La Janda, Tarifa

I only saw handful of Short-toad Eagle today

 After yesterday, I was almost tempted to go and observe the raptors coming in off the sea from Morocco again. However, I drove past Tarifa and a 15 minute drive north found me at La Janda. As soon as I turned on to the dirt track I came across a group of birders scanning the fields. This was my opportunity to find out what I could see in the area. I was told that 2 Pallid Harrier wintered, including a male and could be still hanging around! They were hoping to see Crane and Great-spotted Cuckoo. The latter species I needed and the Cranes, I have only seen 11 in Norfolk '91 and a single at Baggy Moor, Salop, May '95. For there help I found them a Black-shouldered Kite. I continued driving and started scanning from the car. First birds of interest were 8 spoonbill, White Storks, 3 Greenshank, 15 Green sandpiper and a lot of Snipe in paddy fields. Marsh Harrier were all over the shop and a scan in the sky produced a distant Crane, followed by a Black Stork. I've only seen two of the latter species, both on Scilly, So I was really pleased to see this one, although it was spiraling higher and higher until it was a dot. The Crane flew off high east, but a scan to the west and there were 120+ Crane! They were a long ways off, but you could hear them calling. As I approached Benalop-casas Viegas, close to the road were a mixed flock of Spanish and House Sparrow. The Hampshire male a few years back was the only one that I've seen, so this was a bonus. While watching the sparrows, I could hear a Little-ringed Plover and watched it fly off high NE. The next field held 20+Glossey Ibis, 3 marsh Harrier, more Green Sandpiper and a new one for me, 6 corking Iberian Wagtail.

One of the tracks at La Janda

Spoonbill in the paddy fields

Using the car, this STE was very approachable

Very good numbers of Marsh Harrier

Cattle Egret

White Stork were already nesting in Benalop-casas Viegas

Part of the flock of 120+Crane

Looking from La Janda towardsVeger la Frontera

I had something to eat at the town of Benalop and high above town were Griffon Vulture while lower down, good numbers of Swallow, a few House Martin, 1 Sand Martin and 2 Red-rumped Swallow. I back-tracked along the same road I came on, but turned off towards Facinas. There were large numbers of Blackcap in srub bordering the road and above me I could see that Black Kites were moving through in singles with up to 150 birds going north. No doubt just come in off from Morocco. As the road ahead opened up I could hear Calandra Lark and found pairs in the fields nearby. These larks wouldn't let me get near them and later on I had a flock of 60 birds fly low across in front of me. A stunning Black-shouldered Kite was on a post at the side of the road, but soon flew off into the sun. To finish the day, just past Facinas, 2 pale phase Booted Eagle flew over NE from just arriving from across The Strait. Although I didn't get the harrier or cuckoo, it turned out to be a cracking day!

Flushed this Hoopoe from the side of the road. It showed a lot better than the two birds I had on Gibraltar a few days ago

This Black-shouldered Kite showed well, but flew into the sun.

The only Great-white egret that I've seen on the whole trip so far

Well over 100 Calandra Lark were feeding in fields bordering the track

Both Corn Bunting and Stonechat were all over the shop 

Benalop-casas Viegas

Rounding up the cows on horse back at Benalop

Looking from Direccion La Pena towards Tarifa

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Been listening to these guys today. The Wooden Sky are a Canadian indie rock band based in Toronto, Ontario. They formed in 2003 as Friday Morning's Regret, but changed their name in 2007.^[1] In 2014 the band left their former record label to start their own Chelsea Records, an artist driven label that at present has released only the bands latest effort 'Let's Be Ready'.