Zit and a dewy cobweb Next day we left the hotel by 9 am & swung through La Janda on our way to the East bank of the Rio Guadalquivir. A fresh Autumn morning saw low lying fog banks forming over wet ground and it was particularly thick over the rice fields of La Janda. It seemed for a while that all we would see were the small birds at close hand, such as this Zitting Cisticola perched amongst dew-coated cobwebs in the long grass.
Spanish Sparrow - passer hispaniolensis Perhaps the lack of visibility made us more acutely aware of those small birds that were visible and before long a Tree Sparrow was picked out amongst the house sparrows. Then a whole flock of Spanish Sparrows appeared in the roadside scrub, giving us a photo opportunity.
Avocet - recurvirostra avosetia The last significant event in La Janda was seeing three Black-Shouldered Kites in a tall tree near the road. They flew up and away before we had a chance to take any pictures, but nevertheless it was a great sighting.
We drove straight up to the Salinas at Bonanza on the East bank of the Rio Guadalquivir. By now the fog had lifted and we were treated to the sight of waders such as Avocet, Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Tailed Godwit, Spoonbill, Sanderling, Dunlin, Flamingo, Ringed Plover and Redshank. A Kingfisher made a flypast and Bob found a Caspian Tern over open water at the end of the Salinas.
We drove straight up to the Salinas at Bonanza on the East bank of the Rio Guadalquivir. By now the fog had lifted and we were treated to the sight of waders such as Avocet, Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Tailed Godwit, Spoonbill, Sanderling, Dunlin, Flamingo, Ringed Plover and Redshank. A Kingfisher made a flypast and Bob found a Caspian Tern over open water at the end of the Salinas.
 Black-tailed Godwit with Dunlin |  Sanderling |
From here we moved on to Brazo del Este further up the Rio. This is a fabulous area of wetland and rice paddies rich in bird life. In the distance was a virtual cloud of White Storks, literally hundreds of them wheeling and circling over something, we know not what. The pools and reed beds along our track were very productive, Elena picked up an Osprey which took off with the sudden appearance of a Black Stork. It was difficult to decide where to point the camera with them both circling overhead!
 Osprey - pandion haliaetus |  Black Stork - ciconia nigra |
 Red Eye of a Night Heron | We continued to pick up birds along the trail, Bob identified our first Purple Heron, and as we watched a Squacco appeared. We completed the heron family quartet when I stopped to look at our first flock of Lapwings. Rustling in a roadside tree attracted my attention to the tell-tale bright red eye of a Black-crowned Night Heron. |
Night Herons - nucticorax nycticorax
Wood Sandpiper As it turned out there were over forty Night Herons roosting in that tree, young and old. Many flew out and circled around before returning to the roost, providing good photo opportunities.
In the lapwing pool behind the tree was a Wood Sandpiper, another new bird for our list, but not as exciting as the little bright yellow and black ones Elena noticed. We had stumbled upon a breeding colony of Black-headed Weavers, complete with woven nests hanging in the same tree. This species was a lifer for me and I was fascinated by their busy and somewhat noisy community in which the less colourful females considerably outnumbered their brighter male counterparts.
In the lapwing pool behind the tree was a Wood Sandpiper, another new bird for our list, but not as exciting as the little bright yellow and black ones Elena noticed. We had stumbled upon a breeding colony of Black-headed Weavers, complete with woven nests hanging in the same tree. This species was a lifer for me and I was fascinated by their busy and somewhat noisy community in which the less colourful females considerably outnumbered their brighter male counterparts.
Black Headed Weaver female - ploceus melanocephalus (above and below)
Black Headed Weaver male - ploceus melanocephalus
 Black Headed Weavers - ploceus melanocephalus  Weavers Nest |  Yellow Crowned Bishop - eucleptes afer |
Swallowtail I did notice something different about one or two of the colourful males but it was not until later that I realised they were in fact a different species. I asked for more expert opinion of one photo and learned that it was a Yellow Crowned Bishop. It was obviously enjoying the company of it´s African cousins, the Weavers.
In between photographing all these superb birds my eye was still caught by a late flying Swallowtail butterfly that invited a shot as it fed on some yellow autumn flowers.
Further along the trail a Short-toed Lark sat long enough for a hurried shot through the open car window, which added another species to our growing list for the trip.
In between photographing all these superb birds my eye was still caught by a late flying Swallowtail butterfly that invited a shot as it fed on some yellow autumn flowers.
Further along the trail a Short-toed Lark sat long enough for a hurried shot through the open car window, which added another species to our growing list for the trip.
Crested Lark - galerida cristata The following day, Sunday 6th October we headed home via Osuna, Laguna Dulce and Fuente de Piedra. It was not a great birding day as the hunting and shooting fraternity were out in force with their dogs, so all the steppe birds were lying low and no Bustards, Stone Curlews or Sandgrouse were seen. We did enjoy the sight of a Black-shouldered Kite dualing with an agitated Kestrel, and we picked up a few more species on the ponds. Fuente was very disappointing as all the fringe pools were dried out so no waders were visible except at extremely long range. However we did manage a total of 107 species collectively during our three day outing which was not bad. It included four lifers for me, Bald Ibis, Red Necked Nightjar, Black Headed Weaver and Yellow Crowned Bishop so I was well pleased and look forward to passing this way again before too long.
Black-shouldered Kite (elanus caeruleus) and Kestrel
