unfamiliar call nearby. I got out my car, and immediately noticed 2 'stunning' adult Great Spotted Cuckoo's just twenty metres away, aggressively scolding the close attentions of a Magpie!
How pleased was I to have made this spontaneous and rushed visit !
This concluded a fantastic two day tour of Southern Portugal and Southern Spain. 85 species seen in all, including 8 lifers. I dipped on big targets such as Bonelli's Eagle, Little Bustard and Rock Thrush, but they can wait for another day. But I was heavily compensated by marvellous birding and great sightings - White-rumped Swift, Rufous-Tailed Scrub Robin, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Pin-Tailed Sandgrouse, Black Wheatear, Black-Shouldered Kite, Great Bustard, Orphean Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Rock Sparrow, Roller, Calandra Lark, Red-Rumped Swallow, Pallid Swift, Montagu's Harrier, Short-Toed Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Booted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Azure-Winged Magpie, Southern Grey Shrike, Little Owl, Short-Toed Treecreeper, Melodious Warbler, Greater Flamingo.....etc.
I had been very lucky and the trip exceeded all my expectations. I hope the tips help others on their journeys!
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