Another instalment from my day out with Javi of Andalucian Guides in the Coto Donana Natural park area. After leaving the Bonanza Salt Pans our next Site was a typical birders location, the local birders nick name them the stinky pools! At first glance these are rather unremarkable, modest sized reed fringed ponds wedged in between horticultural operations and housing but they offer a good chance of close views of White-headed Duck. Several males were seen at close range and a female with 5 ducklings was also seen. An added bonus was a Marbled Teal, Javi didn't rate our chances of seeing one here. It was very elusive keeping in amongst the vegetation but we managed some decent scope views. Other species seen here included Red-crested Pochard, Purple Swamphen, Little Bittern and Night Heron.
Next stop was La Algaida where habitats visited included umbrella pine forest and a freshwater lake. The lake had an impressive mixed colony of egrets/herons and Glossy Ibis.
The video below shows the birds reacting to a Black Kite which had just stooped into the middle of the colony presumably in an attempt to take chicks.
A non avian highlight in this area was an African Chameleon
Nearby the always impressive sight of a group of Griffons and then a flock of Collared Pratincole and a male Montagu's Harrier concluded a very enjoyable day out in Southern Spain.
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