Birding in Doñana since 1990

If you are thinking of taking some nice holidays in one of the most interesting areas in Spain and would like to be guided around it, you will find some useful information on these pages

  Professional guiding for birders and for those who want to go a bit further

    We will help you to enjoy Doñana's Nature  

We are a Spanish registered company authorized by the administration of Doñana Natural Site

  In the spring of 2011 we have joined forces with another local company Doñana Reservas to keep offering more of you our quality nature and bird tours. 

From now on we will attend you in our offices at Av. La Canaliega, the main road going through El Rocío.

    WHAT'S ON IN DOÑANA  

2011 NOVEMBER 17st

Autumn pleasure

The level of water at El Rocío Marshes is just the right one for a good selection of birds concentrate there to feed.

It is a real pleasure to have a relaxing walk around it, enjoying the nice temperature, the quietness, the views and a good variety of water birds under the perfect sunset light. That is what I have just done today.

I went to check for Crested Coot and after checking several hundred Coots I failed to find any. It did not matter at all, I had a very good time just looking at a beautiful variety of ducks, waders, herons and egrets, passerines and raptors.

Further inside the Park Cranes have come back by hundreds and they share the just germinated cereal fields near it.

2011 SEPTEMBER 1st

Rain at last !

After 3 months without a drop we had today some heavy showers over the dry Doñana, a good relief for plants and animals.

2011 AUGUST 21st

The sounds of Summer

Paco, Inés, Manolo and Maica came to spend some time relaxing at Mazagon beaches; they have travelled much through Spain and Europe for working reasons but they love the uniqueness of these endless beaches of fine and white sand along the coast of Huelva. No other place in Spain or perhaps in Europe, they said, where one can still find something like it: a quiet and beautiful beach that stretches as far as the eye can see, all for own. You just have to take a short walk to get away from one of the few public accesses between Matalascañas and Mazagón to find yourself surrounded by the finest nature of the most beautiful forms. 

I met them early, just before dawn, when the light is still not good enough to define shapes and colours. By that time the Imperial Eagle was already perched on a dry branch of the eucalyptus that serves as a nesting place, just across the El Rocio marshes. The deer grazing not far away, along the very edge of the dry plains, taking advantage of the last patches of green grass of the summer, had nothing to worry about, the queen of Doñana’s skies was only stretching to a new day, and maybe from his high vantage examining the chances of an early and easy breakfast, you never know, with the shape of a distracted rabbit. 

Just a little further along, in the last pond remaining in the Mother of the Marshes, hundreds of storks, flamingos, spoonbills, herons, avocets, stilts, ducks and other smaller waders difficult to identify in the distance, swirled around the shallow waters where the last fish, frogs and other aquatic invertebrates concentrated trying to postpone the inevitable. The day’s first black kite flew over them, also in search of an easy prey to satisfy its hunger with. All calm, a silence broken only by some starlings greeted each other on the nearby roofs. 

Back in the Land Rover we headed towards the northern entrance of the park. Shortly after crossing Ajolí Bridge we made ​​a new stop to examine the oaks nearby. We got out of the car and using the binoculars located a black kite perched on a dead trunk which we could easily spy through the telescope; the soft light of the sun just out tinted its plumage in red as he stretched its wings to get them ready to start working. To the right and closer, but much more hidden from the untrained eye, a pair of Booted Eagles also took advantage of the first rays of sunshine to wake up. Some Blackcaps and Chaffinches began their first talks from the pine trees and bushes behind us; a Wren began to sing from much deeper in the forest. A small white spot on a distant bush turned into a Woodchat Shrike for Inés when viewed through the telescope. A couple of Ravens flew over us breaking the smoothness of the scenery of the new day with their cries. This seemed to awaken our pair of Booted Eagles completely and started a basic conversation consisting of very simple alternative calls that sounded more suitable for a large chick than for our most skilful flying predator. The reddish Black Kite greeted one of its cousins ​​that flew over with the usual half joking half tearful cry that reminded us more of a skinny horse than anything else, really hard for a layperson to think that the sound came from a bird of prey with a wingspan of a metre and a half. 

As I write this the sparrows return from the fields to their night shelter in the gardens of the houses in El Rocío, Cattle Egrets fly towards their roosts at the edge of the marshes in groups and Nigth Herons do the opposite and begin to work. 

For the next few miles we moved through Coto del Rey pinewoods where we tested our eyes to fund try and find the most desirable silhouette, that of the Iberian Lynx, no easy task. I had and additional a work consisting of scanning the sandy road on the move to find its trail, in which I succeeded and offered my companions that day at least the hopeful sign of its recent nocturnal wanderings. Great and Blue Tits along with Serins and Treecrepers warned each other of our presence with their melodic songs; nothing comparable to the spring elaborated performances. 

Pines gave way to ash and olive trees in the most open lands of El Vicioso. As we passed the House of Cañada Mayor, an old warden house, a Booted Eagle watched us from the top of the tallest cork oak tree in the area; it won’t be long before it begins its journey to sub-Saharan Africa, as most of their relatives the Black Kites have done already, where it will spend the winter. Migration has begun. Delicate Willow and Melodious Warblers are passing through as well, moving south, as well as the first Wheatears. 

The fresh lynx tracks we found shortly afterwards, just before entering the marshes, confirmed us that it had been there earlier that day, but this time we missed it. A flock of Cattle Egrets hunted singing grasshoppers among the dry grass; we also found fresh reed deer tracks going through an area full of ant-lion traps. 

We left the forests behind and moved through the dry marshes where we found a meeting of 6 Black Kites that seemed to be just relaxing and socializing while a Common Kestrel glanced furtively at them from the cattle fence. Around 20 other Kestrels would fly not very high hovering for insects in the short grass; we were obviously looking at a group of migrating Lesser Kestrels, a common sight at this time of the year; a couple o Montagu’s Harriers’d search for bigger prays flying low as usual. A little further a couple of Ravens pecking at the remains of a dead cow and next to them a group of mares with their foals began the daily march to the water trough by the shepherd huts. 

The horizon line, already swinging by the updrafts of hot air that began to form on the wide plains, the long yellowish sort of low cloud in the distance was nothing but the locally well known as Cerro de los Ánsares (Geese Hill). In this harsh environment only a few species of birds such as larks are able to take advantage of the scarce resources; Spectacled Warblers are also well adapted to withstand these conditions and we saw some of them feeding on small arthropods in the close fences and small bushes. 

Finally we arrive at the oasis of Caño Guadiamar where the vegetation still remains green and the birds concentrate in large numbers. A number of Black-winged Stilts, Green Sandpipers and Glossy Ibis were feeding on a nearly dry puddle while young Purple Gallinules and Moorhens got frightened and screamed out of our way. Flocks of Glossy Ibis and Spoonbills flew overhead and solitary Purple Herons’d hunt hidden in the reeds. Some young inexperienced ones had serious difficulties landing on the road in front of us. 

Numerous sightings along the Caño Guadiamar for the next few kilometres; a Spoonbill flew passed followed by its grown up offspring who relentlessly demanded food with a characteristic groan that seemed to sprout from somewhere as deep as the stomach. We found a little farther a Short-toed Eagle perched on a utility pole of which we had excellent views through the telescope, its big yellow eyes caught the attention of Maica, and another one a bit later that delighted us with its majestic flight. 

We then took a well deserved break at the José A. Valverde Visitor Center for a while where we saw some Little Egrets and many Glossy Ibis surprisingly still feeding their chicks and several Marsh Harriers and Black Kites in search of their lunch. Once our strength were regain we headed towards Lucio del Lobo, where we saw several groups of Fallow Deer resting in the high vegetation and  enjoyed again the majestic flight of a pair of Short-toed Eagles. They came down to perched on two adjacent poles and began a pleasant chat, obviously we did not understand anything. Being very quiet birds normally I enjoy the little moments that nature gives to those of us with our senses open to them. The sounds of summer in Doñana were a great complement to a visit that morning and helped me in good measure to turn our trip into an experience to remember for my four clients that day.

2011 JULY 7th

Summer in Doñana

Temperatures go up, pastures wither, marshes dry out and crack and green is slowly losing its dominance in favor of yellow, it's summer in Doñana.

El Rocio marshes attract always in the early summer a large number of birds that prey on the shallow and nutrient-rich waters next to the village. Large groups of Flamingos, White Storks and herons and also Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets and some Stilts can be easily observed at close range specially in the early hours of the morning, . Flying over the lagoon there are numerous Whiskered Terns, gulls and Black Kites. It is definitely one of the most interesting spots in the Park these days to anyone who comes close to El Rocío.

In the pine and cork oak forest in the north of the National Park hinds with their calves are hidden in the undergrowth, especially from mid-morning when the sun presses. Partridges, still in family groups, are seen easily, and the tireless Black Kites continue, now in large groups of young individuals, flying over streams, forests, meadows and marshes near Coto del Rey; most are moulting now getting their plumage ready for the trip back to their winter quarters in Africa. Small baby lynx are putting weight daily well fed by their mother in a good year for rabbits. If seeing a lynx is an experience in itself, if you are lucky enough to see an adult accompanied by their offspring then it becomes unforgettable.

In the contact zone between forests and marshes fallow and reed deer herds take advantage only the cooler hours of the day to graze and browse, after which they disappear into the woods. Little Owls in the rabbit warrens stare at us with indifference as usually while some Black Kites stretch their winds on their perches along the endless cattle fences that cross the vast marshes.

It is a good time now to observe the colourful Pintail Sandgrouse; being late breeders as they are it is now when they become more active having to feed constantly their broods. Larks find now in the early summer the best conditions in the vast dry plains with scattered water ponds Iberian Hare feel also at home in these tough conditions for most  although they can never forget the presence of several pairs of Spanish Imperial Eagles in the area that would love to carry their chicks a good piece of fresh meat to start the day.

As we move eastward through the Hinojos marshes the yellow dry grass turn gradually to green towards the Caño Guadiamar where water still remains deep . There large flocks of ducks, herons, Flamingos, Spoonbills and some waders concentrate again. Hidden in the reeds Purple Swamp-hens, Moorhens, Reed Warblers, Black-crowned Herons and Little Bitterns are still very active, some facing a second brood as often happens in boom years like this one. Great-crested Grebes are also abundant in the Caño, the young ones have reached adult size but they still look very different with their striped heads. It is also in these good years when several thousand Greater Flamingos find the right conditions to breed in the Doñana marshes, a kindergarten with several thousand chickens has congregated a few kilometres south of the bridge over the Caño, too far from our itinerary to be seen.

At José A. Valverde Visitors Center the breeding of hundreds of pairs of Glossy Ibis, Purple Herons, Squacco, Herons and Egrets continues. Considering how late in the year it is unusual to see such activity in the colony. A little further east, in the Lucio del Lobo also concentrate large groups of waders, herons, storks, flamingos and ducks; small groups of Fallow Deer hide in the tall bushes looking for fresh grass among them. Several Short-toed Eagles use power line poles running along the track to perch get off our way and show us their majestic glides and move to perch a few posts ahead if they have eaten already or take advantage of the effort and continue flying in search of a juicy snake if haven't yet.

In the old Pump House of Garrido, near the Caño Guadiamar, which still barely stands up, several pairs of Lesser Kestrels have breed successfully this year again. Adults and juveniles perch on the nearby wires if it is not too late in the morning. In the tunnel used to carry the water pumped from the nearby agricultural fields to the Caño several pairs of Common and Red-rumped Swallows have also successfully bred and have not yet started their journey back south.

A promising year that is giving us a very attractive early summer in the woods and marshes north of Doñana. If you are thinking of spending a few days in our area this summer and enjoy our wonderful beaches do not forget that the National Park worth a visit even in summer.

2011 MAY 18th

Spring moves through

Spring moves restless across forests and marshes in Doñana. In the meadows among the pines in Coto del Rey grasses begin to dominate over other plants, although the Wild Gladiolus, Italian Bugloss, and Iris stand out of the green. Black Kites and Booted Eagles continue their nesting duties and are often seen perched near their nests. Iberian lynx females also continue to work hard to keep their babies well fed and educated, to our joy, there are few pleasures better than to see them tumbling beside a mastic tree, which occurs some days during our tours. Ant lion traps abound in the roadsides and sandy areas with little transit of animals and vehicles. Wrens, Nightingales, Sardinian Warblers, Cetti´s Warblers, Treecrepers, Chanffinchs, Serins, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Great and Blue tits, which recently joined the Melodious Warbler, continue filling the woods with their songs.

In the cork oak woods of Matasgordas is the Halimium rockrose who dominates now filling with yellow flowers the undergrowth; the long stems of the Mullein and Bugloss are the only ones who minimally discuss its dominance. It's been a few weeks since water moved away from the edge of the forest, but the nearby meadows still remain green and attract reed and fallow deer in the early hours of the morning.

In the marshes, many thousands flamingos occupy the shallower areas feeding on small invertebrates whose density increases as the water level drops. It is an impressive sight when they all fly away colouring the marsh in pink. Above them fly often Glossy Ibises, Purple Herons and Cattle Egrets on their way to the breeding colony loaded with food for their chicks. Black-winged Stilts and Collared Pratincoles share a plot of dry clay near the water's edge, defending aggressively their nests from Black Kites attacks. The first chicks must be about to hatch, same as the Kentish Plover who is also sharing he changing borders of the dry islands of the marsh.

The Pintail Sandgrouses and Marbled Teals now begin their reproductive duties. Both are species that require large efforts to be seen; the first may found over the other colours around; and the second between the aquatic vegetation in the flooded areas.

In the Caño Guadiamar the Great Crested and Little Grebes are still carrying their babies on their backs and they will do while their size permits. Sharp-ribbed Salamanders and frogs abound in the waters of the channel but only to see on the peaks herons and egrets before eating.

With a little patience in the appropriate place in the marsh you can also enjoy watching the scarce Red-knobbed Coot. This is another species for which is very important to have the help of an experienced guide. In the breeding colony at José A. Valverde herons, egrets and ibis are struggling to feed and care for their offspring; whose number is increasing day by day. Black Kites and Marsh Harriers fly over every day in search of an easy snack.

Today it is raining again over the marshes which pleases many because it will help maintain the water level and make others unhappy like me because it will also help to maintain appropriate conditions for the grass keeping high the density of pollen in the atmosphere; which will not sit well with my hay fever.

2011 APRIL 27th

In memory of Joanna Francis
 

It was about 10 years ago, back in the spring of 2001, when I had the fortune to meet this great person. It wasn't her first time in Doñana, the exuberant nature of these latitudes had already caught her. Being an enthusiastic nature lover , always willing to increase their knowledge on any subject, always grateful for a new experience, always happy with any small surprise that our excursions in Doñana offered us. From large events like the stunning bird breeding colonies to small events such as the construction of an ant lion trap, from the mighty stag to the most delicate flower, from the highest tree tops to the lowest strata at the eyes of a lizard level, no corner of wilderness felt outside her interest.

I enjoyed our outings to Doñana as much as her. After a good number of years of experience as a guide in the Park and thousands of people who I had tried to convey my enthusiasm for this wonderful corner of Europe, I must say that few of them showed such a fervent adherence to Doñana. Nothing motivates more a nature guide than seeing the enjoyment of the person that shares with you the day , so I'll always be grateful to Joanna for all those great moments we spent together in Doñana.

Knowing that it might be the last time, she visited us in late January, she had never seen the Cranes and Geese in their winter quarters, and not being particularly good in waders, wanted to improve their identification skills at the time of the year that was a better challenge. The light of Doñana in winter also captivated her, the clarity of the landscape and the vastness of the marsh flooded after the heavy Autumn rain. But another light, her light, extinguished for ever last week. All who knew her will miss her.

I would have loved to show her Doñana again this spring. Winter rain have also been abundant this year so the marshes look great and the expectations are the best in a number of years. Meadows, constantly overflown by Bee-eaters, stay green with abundant flowers and butterflies; in the forest you can easily identify and locate every species by their song, and diversity in the marshes is the highest of the year. The great Imperial Eagle, the querulous Black Kite, the powerful Short-toed Eagle, the great hunter the Booted Eagle, the elegant Montagu's Harrier, the skilled Kestrels and the tender Little Owls, all would have been willing to show their skills again before Joanna's eyes.

Joanna would undoubtedly also enjoyed the small Kentish Plovers, hatchings their eggs now in a small slit of dried mud on the edges of marsh ponds, and the rare Tenmick's Stint passing in small numbers now mixed with large groups of other small waders on their way back to the north, and the exotic look of Collared Pratincoles, the loud chatting of the Black Winged Stilts, the displays of fun-toed Lark, the flights of the Lapwings chasing the Black Kites away  from their nests, the curious silhouette of the Crested Coot hiding in reeds away from our sight, Glossy Ibis formations returning to the breeding colony, large flocks of Flamingos flying off and showing the flashes of red fire that decorate their wings and under which we name them, Griffon Vultures gaining height by cycling in a thermal and Purple Swamp-hen, Joanna would have thoroughly enjoyed our extravagant blue cocks which are already feeding their chickens this spring hidden among the aquatic vegetation.

She would have enjoyed so much to help me again in the search of, what she perfectly knew it was my favourite bird, the Pintail Sandgrouse. Difficult task each time you try, but that just makes it more interesting and rewarding. The three pairs that we saw today were just taking a dust bath in an open corner of  dry clay   only about 50 meters away from our car, their twisting to make it reach every corner of their bodies caught my attention and made my work easier.

If she had been able to come back to Doñana, the attractive  song of the Calandra Lark and the delicate melody of the Melodious Warbler had caught her attention as much as they caught mine today, and she had loved to see again the small Spectacled Warblers and those little brown birds that all birders want to see when they come to Doñana, the Lesser Short-toed Larks. On arrival at the bridge over Caño Guadiamar she had asked me to find for her again a Savi's Warbler, to see it singing from the top of a reed its monotonous tune that resembles more that of a cricket than anything else, his mouth staying open, as if waiting for the small insects that feeds on to fell inside by themselves attracted by it; that is one of those little things that she used to enjoy with gratitude.

Needless to say that her pleasure levels  had risen high above when reaching once more Jose A. Valverde breeding colony. There the activity is hectic again, like every spring, 15 to 20,000 Purple Herons, Squacco Herons, Night Herons, Cattle Egrets, Little Egrets and Glossy Ibis, among others, are struggling to complete their nests and begin to hatch their eggs. The attractive Red-crested Pochards nesting under the tamarisks and, with a little luck, you can also see the elusive Little Bittern flying over the lagoon to hide again among the reeds

It took us a whole day last winter to find a species that she always missed on her visits to Doñana, and we had to go as far as Sanlúcar de Barrameda to get it, the scarce Marbled Teal, now we have some back in the marshes.

February 2011 at the island of St Lucia

A good friend is gone, and will not return to her beloved Doñana, at least in flesh and blood, though I'm sure the Doñana's marshes and forests have been somehow infused with her vital energy. From here I send you my most sincere gratitude wherever you are.

2011 FEBRUARY 28th

Green and blue, pink and yellow

Spring is here, no doubt, we have only to look at our fields and our skies and see how the green takes over our lawns and as the blue of our skies every day is more ornate with the increasing number of individuals of species such as Black Kites, Booted Eagles, Martins and Swallows.

Paper-white Narcissus hide among mastic and olive trees; wild geraniums, white and yellow daisies, yellow rockroses, blue borages, wild mustards, asphodels, all participate to varying degrees in decorating our fields. Pinks, yellows, purples and whites begin to take shape against the green background that lines our sand.

2011 JANUARY 20th

A ghost army

Spring announces its near arrival to Doñana, or perhaps we should say that it is already here; day by day green is taken over the rest of the chromatic scale, especially in the pine woods, where the bright green grass covers it all, except in areas where trees have been allowed to grow too close each other, preventing needed light to reach the grounds. However, these dark areas become places for other forest inhabitants at this time of year, mushrooms, a large army ghost. A huge mosaic of wet and cool soils, with more or less light or small differences in acidity and salinity, where most of vital stories of the great forest take place, gets invaded at this time of year by a horde whose silent conquest is performed without pause while the conditions are favourable. 

There are no disputes or apparent struggles, each platoon of the great army does its job in the plot assigned and when they are done plant their banners in the form of wonderful mushrooms of all shapes and colors imaginable. Viscous Boletus, pink Russula, appealing Lactarius, funny Lycoperdon, elegant Geastrum, blue Lepista, delicate Omphalina, cheeky Coprinus, provocative Amanitas, strange looking Clathrus, colorful Fuligo, all have their role and place in our forests and are there to be enjoyed by those who don’t forget to look down from time to time.

They are not exactly looking forward to the arrival of spring, but others are anxious because their proximity. The first swallows already fly over our wetlands as every year at this time, in the forests Chiffchaffs’ songs become increasingly apparent, others like Wren, Chaffinch,  Great and Blue Tits help them to compose the soundtrack of the forest. Coots in the marshes are no longer in large groups, but begin to break up into small groups and couples that are put to work to choose their little corners and defend it from competitors. The humor of the Little Grebe also begins to to improve day by day, their contagious laughter is heard frequently now . The soundtrack here in the extent of the marsh is different, here Cetti’s Warblers, Common Moorhens, Crested and Calandra Larks work together to build it; Lapwings, Greylag Geese, Shovelers and Pintails collaborate too, they also feel that strange sensation which must make for them the arrival of spring. But if there is someone in these winter warm sunny days that intends to conduct this motley choir is the Purple Gallinule, this amateur baritone is back in the marsh and seem to try and turn this refined classical melody into a piece of free jazz with their cries out of tune. The saltmarsh bulrush is only now beginning to stand out of the water so that species such as the Purple Gallinule and the Crested Coot are now easier to observe. 

Royal spectator of the eagerness of each one of them the Imperial Eagle watch with interest from the top of one of the electric poles that are distributed evenly along the Caño Guadiamar. For the non usual visitors certainly they will not mean anything but a nuisance in the plain uniform landscape, but for many common inhabitants of the marsh, power lines and poles crossing become invaluable perches. The large number of Kestrels wintering in Doñana would not be here if not for them, and the abundant Red Kites, Ravens, Buzzards and Starlings are also deeply grateful. The juvenile Spanish Imperial Eagle we found today peering from their perch on the pole was without doubt one of best surprises of the day, but the biggest surprise for me was certainly the unexpected Short-toed Eagle flying over the pine trees around the House of Cañada Mayor . On rare occasions, individuals of this species remain in Doñana for the winter so their sightings are usually very rare in this time of year. 

But there is another regular visitor to the winters of Doñana that is coming late this year, this is the Great Spotted Cuckoo, a species whose first individuals often return from African lands in early January or even late December, well ahead of even the earliest swallows , but this year has not been seen around the edges of the northern marshes. Unaware of these absences and presences off calendar, huge flocks of Geese, Shoveler, Pintail and the especially abundant this year Shelduck seize the Hinojos Marshes. In the distance we also see large flocks of Glossy Ibis, Godwits and Lapwings flying over the marshes. The Golden Plovers, more timid, remain well camouflaged in the muddy higher areas, accompanied by a myriad from small Pipits, Wagtails and Larks. 

The edges of the road are constantly animated by small flocks of Goldfinch, Serin, Greenfinch and Linnet that come to feed on the seeds from thistles and in the meadows near the woods where the first spring narcissus bloom already and the lower leaves from stork’s bills and other species cover the sand, small groups of deer and deer graze peacefully. 

With just a little bit of luck so you can come across such a sunny day as this your visit to Doñana this winter will become a beautiful life experience full of the small stories that all its inhabitants will tell you.

2010 DECEMBER 7th

Smart tides and happy little birds

Rain never please everyone, wise saying. It rained hard last few days, very hard, with disparate consequences. Some people's holidays have been spoiled, some other's houses flooded, the streets in El Rocío and other Andalusian towns have become rivers and access to the Park have been threatened again.

But not everything has been bad: hunters have killed  fewer geese these days, cranes and geese have been able to feed quietly on the newly sprouted grain fields, and beaches have been widened in some parts at the expense of some holiday houses built where they should not be,

and above all, the marshes, this rain has been specially good for the marshes, now it looks very different from just a couple of days ago. 

In the flooded plains today we could finally see huge flocks of ducks and geese flying over and filling the sky. Golden Plovers groups spread at last over the few areas that are kept free of flooding. Also a large number of Black-headed Gulls taking advantage of the small invertebrates displaced by water, many Lapwings and White Wagtail pecking between the newly flooded areas. A late Wheatear trying to keep balance on a pole in a struggle with the strong wind, large groups of Goldfinch and Serin doing the same on the thistles and the Kestrels playing with the gusts of wind. Thousand of Stripeless Tree Frogs seem to be also very active these days, filling the marshes edges with their songs. 

Other waders are also beginning to return to the park now that conditions are becoming much more appropriate for them. Today we saw the first small flocks of Black-tailed Godwits, Ringed Plovers and other small inhabitants of shallow waters. A flock of about 50 Black-winged Stilts represented for us one of their aerial choreography in the Caño Guadiamar. In the lagoons surrounding the Jose A. Valverde Visitor Center  we found again the Crested Coot which have been seen there lately. 

Back in El Rocio, taking advantage of a sunny interval, we enjoy the sight of a good number of Flamingos and Spoonbills wading through the waters of the Mother of the Marshes. We also found again a pair of Crested Coots mixed with several hundred of their common cousins. In the distance we found several Shelducks and a good variety of other ducks.

In summary, the tides intelligent and persistent rain these days to keep us all entertained and happy birds.

2010 NOVEMBER 5th

The Game of Nature

The old tell that until not long ago Geese barely had to go away from the secure marshes inside the Park, they used to find in them everything they needed from September when the begun to arrive. But things have changed, now they have to make a short trip to the rice fields every day to come back and rust in the marshes. And partially this is because we have less rain nowadays. Rain season is coming late this year and the  the scarce rain we have had so far has been only enough to  fill the marshes next to El Rocío; there we found a couple of Crested Coot among several hundreds of Common ones. Cold weather hasn't arrived yet to many winter birds are still hanging around some where along the way. There are only about 1,500 geese in Doñana at the moment.

These changes are not for the good from the geese's point of view but they bring us some advantages; now we can enjoy every morning one of the biggest attractions of Doñana in Autumn: skein after skein, a thousand geese fly over us at Cancela de la Escupidera, at the entrance of the Hinojos Marshes. At low altitude they over fly us letting us hear their powerful calls.

These masters of flying without engine unfold all its abilities before us, what a control of the air, what a power; we can feel the energy they emit, a strong army composed by thousands of experienced soldiers whose joint force would be able to move mountains and to deviate the course of a river.  Those are the sensations they produce in us.

Before arriving at the marsh we have already enjoyed another exciting demonstration of force; stopped at the Raya Real, next to the cork forests of Matasgordas, we are delighted with the manoeuvres of two male Fallow Deer that fight for the right to perpetuate their genes through their harem of females. They clash their antlers with controlled energy , with precision. We see in their faces no gesture of annoyance, fear or hate, simply they carry out their well trained exercises with a very concrete objective, without apparent strains; it is just a new demonstration of Nature's Game.

Among Mastic Trees, Blackberry bushes and Tamarisks, with a much more shy behaviour but with clear evidences for trained eyes and hears, the just arrived Chiffchaffs, Robins and Blackcaps have taken command of the forest. Their songs join with those of Sardinian Warblers, Chaffinches, Great and Blue Tits and Short-toed Treecreepers. Timid Black Redstarts also abound already, as well as White Wagtails and Meadow Pipits in the marshes, where the last Wheatears are still passing through. Large flocks of Goldfinches and Serins explore the dry marshes in search of thistles full of seeds while huge flocks of hundreds of Calandra and Skylars feed in the cereal fields next to the Park. Large concentrations of Corn Buntings and smaller groups of Meadow Pipits join them for lunch. In the distance we look at small groups of Cranes flying towards the rice fields.

Many Red Kites, Common Buzzards, Common Kestrels and some Lesser, many Marsh and some Hen Harriers and a few Peregrine and Merlin, each one take possession of its own corner in the vast skies and long fences across the marshes. With a bit of luck we can even find that of the Spanish Imperial Eagle like we did today. There is no need for them to do any demonstration of force to radiate it at first sight. We enjoyed the sight of a second year juvenile perched on a pylon next to the Caño Guadiamar. For Matthew, my client today, it was his first time and he did not miss any detail through my telescope. We saw it in the distance from the bridge over the caño after having enjoyed for a few long seconds at a Water Rail and a Bluethroat in the reed beds. After a coffee break at Jose A. Valverde we headed for Huerta Tejada where we found several dozens Stone Curlew at their usual winter field.

In the rice fields around Isla Mayor we came across huge flocks of Gulls, including several Slender-billed, Egrets and Herons every where and some large flocks of Glossy Ibis. We also found large flocks of Lapwings, Ruff, Avocets, Black-winged Stilts and small numbers of Greenshanks, Spotted Redshanks, Common Redshanks and other small waders including Kentish Plover. But the most impressive concentrations for me were at Dehesa de Abajo where many thousands Shoveler spread all over the lagoon. We also found Pintail, Mallard, Gadwall, Common Pochard, Red-crested Pochard, Little Grebe and Great-crested Grebe. At the far side of the water we saw large groups of Avocet and Stilts again.

As usually great opportunities for good birding these days.

2010 OCTOBER 7th

Autumn rain

It has already started to rain in Doñana after the long dry season and the first flocks of ducks are arriving now. Today I thought I saw the first flock of geese in the distance; they were too far away to be sure, but I think I identified the distinctive heavy beating of wings of these great travellers.

These first autumn storms are not enough to change significantly the dry state of the marshes, but the level of water at the Mother of the Marshes is increasing and so does the number of birds. In the cork oak forest of  Matasgordas we hardly hear the Reed Deer rutting any more, although there are still some males accompanying their harems of females. We can see them easily in mixed groups through the low layer of mist that remains spreading under the tree canopies until the sun comes out to disintegrate it. The still small acorns attract them in order of recovering the energy lost during the long, hard summer and the gruelling breeding tasks. It is impressive to see them lift their heavy bodies on their hind legs to reach barely the lowest fruits, young individuals have no choice but to wait until they fall to the ground to start enjoying them.

In the marshes everything is more or less the same, plenty of Wheatears still passing through; most passerines pass quite unnoticed during the autumn migration, but this one in particular is felt easily. Throughout the month of September, thousands of them use the fences along the Hinojos Marshes as perches where to hunt the insects on which they feed from. Other small birds like Willow and Garden Warblers, Pied and Spotted Flycatchers are also passing.

At Caño Guadiamar there are still many Black-tailed Godwits, Ruffs, Avocets, Stilts, Ringed Plovers, Dunlins, Snipes, Common Teals, Shovelers and Spoonbills. Bluethroat is now back and moving through the reeds picking little insects from the muddy grounds. Willow Warblers, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler and Garden Warblers can also be seen in among the reeds.

During our stops at the bridge over the Caño to see all these species it's not rare, if you keep your ears open, to catch a glimpse of smalls groups of Pintail Sandgrouse flying at low altitude over your heads, making their usual short calls. They drop over the shallow waters near the shore and with a quick and trained exercise take land over de surface and take off again after a second with their bellies full of water. Then they back again toward the dry marshes where their thirsty chickens wait. Or if you are lucky like we were today you may see the impressive Spanish Imperial Eagle cycling high in the sky, gaining altitude with the help of the thermal.

At the rice fields around Isla Mayor harvesting has just started. Thousand of Storks, Herons, Egrets, Glossy Ibis, Gulls and waders concentrate on the just harvested fields to take advantage of the tones of crayfish, fish and frogs now easily available. Is this a part of Doñana that you should not miss if you visit it at this time of the year; we always included in our full day tours, specially desinged for people specially interested on birdwatching.

We now are expecting more rain coming soon to fill the marshes and have the right conditions to welcome the big flocks of Cranes, Geese, ducks and waders that there must but just about to arrive.

2010 SEPTEMBER 21st

The number of wintering Common Buzzards, Common Kestrels and Red Kites is increasing quickly. And so does the number of passing Wheatears, Whitethroats, Spotted and Pied Flycatchers and Whinchats. There is some water again in the marshes next to El Rocio thanks to the heavy showers last week. Stilts and other waders are coming back. In Caño Guadiamar there are still plenty of Spoonbills, Herons, Godwits and other small waders. Short-toed Eagles and Ospreys keep on passing in small numbers. We saw there today the first Bluethroat and the first Tenmick's Stint of the season.

In the rice fields around Isla Mayor there are still small numbers of Squacco and Purple Herons and the number of Black Storks is increasing day by day. We found a small group of Short-toed Larks that haven't gone south yet. At Dehesa de Abajo there are large numbers of White Storks, Glossy Ibis, Avocets, Shoveler and Mallard. We saw only a few Common Teal and Red-crested Pochard and also a pair of Marbled Duck. Also found a couple of Crested Coots there.

2010 SEPTEMBER 13th

Migration comes through

Hello again from Doñana. It is still dry and hot in the Park; well, not as hot as August with the usual 35 - 40ºC but with temperatures around 30º now at midday which is not bad. It will still take a few weeks for the rain to come so the marshes are showing a summer deserty looking and there is only some water left along the Caño Guadiamar. Reed Deer is in its rut season and males can be seen accompanying females now.

Small migrants are passing through now; species like Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Wheatear, Melodious Warbler, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and Whinchat can be seen flying through the marshes and moving low among the tamarisks. Larger birds like Montagu's Harrier, Short-toed Eagle and Ospreys are also moving through Doñana on their way to Africa. Black Kites and difficult to spot now while Booted Eagle is not so difficult yet, there are still a number of them around. In contrary, the number of Red Kites is increasing.

At Caño Guadiamar there is a good number of Spoonbills, White Storks, Little Egrets, Grey and Purple Herons, Squacco Herons, Night Herons and Glossy Ibis. The number of waders is also increasing there with Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt among the most common species.

The number of waders and herons in the rice fields is also going up quickly and the Dehesa de Abajo reservoir still holds a good number of Flamingos and ducks.

2010 MAY 11th

The European Far West

I am sorry for not having kept you properly updated in the last weeks, but work in high season takes all my time and energies.

As expected we're having a beautiful spring in Doñana after the abundant winter rains. It came later than usual and we can see that clear now especially in regard to insects and reptiles that are not yet as abundant as normally this time of year. Only now is increasing the number of butterflies, dragonflies and snakes in the field. The good news is that so far the marsh has been virtually free of mosquitoes, but today I had to use protection against the first ones, the low night temperatures held them at bay. Nothing in any case that can not be fixed with a little protection.

The Mother of the Marshes at El Rocío look great, flamingos, spoonbills, herons, glossy ibis, whiskered, red terns and ducks are frequent visitors. In the pine forests of Coto del Rey the meadows are green and the flowers open. The nightingale's song is the dominant, but every single species can be heard singing around. Black Kites don't go unnoticed wither, of course, nor the Bootee Eagles. Lynx can be seen often, almost everyday it is spotted by the people in one the vehicles doing the north route.

The works to improve the tracks before the coming Annual Festival of El Rocío are well advanced. Many thousand people eagerly await the arrival of the big party every year to spend a few days of excess and fun in El Rocío. They say that this small town built around the famous chapel looks like a village of the American Western movies, those who live here agree, it is similar in all respects to one of those villages filled with gunmen where law is absent, the only thing that seems missing is that riders carry a gun in his belt. But if there is something that attracts each year at such a high number of people is simply the absolute liberty given to do what they want, and those who live here suffer it every day.

The case is that a few of us are also looking forward to the arrival of the pilgrimage but for entirely different reasons, the first is for the access to the park to be fix at last and the second to take a short vacation away from here while others flock to the dusty streets of El Rocío. The ford that was built to overcome the ravages of winter has been improved to make it a pretty decent road. The work of improving access to the  Jose Antonio Valverde Visitors Centre is well advanced and it has clearly improved the quality of the service we provide to the visitors to the Park.

Back to what interests us most, I will tell you that the first thing that calls our attention after entering the Hinojos Marshes from the north is the large number of egrets, herons, spoonbills and flamingos that spread throughout the marsh extension. Today in particular we have found a huge concentration of many thousand flamingos. It has to be given a special mention at a melanic Grey Heron and a Western Reef Egret that have seen in the last days. There are also many flocks of small waders that are still passing through Doñana. The most abundant species are Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and the only breeder to Doñana of the group, the Kentish Plover. Putting knowledge and patience can also be found among them the rare Tenmick's Stint.

Collared Pratincoles, Black Winged Stilts and Avocets are also very abundant and can be observed at close range sitting on their nests. Crested, Calandra and Short-toed Larks fill the marsh with their melodic songs, while Yellow Wagtails sing their simple calls. At Caño Guadiamar, Great Reed Warblers are the ones that, devoid of any modesty,  direct the soundtrack, with the invaluable help of Purple Gallinule, Coots, Moorhens, Little Grebes, Little Bitterns and Savi's Warblers, whose shyness is evident making really difficult to spot them. Great Crested Pochards, Common Pochards, Mallards, Grebes, and Terns sail or fly over the waters covered largely by the reeds.

Looking carefully through the vegetation you may enjoy the rides of the Great Crested Grebe chicks  on the backs of their parents; or the Little Grebes sat on their small nests anchored to a branch of a tamarisk, at the slightest warning of imminent danger they cover their eggs with bits of nesting materials with a flashing movement to conceal them from potential predators; or perhaps the Coots feeding their funny red head chicks with small portions of algae taken from the bottom of the marsh. With a little luck will even observe  through the windows of the Jose A. Valverde Visitor Centre the tireless work of building the nest of a Great Reed Warbler.

There is certainly no shortage of spectacular scenes there. The colony continues a ceaseless activity of chick feeding, nest construction, fights for the space, talks of love and high-pitched arguments of heated competitors. Here, in the remote western Europe, we are fortunate to have this wonder of nature for the enjoyment of its visitors. Without a doubt this is the place you should not miss if you decide to visit Doñana.

Before I conclude I wanted to share with you the small moment of happiness that is for any lover of birds the first observation of a species. It was a Buff-breasted Sandpiper that suddenly appear the other day in the field of view of my binoculars as I examined a group of waders. The unusual always stand out quickly for those who have trained eyes; to find out exactly what it is may not be so easy. We found on the 7th and the 8th an individual of this species feeding relentlessly among the short grass near an area full of small waders. Its long yellow legs and cinnamon front lit my alarms. Confirmed the second day with some American clients, this is probably one of the few observations, if not the first, for these species in Donana. Doñana surprises you ...

The descending water level reveals the effects of last winter floods

The leftovers of a hungry

2010 APRIL 8th

A great day for Doñana's history

Doñana gets better day by day, although the effects of spring is felt something later this year. The plants are flowering somewhat later, so that there is still orchids in our pine forests, now at last begins to increase the number of butterflies and dragonflies, the waters of the marsh are beginning to have an appropriate level for many birds, not only to feed but also to find suitable areas for breeding. But not everything is negative, there are also positive effects in delaying signs of spring: there are still very few flies and mosquitoes, and that, at least for us human beings, is more good than bad.

The migration continues these days, especially in regard to small forest birds and waders. These are ideal days to watch all kinds of warblers, some of which are only seen Doñana on passage. With a little luck and good trained eyes or a good birding guide you could see in one day: Willow Warbler, Bonelli's W, Subalpine W, Spectacled W, Garden W, Whitethroat, Sardinian W, Blackap, Dartford W, Orphean W, Sedge W, Reed W, Great-reed W, Savi's W, Zitting Cisticola, Cetti's W and Melodious Warbler. We haven't seen any Olivaceous Warbler yet but they must be just about to arrive.

We also see coming in these days other species such as Whinchat, Redstart, Wheatear, Pied Flycatcher and Grey Flycatcher. Yesterday we saw a beautiful male Rock Thrush and today we saw a female Ring Ouzel, rare sightings in Doñana. Continues to increase the number of Bee-eater, Woodchat Shrike, Montagu's Harrier and Black-eared Wheatear. We haven't seen yet any Roller (although we made a trip to the steppes of Castro Verde in Portugal last Wednesday and saw one) and Golden Oriole.

We also observed yesterday in the breeding colony of the Visitors Center Jose A. Valverde one of the rare Reef Egrets. There, the activity of more than 4,000 pairs of Glossy Ibis and several thousand pairs of Purple Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Squacco Heron and Night Heron among other species. The pair of Crested Coot breeding in the Caño Guadiamar is still being seen, but not as well as weeks ago as the vegetation is still growing and covering more and more area.

But if something is really good today for us here, those who work in Doñana, is that they have finally begun the works to clean up the roads in the northern marshes. We had been waiting for years, myself in particular  have the feeling that I have been waiting all my life, since is nearly 15 that I have been working in Doñana, and the regrettable tracks that I have to use every day are killing my back. The plan is to improve the entire stretch known as Wall of FAO, from Matasgordas Oak Forest to Huerta Tejada, the entire wall of the right bank of Entremuros and all the access to Jose A. Valverde via Dehesa de Pilas, Hato Raton, the 2 bridges and the Caño Guadiamar. We all, including you, are in luck!

2010 MARCH 30th

Bee-eaters and Pratincoles increasing numbers very quickly. Gull-billed Terns also getting easier to see in the marshes and rice fields. Very good views of Pintail Sandgrouse now at several places in the Hinojos Marshes. A large group of Slender-billed Gulls near La Escupidera mixed with Black-headed Gulls. Flamingos everywhere. Numbers of Squacco Herons also increasing at last and the first Littel Bitterns back from Africa. Savi's, Reed and Great Reed also around Jose A. Valverde, where the activity in the colony is hectic now. First Ibis sat on nests there.

Great Spotted Cuckoo starting to be difficult to see in the area as usually around this time of year. No Melodious or Olivaceous Warblers yet. The number of Subalpine Warbler passing has decreased. No Spectacled yet but Dartford Warbler is displaying very well in scrubland around the Park. We haven't seen any Oriole or Roller yet either. Black-shouldered Kite has become more difficult this year due to their usual areas being flooded for several months causing the migration or death of the small mammals that used to live there.

Still not too late this year for Orchids and other bulbs in the area.

Numbers of species and quantity increasing day by day. It's getting more and more clear that we will have a terrific spring this year.

2010 MARCH 24th

Today's new species

The first Nightingales and Savi's Warblers have been singing around for a few days now. The first flocks of Bee-eaters are passing through but high in the sky, we haven't seen any at low level yet. The first flocks of Collared Pratincoles have been seen flying over La Madre, but the usual islands where they land to rest are still too wet, so they went away.

An easy and enjoyable walk at La Rocina today under just perfect weather conditions produced the following list of species :

Little Grebe, Night Heron, Little Egret, Purple Heron, White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Collared Dove, Pallid Swift, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Crested Lark, Thekla Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Wren, Nightingale, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler,  Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Long-tailed Tit, Crested Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Woodchat Shrike, Azure-winged Magpie, Magpie, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.

2010 MARCH 22nd

Today's firsts of the season

We had the firsts Nightingales at Puente del Ajolí, next to El Rocío; the first Reed Warbler at Jose A. Valverde; the first Willow Warbler and Melodious Warbler at Entremuros and the first Cuckoos seen also there.

The number of Ibis at Jose A. Valverde is increasing very quickly and so do the number of Purple Herons and Short-toed Larks in the area. It has been seen the first Garganey also there.

We also saw one of the last Black Storks of the season at Veta Zorrera.

At Dehesa de Pilas we saw an incredible number of Lesser Kestrels hovering about and a nice group of Yellow Wagtails 'flava'.

2010 MARCH 21st

School of Larks

Spring is back, this year the official start of spring coincide with the real start in the field; normally this come much earlier than the 21st, but this year the continuous rain, overcast skies and the lowest temperatures have delayed the development of plants and animals.

Finally they have executed the works necessary to reopen the Raya Real and resume our usual route through the forests of Coto del Rey to the Hinojos Marshes.

The result is not perfect, irregular and quite strong visual impact significantly, but the reopening of the road had become a matter of some urgency with the arrival of the peak of visits; there were not many options to do so quickly and friendly environment. Will have to see how it behaves with use and in case heavy rain comes again, but for now is allowing us to offer again the usual route and save some 120km of roads and tracks in bad conditions to reach the marshes.

There the variety and number of birds increases day by day. Short-toed and Lesser Short-toed Larks can be found now in nearly equal numbers on tracks that cross the flooded plain. Crested and Calandra Larks also use them as one of the few dry places throughout the area, making them an excellent school of Larks. The opportunity to see four species of this family so close to each other is not easy and offers an excellent opportunity to learn to tell them apart.

The number of Black Kites and Booted Eagles continues to grow. I heard the first Cuckoos in the forests; Flamingos are back in the marshes and the first Purple Herons fly over the reed beds. The first Whiskered Terns are also reaching the Cano Guadiamar and so do the first Gull-billed Terns. The water level continues to drop slowly and Pintail Sandgrouses are returning to the first dry patches, offering us great sightings, but many species still have difficulties finding suitable areas for breeding.

Stripeless Tree Frogs continue to fill the edges of the marsh with their songs and Egrets begin to capture its first Sharp-ribbed Salamanders. Griffon Vultures are also coming back to use waste animal carcasses that still remain here and there throughout the area. Red Kites and Hen Harriers become scarce and the first Montagu's Harriers are back to be seen.

Reeds begin to cover in  green the open waters, sediments are settling and the quality of the water improves for animals and plants.

In the breeding colony of Jose A. Valverde activity has begun with the arrival of hundreds of Glossy Ibis and the first Purple and Night Herons. We expect a good spring for both the animals living in the park and its visitors, which this year will enjoy Doñana in all its magnificence.

2010 MARCH 17th

We have seen today the first flock of Whiskered Terns arriving in the marshes and a solitary Gull-billed Tern later. We also saw a Purple Heron flying over Caño Guadiamar and several beautiful looking Black-eared Wheatears passing through the marshes.

On the way back from the forest we came across the first Short-toed Lark back from Africa. Things go very quickly these days.

2010 MARCH 16th

Awakenings

The weather finally improved in the region, we now have sunny days with temperatures around 20º C at midday and the forecast for the coming days is also good. This is enabling the competent authorities to start the works to fix the damages caused to the networks and beaches overlooking the start of the tourist season. And this includes the access to the Park from El Rocío; we hope that in a few days our usual route to the northern marsh will be open again.

The improving weather conditions brings associated the awakening of animals and plants which so far remained as dormant by low temperatures and lack of sunshine. The fields are filled with flowers, the first insects are coming out, like butterflies and dragonflies, and also the first flies and mosquitoes. Birds accelerate its breeding preparations and reptiles come out of hibernation to warn up under the sun, as the  Ladder Snake in the photo below.

The migration also accelerates and becomes quite complicated to find a goose or a crane in the marshes. Although what stands out are not the birds that leave, but those who come. It's that time of year where every day we get new species back from Africa. These days we see the first Wheatears and Black-eared Wheatears passing through Doñana showing their brilliant breeding plumage; the first Redstart on passage and the last Black Redstarts leaving; the last White Wagtails before leaving and arriving flocks of Yellow Wagtails; the first Sedge and Willow Warblers coming and the last Chiffchaff from southern areas going until the next winter; the first Subalpine Warblers can be see in the bushes.

The latest Black Storks, that have not yet embarked on his trip to Central Spain, can be seen in the cereal fields north of the Park, while their White cousins strive to rebuild their nest or keep warm their first eggs. The first Woodchat Shrikes are already accompanying their bigger relatives, the Southern Grey Shrikes, in our forest edges. The just arrived Lesser Kestrels complicate our identification by sharing our fields with their close relatives the Common Kestrels. There are not many Red Kites left, they leave the field open for Black Kites and Booted Eagles by going north. The Short-toed Eagles hover over our wetlands and Ospreys are back too.

In the marshes Common and Red-knobbed Coots build their floating nests with the first plants to emerge, which begin to tint in green the still yellowish water.

The Great Crested, Little and Black-necked Grebes continue their courtships and Purple Gallinules show themselves very well due to the shortage of shelters. Red-crested and Common Pochards are the most abundant in the still deep waters of Cano Guadiamar, while Shovelers dominate the shallower waters of the Hinojos Marshes north of the Muro. Glossy Ibis remain spread over a large area, but the first groups are getting close to the Jose A. Valverde nesting colony.

At the Dehesa de Abajo there is a large concentration of thousands of flamingos and large numbers of Common and Red-crested Pochards. At La Gigueña Stream there are many Ibis and Stilts and also a few Wood Sandpipers.

Little Swift was seen last Friday and Saturday in a House Martin flock next to Hotel El Toruño and in the square in front a Long-eared Owl hunting with Barn Owls around the Wild Olive trees at night.

The expectations are being met and the Park is getting prepared for all spring visitors.

2010 MARCH 3rd

The Marsh-seas of Doñana

No one will get surprised in Spain, and probably in Europe, if I tell you a few words about water in Doñana at actual time. To bring you into the matter I will present a small series of images and tables (courtesy of the Andalusian Environmental Agency) that will put you quickly in situation.

December 15th

The only blue stains are rice fields or fish farming, along with the lagoons around the  Jose A. Valverde Visitors Centre, which were artificially flooded.

January 15th

And these maps provide only information on the flooded areas within the natural site, regardless that of the outside farm fields in the transformed marshes . In just one month the marshes went from being completely dry to be completely flooded. The few brown spots  in the wetlands of Donana would disappear on the current map.  Here is the following graph for you to see why rainfall this year has been so exceptional:

If you look at the brown line, which shows the average rainfall of the past 40 years, and the pink line, which is the current hydrological cycle, you will see that in just 3 months it's rained over Doñana more than in an  entire year. In December, after the 15th, were collected about 200 litres / m², 150 in January and about 175 litres in February . Neither the oldest here remember something like it.

The results:

Rivers and streams are demanding their old channels and the marsh its original area. Drainage systems in the transformed marshes are overwhelmed, drowning the winter cereal crops. The water level in the marsh is excessive, birds, except for divers, find more appropriate conditions in the flooded dry marshes and ponds outside the park than in the normal wintering areas. Raptors move to these areas as well. Feeding areas for Larks and other passerines have been greatly reduced, which resulted in curious mixed concentrations of species, as that one along the tracks crossing the Hinojos Marshes. Floodgates are open to try to regulate the levels, but the water input remains higher than the output.

And more harmful effects, such as those produced on strawberry plantations destroyed by runoff, the orange crop badly hit with tons of fruit on the ground, roads and tracks cut by floods and overflows, the fords disappeared under water, traffic problems between villages and lost wages of farmers and other local workers.

But every cloud has a silver lining: the aquifers, so battered by years of abuse, are recharged, and the animals in the park are preparing for a breeding season that promises to bring us a great enjoyment. We expect an excellent spring in Doñana this year. I have a great curiosity to see what state will find the marsh when spring turns into summer and faces the rigors of the dry season. I imagine that this May will be exceptionally good and that the usual total desiccation that occurs during June or July will be delayed, if it does occur at all.

And there is no evil that lasts for ever. Fortunately it seems that in a few days the weather will improve. From this Sunday the sun will come back to win the fight against the clouds. So I encourage all who are contemplating the option to visit Doñana this year.

Most of Geese and Cranes, Lapwings and Golden Plovers as well as Black Storks have left Doñana. The numbers of Great Spotted Cuckoos is lower than passed years but they can still be seen well at Dehesa de Pilas. No we have the first Black Kites and Booted Eagles back in our forests; we have heard the first Quails and seen the first Sedge Warblers.

2010 FEBRUARY 17th

It never rains to taste of all

Last Thursday Robert and Nicoleta, a German couple who, according to their words, winter in Andalusia, wanted to see the Imperial Eagle, well specially Robert, who was the real raptor fan. As always in these cases, I warned them that I could not guarantee the sighting, but if the rainy weather gave us a break we would have good chances. It's eagles mating season so they spend much time in the air performing their nuptial flights so that opportunities to observe them are better.

We met at Venta del Cruce, the day was sunny and promising. We headed south, passing first by the colony of storks in the Dehesa de Abajo where we observed a distant  flock of Flamingos, and then continued to link with the road along Entremuros. As we passed the access track to Casa Neves we found the pair of Purple Herons that has chosen this corner of the reed beds for the winter, a rare observation in this time of year.

The level of the water along the channelling of the Rio Guadiamar is still very high, though both Don Simón Ford and Los Vaqueros are open. Along the track that goes along the right banks we saw numerous Marsh Harriers, Grey Herons, Little Egrets, Corn Buntings, Chiffchaffs, Stonechats, flocks of Common Coots, Swallows, Spanish Sparrows, some Common Pochards, Great Egrets, Buzards, Common Kestrels, Hen Harriers, Black Redstarts; but we don't stop for the first time until we came across a Caspian Tern , whose presence so far from the sea is rather unusual.

We continued to Casa de Bombas where we turned right towards Caño Guadiamar. In the semi-natural marshes we passed by saw several groups of Cranes and soon after, in the fields of cereal before the spot called Two Bridges, huge flocks of several thousand Greylag Geese grazing. It won't take long before they all leave us to go back to their breeding areas in the north.

Crossed the two bridges we saw huge flocks of Calandra and Skylarks flying over the open fields on both sides of the gravel track. The first will stay with us to breed in our marsh, the second will leave to seek cooler areas where they breed. When we reached the Cano Guadiamar, the original course of the river of the same name, the first thing we noticed was the large number of Coots wide spread across the yellow water layer covering the drain. We were entering the Imperial Eagle territory, specially that of the pair that breeds in the woods near Palacio del Rey, near the northern edge of the marshes. The fences that run along the Caño are also regular perching places of eagles and other raptors.

Common and Red-knobbed Coots, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Great-crested and Common Pochard,  Shoveler and Pintail, all showing an interest to cut with fine scissors the ribbon to officially open the breeding season, the funniest time of the year. Coots, fighting in pairs or trios or even quartets, one do not really know who is against who, keeping their bodies out of water in order to use their strong legs as an offensive weapon. Great Crested Grebes, with their long necks stretched out, resemble fine gentlemen of manicured beard and messy hair to the wind, and behave as such, restricting themselves to their civilized chats in pairs, although they seem to disagree with every argument used by their counterparts. The small Little Grebe in contrary behave like court jesters, enlivening the morning with their infectious laughter. Everyone to his own interest  showing no interest by what goes on around them while simultaneously keeping an eye alert to the comings and goings of the Marsh Harrier. In the tamarisks at the edge of the track Chiffchaffs, Stonechats and Robins don't have to worry about harriers, but to find enough food on this cold winter day. A couple of the more and more scarce every year Reed Buntings got more alarmed by us and flew away to a bush in the middle of the channel.

Sometimes a coot appeared not to follow the usual behaviour, seemed to forget that what is required when a human approaches is a crazy race over the water rushing into the nearest reed bed. Tweaking a bit of light we could see that his behaviour was not only different, their appearance also differed slightly from the usual, in silhouette dark included two small bumps on his forehead that clarified our doubts at once, it was one of our Red-knobbed Coot. They used to be called  Horned Coot in Spanish, recently they changed the name to Moorish Coot. Obviously it's not that these coots have horns, but in the mating season the red bumps can increase in size as they can get to look like little horns. There are other minor differences between our two species of coots, but this is certainly the clearest in the spring. We could see up to 3 of them, with the same conduct committed, two of them with horns that really distorted in an obvious way her figure, and another with smaller bumps. The confident character is not a typical feature of this species at all, but instead they are usually more shy and discreet than their more common relative. The explanation of this atypical behaviour of our 3 coots lies in the fact that more than likely come from the breeding program and reintroduction of the species in which the near Natural Reserve of Cañada de los Pájaros is involved. And in relation to the size of the bumps, in males they tend to be larger, but what really determines its size, rather than the sex of the individual, according to the expert opinion of Maribel Adrian from Cañada de los Pájaros, is the hormonal load accumulated in reproductive phase. But there is something much more helpful to the identification of sexes in the species, this is their calls, the female has a simple and profound call that sounds like an U blown into a jug. The sounds emitted by the male are more varied and similar to those of the Common Coot.

We left behind the Caño Guadiamar, with their yellow waters, where our quest of the Imperial Eagle was unsuccessful, and we moved into the Hinojos Marshes with renewed hopes. The ochre waters of the marsh  curled under the strong winds, dead animals here and there, swollen bellies of horses and cows pushed towards edges and fences, the effects of the flood affect everyone. Hares take refuge in the margins of the tracks and Lesser Short-toed Larks, Corn Buntings, Sparrows, Skylarks and White Wagtails, with a couple of Yellow Wagtail somewhat out of season, also find on the track a dry place to feed and rest, there they feel Kestrel harassment and a Merlin. The mixed flocks strive to make way to our car a few yards ahead of us. Sighted small groups of Cranes, Spoonbills, Egrets and Geese feeding among the flooded pickeweeds. It starts to rain again as I write. Storms usually enter Spain from the northwest, first affecting northern communities, this is the norm, this year are coming from the southwest, flooding fields and towns in the Canary Islands and Andalusia. Nobody wants more water and no one needs it, but continues to fall without mercy . Red Kites and Ravens overfly the marshes in search of victims displaced from their secure environment by water or dam and swept away by it. The first daisies, small yet, as not daring to open under this winter leaden skies, scattered along the gutters. After a few false alarms we continued scanning the skies, today finally blue and decorated by round white clouds, looking for our main objective.

We arrived at Cancela de la Escupidera and made a stop to explore the near forest edges and the western edge of the marshes, appropriate venues for our imperial eagle. It's Already noon and we keep stressing our eyes with the difficult search. A large flock of Pintail flew over the road and following them to the wetlands found a small group of 6 Curlew  and several Shelduck resting in shallow water. A large flock of about 500 Avocets raised in the distance and several hundred Black-tailed Godwits manoeuvred over the flooded meadows. To the southeast, over the woods near Palacio del Rey, we saw two large silhouettes that rose the alarms. But they are just two Griffon Vultures; but if conditions are appropriate for them they are also good for our large eagles. A couple of early Short-toed Eagles also took our attention. Small groups of Fallow Deer looking for reliable passage between the flood plains and Black-headed Gulls for food in the water rushing down from nearby forests. Mallards and Shoveler in areas of the marshes where most of them had never set foot before.

We kept moving north until we reached the edge of the marshes, completely flooded this year. From there, finally, in the distance, flying low over the oaks of Matasgordas we found a large raptor that turned out to be an adult Spanish Imperial Eagle. We watched it for about 5 minutes before losing it in the distance. I little while later another individual appeared, lighter in colour, probably a second year  bird, flying higher on the marsh. For Robert that meant already a great success, I still hoped to get a better view of the animal. Back at Cancela de la Escupidera, accompanied and followed by the fate saw a couple of adults in courtship flight over eucalypts beside the marsh western edge. The exhibition lasted for about half an hour, during which Robert did not separate his eyes off his telescope and binoculars. He cheered every dive and every trill of the eagles showing his satisfaction. There really are few things more spectacular in Doñana than this scene; when the 2 eagles came to just under 1 km from us the show reached its climax, and Robert too. Now we were both satisfied with the achievements obtained.

2010 FEBRUARY 2nd

Ash wanted to be willows

First thing that caught our attention as we went through El Rocío was the Swallows and Martins flying over the village; despite of the unstable weather of last weeks these early migrants remain true to their appointment every beginning of year announcing the coming spring.

Water from January floods are retreating and setting; the roads turned into rivers during real heavy rain, show traces of their passage; tons of sand have moved, much of it is over in the marsh, as usual, with the resulting clogging problems arising. Water power has exceeded the most pessimistic. Traffic conditions of the Raya Real have improved somewhat, although the environment of Cancela del Vicioso has been particularly affected

The water has made its way toward the marshes and their irresistible force does not respect animals or things. Those which can escape to higher areas, the sand is drawn into who knows where, and trees such as ash, common in the cooler areas of Doñana, which can no longer withstand the force of the avenue without moving a millimetre of the site, and wanted to be willows to have more weapons with which to confront this unshaped enemy.

The Black-shouldered Kites of Veta Zorrera have shifted their perching spots further north where the waters leave more open area to hunt; their old hunting grounds are now used by Mallards and Shovelers. Great Spotted Cuckoos also appear to have been affected by the storm and the new conditions of one of their usual areas, because we failed to spot any.

In the Hinojos Marshes the water covers thousands of hectares and you already can see the first flocks of geese and ducks. A group of about 20 Shelduck came to our attention shortly after passing Cancela de la Escupidera beside a dry patch in company of several seagulls; a flock of several hundred flamingos seemed to study the situation during its flight low over the yellow waters. On the road leading to the visitor centre of Jose A. Valverde, one of the few dry places in the area, abound Larks, Sparrows and Corn Buntings,  attracted also by the remains of the hay that farmers used to try and save the desperate situation of cows and horses, which have gone in a few days of starvation in the parched marsh to starve in the middle of the flooded marsh. The sheep have gone even worse, some herds have been reduced by 70% trapped by the floodwaters or unable to survive the lack of food and cold. Water covers as far as the eye can see.

Slightly further east, in Caño Guadiamar, conditions now are good for divers like Great-crested Grebe, Common Pochard, Red-crested Pochard and Little Grebes, the flocks of Coots have returned, bringing with them some of the rare Red-knobbed Coots. Coots are fighting, Great Crested Grebes dancing and Little Grebes shouting in a clear preview to what awaits us in the next breeding season. Male Red-knobbed Coots heads look now completely deformed, the two red bumps on his forehead have grown to the size of large beans, several of them walked away slowly from the edge of the water as we passed. In the distance we saw several flocks of glossy ibis, one of several thousand of them, taking up positions near the colony of Jose A. Valverde, which will soon burst into the traditional concentration of spring.

We continued towards Lucio del Lobo to find again water as the star of the place. The big lake which has turned into the dry plains hosts again large flocks of coots and ducks. In the cereal fields to the north seeds germinate and green dominates over the grey clay. Flocks of Geese and Cranes feed with pleasure on them while Red Kites and Ravens use the easy resource of the bodies of deade sheep.

Near Huerta Tejada we found the usual groups of Stone Curlews and, finally, the first Short-eared Owl of the year. This winter they have abandoned their traditional roost in the channel along the road to move to the bushes behind the farmhouse where they were safe from the flood. Alerted by a small group of frightened Stone Curlews it flew away from us for a few hundred metres to land over a small glasswort bush. Across the road, in the newly restored Caño Travieso, we observed large groups of Cranes and ducks, a few Great Egrets and herons and several Hen Harriers.

Over Entremuros we saw many Marsh Harriers, their numbers have grown in recent weeks. In a count by staff of the Doñana Biological Station last week I assisted, the total number of individuals observed entering a couple of roosts in the area of Brazo de la Torre was around 550. The Don Simón Ford, that connects to the Dehesa de Abajo, it's perfectly passable and Los Vaqueros one, a little further south, is still flooded, but passable for high vehicles. Mixed flocks of Swallows and Martins flew overhead.

Slightly further west, in the area surrounding the Hato Raton, the rice fields house thousands of Lapwings, Golden Plovers, Sandpipers and Redshank. Large flocks of Geese also feed in these areas which continue to await the next harvest in summer. In the rice fields surrounding Isla Mayor more the same, huge flocks of large and small wading birds with plenty of room to spend the rest of the winter.

In the Dehesa de Pilas where, despite of its name, there are very few trees, the small eucalyptus groves are very convenient for Storks, Lesser Kestrels and Spanish Sparrows to nest. In their lawns green dominates and the first flowers of spring begin to put their touch of colour. The continuity of its gentle hills and open fields, where at the time ran the illfated Guadiamar River, is now broken here and there by ponds and lakes of various sizes that seem to vindicate the past fluvial character of the area and are home to a growing number of herons and waders.

On the way to Dehesa de Abajo we came upon a rare sighting in Winter, a Purple Heron. There Storks do not waste time and are occupying their nests and preparing to reproductive tasks. The water level of the reservoir is up to the edge and there are large groups of Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Common Coot, Geese, herons and waders.

It rains almost every week so a good spring is beyond question.

2010 JANUARY 20th

Steppe birds in Andalusia

Last Saturday I visited with a couple of friends the so called "Reserva Natural Complejo Endorreico de La Lantejuela". It is a protected area of about 900 has. that comprises a series of endorheic lagoons and a large extension of cereal fields, located north of the city of Osuna, to the east of Seville province. A larger area of more than 40,000 around the Natural Reserve is also protected as a Birds Special Protection Area by an EC directive specially because of its importance for steppe birds.

We basically wanted to see the state of the lagoons and tracks after the "great rain" in order to organize a future visit in spring with a group of friends to enjoy the Great Bustard display.

We started at El Gobierno Lagoon, just next to the village of La Lantejuela. The water from the village sewage station goes through a series of small pools where water is filtered and purified to be poured at the end of the process into a small lagoon surrounded by tamarisks. The main attraction here is the White-headed Duck, an usual visitor and breeder to this lagoon. We found 14 that day, a mixed group of females and males. We also saw a small group of Black-necked Grebes in displaying attitude. Also Little Grebes, Common Coots, Shoveler, Mallard and many Spanish Sparrows.

Later we stopped at Los Ballesteros Lagoon, a few kilometres to the east of the village on the road to El Rubio. There we saw a large flock of several hundred Shoveler, a couple of Red-crested Pochard and small numbers of Black-tailed Godwits. A Little Owl stared at us from a mount of stones as we passed. Red Kites and Marsh Harriers flew continuously over us the whole morning, the same as small groups of Calandra and Skylarks. Not far from there we saw a huge number of Lapwings, Golden Plovers and Black-headed, Lesser black-backed and Yellow-legged Gulls concentrated at one of the countless small lagoons we found everywhere during the day. Water has concentrated and flooded every depression of the land as if demanding to have back the old wetland that used to cover some 300 km² stretching between the villages of Ecija and Osuna. The area was dried up in the 60's for agricultural purposes.

Every stream showed the effects of the water strength, every field the green of the just germinated cereal plants and every bird the excited behaviour of the coming spring. There were groups of Red-legged Partridges everywhere, rabbits seemed to be happy as well.

A bit further along our planned itinerary we arrived to Calderon Grande Lagoon (in the photo), the largest of the surviving locally called "hoyas", depression of the land that get flooded with the rain.

There we saw a good number of Flamingos, Shoveler, Mallard, Gulls and some Stilts and Avocets. But one of our main targets hadn't showed up yet, the Great Bustard. We kept searching for it and kept on driving south to Osuna and then back north again to La Lantejuela. The landscape looked just perfect. We saw new groups of Calandra and Skylarks singing lively and small flocks of Golden Plovers and Lapwings here and there until we got to Cortijo de Casablanca where we took a dirt track in good conditions to the left, passed a ford with some 15cms of running water and kept moving west now stopping every little while to scan the fields around.

They are building the new high speed train line now by side the existing old line and the new bridges over the this new line are the best over view points. It was from one of this convenient points where we saw the first small group of 19 Great Bustards, 5 males and 14 females. At last our efforts were rewarded. Just a bit later, byside Cortijo de La Romera we found a flock of about 50 Stone Curlew resting in a broad been field and a male Merlin hunting over the cereal fields.

This area is one of the two best spots in Western Andalusia for the Back-bellied Sandgrouse and, what is more important, the first location for breeding Great Bustards in the whole region with a population of around 100 individuals with some 25 males.

Apart from this important area for steppe birds we have some 8 more that are catalogued as specially important for this group of birds. These are as follows:

1. Western Andevalo, between the villages of El Granado, Villanueva de los Castillejos and San Bartolomé de la Torre. In these almost 15,500 has at the foot of the mountain ranges of Sierra Morena we found a mixed vegetation cover of pasture with rock roses, forestry plantations and small plots of cultivated land. It holds important populations of Little and Great Bustard, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew and Montagu's Harriers. Black Vulture, Spanish Imperial Eagle and other large eagles can be seen here. Large plots of land near Villanueva are being planted with fruit trees to supply the newly set up juice factory there, a real pity.

2. Doñana, of course. Specially important is its population of Pintail Sandgrouse, the biggest in Andalusia, and one of the largest communities of Lesser-short toed Larks.

3. Tejada Open Fields, some 15,000 has south of the villages of Aznalcazar and Gerena in Seville province. It holds a small population of Great Bustard and a large one of Montagu's Harrier.

4. Guadalcanal Plains, some 5,000 has in the north of Seville province, over the village of the same name. Usual sights of Great Bustards but breeding is not proved. Also Black-bellied Sandgrouse.

5. Carmona-Arahal Open Country, some 12,000 has between these two villages east of the city of Seville. It holds about 10% of the breeding Great Bustards of Andalusia. Specially important is its population of Montagu's Harrier.

6. Jerez-Lebrija Open Country, south of the second city. Some 10,000 has where Great Bustard used to breed and that are used for the species in the winter.

7. La Janda, some 8,000 has of pasture and cereal fields around the small population of Tahivilla, near Tarifa. Stands out the presence of Tawny Pipit and Jorge, the last Great Bustard that occurs in the whole Cadiz province.

8. Fuente de Piedra, the cereal fields and pastures around the lagoon hold one of the most important populations of Stone Curlew and Little Bustard in the whole region.

And further away from Doñana we have:

10. High Guadiato Plains, some 40,000 has of cereal fields and pastures north of Fuente Ovejuna, in the northwest of Cordoba province. It supports a large population of about 100 breeding Great Bustards and a very important population of Little Bustards.

11. Western Pedroches, some 24,000 has around the village of Hinojosa del Duque, in the western section of Los Pedroches Valley, in Cordoba province. Its cereal fields, pastures and dehesas support a 15% of the Andalusian Great Bustards as well as very important numbers of Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Little Bustard, Stone Curlew, Lesser Kestrel, Roller and Montagu's Harrier. Also hundreds of Cranes winter here.

12. Cordoba-Baena Open Fields, some 47,000 has of cereal fields mainly south of the village of Bujalance.

13. Jódar Open Fields, some 10,500 has east of this village in Jaen where there is a good number of Black-bellied Sandgrouse.

14. Padul Hills, some 18,000 has of cereal fields and steppe land around the village of Ventas de Huelma in Granada province. It holds the most important population of Dupont's Lark in Andalusia

15. Hoya of Guadix, more than 20,000 has around the village of Gorafe in Granada. It supports important population of most of typical steppe bird species, except Great Bustard and also one of the most important communities of Trumpeter Finch.

16. Hoya de Baza, some 24,000 of badlands around the village of Benamaurel. It holds the most inland population of Lesser Short-toed Lark of Andalusia. Dupont's Lark has been recently extinct here.

17. Cañadas-Los Llanos Open Fields, some 20,000 has among Almeria and Granada provinces. It supports important populations of most of steppe birds, specially Black-bellied Sandgrouse.

18. Tabernas Dessert, some 11,500 has of badlands south of the village of Gergal in Almeria. It holds a good population of Trumpeter Finch and good numbers of other steppe birds.

19. Canjáyar Plains, 2,500 has south of the village, it holds one of the three population of Dupont's Lark in Andalusia.

20. Cabo de Gata, some 37,500 has along the eastern coast line of Almeria. Good numbers of most of steppe bird species can be found here. Specially important are its populations of Trumpeter Finch, Dupont's Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark and Black-bellied Sandgrouse.

The total number of Great Bustard estimated in Andalusia is 340 individuals, mainly in the provinces of Seville and Córdoba, some 1,150 in southern Portugal and some 22,500 in the whole Spain. The status of the species in the country is unstable.

2010 JANUARY 3rd

Happy New Year for all

After our tour today, still going via Hinojos to enter the marshes, I thought you would be interested to know that we saw two Great Spotted Cuckoos while driving along Entremuros, usual time for the firsts sights of the species. The individual I saw on the 7th of December in Coto del Rey was indeed a very early bird.

This is the state of the track just after Cancela del Vicioso, it has just disappeared washed away by the water.

Apart from this we saw today again three Spanish Imperial Eagles near the northern edge of the marshes, a few Yellow Wagtails mixed with the White ones in the Hinojos Marshes and several Squacco Herons near Casa Bombas. Water level is stabilizing and water is spreading evenly over the marshes now the south winds stop blowing.

I wish you all a good year full of good sightings in 2010.

2009 DECEMBER 30th

The weather gave us a break today and I used it to go and see how the marshes look like after so much rain. All the direct routes from El Rocío to the northern marshes through the forests are blocked by the water, even the local road from El Rocío to  Villamanrique is closed, so the shortest way now to get to Jose A. Valverde Visitor Centre goes via Hinojos and Villamanrique de la Condesa. These are some of the photos I have taken today.

The Mother of the Marshes

We went to see this spot before heading to Hinojos. The Ajolí Bridge is still in place but the Raya Real, the main access to the northern marshes from El Rocío, looks more like a river than a sandy track. At same points of the track the level of the water that runs from the forests down to the marshes is so high and the grounds have been excavated so deep that even for a tractor is difficult to get through, specially around the gate called El Vicioso, some 4 km east from El Rocío. All the other alternative routes to get to El Vicioso through the forests from the north or the east are blocked.

The area between walls at La Cigüeña Stream is completed flooded, the same as the so called Entremuros, the area between the two high roads along the canalized Guadiama r River. Both fords, Don Simón and Los Vaqueros (on the photo) are closed so the village of Isla Mayor is only accessible from Aznalcazar or La Puebla del Río. Large numbers of Black-headed Gulls feed on this new habitat, there must be a lot of small creatures being washed away to the edges and small plots of emergent vegetation. We also saw large flocks of hundreds of Shovelers looking really happy to have such a large area for their enjoyment.

Before we arrived to Don Simon Ford we saw a good number of Night Herons rusting in the lowest branches of the tamarisks and once there we found a good number of Swallows feeding over the muddy water, this winter has not been very cold so maybe all these Swallows decided to stay, or maybe they decided to come back earlier this year. As usually there are also some House Martins in El Rocío.

All the wildlife have been pushed by the water to the edges along Entremuros, that's why we found hundreds of Chiffchaffs and many Spanish Sparrows moving in the tamarisks, and many Kestrels and Buzards taking advantage of the situation predating over them. We caught unaware a nice looking Buzard who was too busy try to finish swallowing a tasty mouse; only the tale stick out of its beak. It is not the first time a flood like this happen so some animals know how to benefit from it. I was driving once around sunset along this road in the same situation of high level of water and got amazed by the huge number of Barn Owls sat along the wooden posts of the fence, one every hundred meters. Barn Owls from all around concentrated to take advantage of a favourable situation.

We also saw several Black Storks, large flocks of Common Coots, many Marsh Harriers and, surprisingly, one Caspian Tern, that felt here like at home, in fact it looks like the sea here now. Passed  Casa Bombas (on the photo) we also saw a beautiful male Hen Harrier and one Squacco Heron.

On the way to Lucio de El Lobo we found small groups of Greylag Geese and Cranes here and there. Large flocks of Skylarks and Calandra Larks over flying the just germinated cereal fields. Common and Lesser Kestrel were very abundant also here, perched on the electric pylons and hunting along the road sides, and an occasional Great White Egret. Black clouds again in the distance pouring water over the marshes and yellow water full of sediments all over. Stonechats and Crested Larks trying to shelter against the strong winds low in the bushes. Another Squacco Heron at Huerta Tejada, but no sign of Short-toed Owl.

At the old spot where El Lobo House used to be, where there are only a few trees left, we found an elegant Black-shouldered Kite trying to keep balance on top of one of them. Lucio del Lobo is flooded of course and small groups of Lesser Short-toed Larks flying around as usually.

The Jose A. Valverde Visitor Centre is still being open every day but not having many visitors obviously; we had a coffee break and kept going towards Caño Guadiamar where we found more the same: deep yellow waters covering the whole area. Only large flocks of Common Coots floating about, I tried the crested one with no success. A Great-crested Grebe and flocks of Shoveler and other ducks in the distance.

We kept driving along the road through the Hinojos Marshes. This is exactly how the marshes are supposed to look like in the winter, a sea of shallow waters up to the eyes can reach. We could see the edge of Coto del Rey to the north, the white houses of El Rocío to the north-east, a line of eucalyptus and pines along the western side of the marshes, the sand dunes to the south and water all around in between them and us.

Here mammals are also displaced by the water, horses and cattle moved to the higher grounds where they can still find something to eat, and hares do the same, the road sides are good for that purpose. The herds of ship, with a lot of little lambs, have to be taken to drier grounds closer to the northern edges inside the National Park passed La Escupidera Gate. Hard times for cattle and cattle keepers.

Only every few years you can see these high marshes next to the northern edge under water. Small streams normally dry collect the water from the forests and bring it flooding the whole area. Even the powerful Spanish Imperial Eagle take advantage of the situation, we were lucky enough to see a young one near Veta Zorrera being chased by a couple of Ravens while trying to keep the balance on top of a small olive tree. The Little Owls that live at the artificial rabbit warren there would show surprise in their wide open eyes while happy Magpies'd explore the newly changed playground.

The usual stopping spot during our tours is surrounded by water now. We did not passed this point but after the series of deep paddles in which the sandy track that goes through the cork oak forest has turned into we could have drove up to El Vicioso Gate, but the scary black clouds coming from the Atlantic made us changed our mind.

On the way back through the marshes I was amazed to see a Whethear at a wrong time of the year and later we had the chance to enjoy the queen of the skies again. This time it was an adult Spanish Imperial Eagle, being chased now by a Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel at Caño Guadiamar. I checked again the large flocks of hundreds of Common Coots for the Red-knobbed Coot and succeed this time. It is normally a matter of probabilities, one every thousand maybe?, so you need a thousand Common Coots to get the price. We had many more than we needed there accompanied by a good representation of different species of ducks, including Red-crested Pochard.

In summary, excellent day out and better expectations for the next few weeks.

2009 DECEMBER 23rd

Good news !!

Rain came at last. We had around 150 mm of rain in the last few days and there is more to come. Due to the bad conditions of the tracks we are cancelling some of our tours these days which is not good for business but in the other hand this rain will guarantee a good spring next year which is very good for visitors and business. So everyone is happy.

The Mother of the Marshes, the lagoon next to El Rocío, and La Rocina Stream are over flooded and the Hinojos Marshes, the northern marshes of the National Park is also flooded with a good reservoir of water for most to the coming breeding season. The coming rain will even improve the situation to secure a good 2010.

I haven't been able to access the area yet but I will hopefully be able soon to go and check the situation to keep you informed. The skies sent us the best Christmas present we could hope for.

Merry Christmas for all.

2009 NOVEMBER 8th

Dressed to mourn

When we arrived today at the spot locals call "the beak of the wall", a convenient corner at the edge of the forest, next to the beginning of the long high dirt track that divides the Hinojos Marshes in two, where we often take a break off the driving and get out of the car to spend a little while checking the oak forests and open fields for raptors and mammals. I turned off the engine of my small Renault Kangoo and went out to get my telescope from the boot. The area is not as busy now as it is in Spring when hundreds of Black Kites and a good number of Booted Eagles use these woods during their breeding season. The marshes are still dry looking forward to the Autumn rain that will turn the dusty planes into a paradise for the wildlife, the 30mm of rain we had about 10 days ago meant just a little caress on the hard and cracked skin of the desolate wilderness.

But today the quietness was broken by the unmistakable sounds of the Magpies. It sounded like a group of these noisy birds arguing or alarmed by something. It stemmed from behind one of the large mastic trees that abound there. We walked around it to find a group of about a dozen magpies calling actively and concentrating their attention to something on the ground. After looking through the binoculars we realized that there was another magpie laying motionless under the lower branches of the tree. They were gibbering each other very excited paying special attention to the handlings of the closest magpie to the still body. It was jumping over it and pulling the tale feathers with its beak in a vain try to wake it up. The rest of the mourning group was as if cheering it up to keep trying once and again. The meaningless chat for humans turned to be a mourn over a dead companion, a demonstration of sorrow for a lost friend of a group wearing some elegant black and white clothes very appropriate for the situation. They slowly accepted the cruel truth and ceased the alarm behaviour gradually to leave the place in pairs or small groups in different directions.

In another order of things, as I was saying, the marshes don't offer much this year to the many thousand geese that have arrived by now to Doñana so they have to move to the surrounding areas to look for food. Most of them can be found these days feeding in the rice fields around Isla Mayor. The rice fields are always of a great importance for the big bird populations of winter birds but in dry years, when they can't find the appropriate conditions to feed in the natural marshes, the area turn into a menace for them. The geese hunting season will start in the area the coming weekend and this year a very significant part of the population (70 - 80%) spend most of the time in the unprotected rice fields where they are exposed to be shot. The Park administration is considering to change the normal develop of the activity to adapt it to the actual adverse conditions for the birds.

The southernmost rice fields of Cantarita hold now most of these geese pushed to leave the the secure refuge of the National Park. We enjoyed yesterday the sight of thousands of them covering the fields. When on the ground you see the countless heads in alert sticking out from the short carpet of yellow hen . After taking off the sky get filled with them, a cloud of quacking creatures that fell save in the crowd. Large flocks of Cranes and Ibis can also be found from far along with increasing numbers of White Wagtails and Meadow Pipits. Lapwings and Black Storks also abound but we did not find any large flock of other waders which apparently haven't been pushed yet by the bad weather to the our southern latitudes.

Temperatures are going down slowly these days and the numbers of Hen Harriers and Skylarks increasing in the plains and those of Black Redstarts in the forests. The last Wheatears are still passing through. Mandrakes, Late Narcissus and Snow Flakes decorate meadows and road sides and Stone Curlews rust in large flocks in the farm fields. Fallow Deer rut still keeps going and they are often seen feeding on the acorns from the oak trees under the surveillance of the Black-shouldered Kite that watch them from the tree tops.

Beautiful sunny days to enjoy Doñana in Autumn.

2009 OCTOBER 16th

They are back ! (annoyed geese)

About half an hour before the sun set behind the pine forests at the edge of the marshes, several hundred Greylag Geese return from the near Hato Ratón paddy fields every day. This has been happening since the first days of the just finished week. They are only the first waves of northern geese back form the north; after not finding suitable conditions to feed on the still dry marshes they set off for the rice fields every morning. There the collection is still progressing, the work of enormous green combine harvesters and tractors with special metallic chain wheels turn the thick greenish carpets of the rice crops into large squared main dishes for thousands of hungry birds. About 20 V formations with different numbers of individuals, from 50 to 10, descend over the Hinojos Marshes and spread over a large area close to the pine forests of the western edge. The long line of contact between the clay of the marshes and the sand of the forests keeps more humid during the dry season so the conditions there are a bit better than all around.

Some other geese formations were seen a while before flying south much higher over the Caño Guadiamar, they were just arriving to Doñana. We played to imagine how the first of every group was considered by the others as the leader. The exhausted geese would look with disappointment at the dry marshes below and questioned their leader about the paradise it was supposed to be taking them to. The leader would try to excurse itself and explain that that is the way things work nowadays in Doñana and that they would still have an alternative paradise down in the vast paddy fields into which men have turn the former extensive Guadalquivir River marshes. - Lucky you ! - it would say.

We found small groups of geese spread all over the rice fields around Isla Mayor and so we did with small groups of Common Cranes. The first flock flying south was seen at Dehesa de Pilas early in the morning, 12 birds that we wrongly thought were the first to arrive this season.

The day started with a thick mist covering forests and marshes so I decided to change the usual route to go first to the rice fields, there is no point to explore the marshes if the visibility is so bad. On the way we saw and heard large numbers of Robins, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the forests, back in Doñana for the winter. This is the normal time when Black-shouldered Kites spread over marshes and forests so they can be found at unusual spots, we spotted several on the way to the rice fields. We also saw Lesser Kestrels at several places, some stay all over the winter in the Doñana area, like at Dehesa de Pilas, where we also found a small group of 10 Stone Curlew. Once near Dehesa de Abajo, which stork colony is now empty and the reservoir dry, I left the tarmac road and drove down along the Brazo de la Torre. We had very good sights of Golden Bishop in large flocks of brownish females and juveniles accompanied occasionally by bright black and yellow males. We also found numerous flocks of Common Waxbills that abound now in the revitalized reed beds finishing their breeding season.

Later, near Venta del Cruce, where most of fields have been already harvested, we found several large flocks of Flamingos and small waders, watched carefully by a Peregrine perched on a near pylon. In the distance we observed a large flock of about 3 hundred Glossy Ibis manoeuvring unsteadily to end up landing in a far field. On the way to the village of Isla Mayor we passed by some fields where the tractors were working and thousands of Storks and Gulls were feeding actively. It was 2 pm by then, the right time for me and my Spanish clients to take a lunch break. We enjoyed some traditional local dishes and a fragrant cup of coffee and set off to the southernmost rice fields at Cantarita. We found on the way several Black Storks at different points, Kingfishers flying away from us along the ditches, mixed flocks of Tree, House and Spanish Sparrows, the first White Wagtails and Meadow Pipits of the season, and the last Yellow Wags of the year. The numbers of Common Buzzards and Common Kestrels is increasing and we saw many perched on the fences along the left banks of Entremuros. More Black Storks, Cranes and Geese in Cantarita but no eagles as I expected after the bad news of July. We tried Slender-billed Gull for the whole day with no success but had, back in Isla Mayor, a Western Reef Egret near the light aircrafts landing area.

On the way to the National Park along the right banks of Entremuros we saw a beautiful male Montagu's Harrier, one of the last I will see this year, several Redstarts and Wheatears still moving south and huge flocks of several hundred Corn Buntings. We also had a couple of Barn Owl rusting in tamarisks near the road. A couple of late Short-toed Eagles, a flock of about 1 hundred Stone Curlew at Huerta Tejada but no Short-eared Owls yet. Flocks of Cranes and Geese too. There is water again in  the lagoons at Jose A. Valverde but no birds yet.

Fine temperature, good number of species and looking forward to the rain.

2009 OCTOBER 4th

Mino and the martins

It is 8:30 in the morning and the sun is just coming out from behind the large brotherhood house they decided to built just in front of my house in El Rocío. Temperatures are not very high anymore, especially in the early hours of the day, when they drop down to some nice 15ºC. A couple of thousand House Martins rust under the metallic roof that covers the spacious courtyards at the back of the unfinished meeting house. This is the right time for them to come out and warm up under the pleasant sun light. The wires above the street and the trees at porches and frontages of the white houses along it make a perfect set for that purpose. Mino, my young white cat, takes advantage of the situation and has some great fun watching a myriad of little things flying close over his head. They line up along the wires, flutter over the palm trees, sat in groups on the shoulders of the facades or congregate on a particular patch of the sandy floor. A weak alarm call from one and they all set off to fly again and contribute to they joy of my little cat. It won’t be long before they all go to Africa but they will still spend a few days with us. A Spotless Starling imitates the call of a Black Kite while groups of House Sparrows socialize on the rooftops.

The migration is still progressing, Flycatchers and Redstarts are still common in the forests but now the have the company of hundreds of just arrived Robins that fill with their songs bushes and trees. Reed Deer rut is about to finish and give way to that of the Fallow Deer. Booted Eagles have gone and Short-toed Eagles are getting rarer. In the marshes there are still good numbers of Wheatears passing and some Whinchat, Whitethroat and other small warblers. Stonechats and Corn Buntings are coming back. The numbers of Common Kestrels are increasing and so do those of Common Buzzards and Red Kites.

We have had very little rain so far this autumn so the marshes are still completely dry, apart from some ponds along the Caño Guadiamar. Bird activity concentrates now in the rice fields where harvesting keeps moving forward across the vast plains. Very large flocks of Storks, Gull, Egrets and Ibis move from one field to another following tractors and harvesters to fed on the easily available resources let behind for them. Tidal marshes like that next to Huelva or Cádiz also attract to high numbers of birds in the dry season; most of flamingos, herons and waders will spend the next few weeks around there.

We are really looking forward to the change in the weather that will bring soon the northern flocks to us.

2009 SEPTEMBER 10th

A new bird season has just started

The beginning of the Autumn migration bring us a new season with excellent expectations. Black Kites left Doñana several weeks ago to concentrate around the rubbish dumps of the region which works as perfect food suppliers for them and other species like storks and gulls. But still some can be seen these days passing through Doñana along with good numbers of Montague's Harriers, most are juveniles. There are still many Booted Eagles in our forests and Short-toed Eagles are passing. We saw today a Honey Buzzard flying south with a flock of Griffon Vultures. The numbers of Red Kites is also increasing, many of them will come to stay over the winter along with many Common Buzzards and Common Kestrels.

The first large flocks of White Storks can also be seen cycling over the marshes. The numbers of Wheatears are increasing, including some Black-eared ones. Some Redstarts, Winchats, Spotted Flycatchers, Willow, Spectacled and Melodious Warblers are also passing through these days. There are still a few Woodchat Shrikes and Short-toed Larks, all juveniles, that haven't gone yet. Martins and Swallows are also passing in high numbers. Less frequent but still some flocks of Bee-eaters can be heard passing at high altitudes.

There are still some water left at Caño Guadiamar where there are normally small flocks of Flamingos and Spoonbills, many Storks and small numbers of Stilts, Greenshanks and other small waders. Also large numbers of Mallards and Shovelers. Pintail Sandgrouse is also an usual visitor to this spot in the summer when there are not many water sources in the marshes, the rice fields next to the Park also attract this and many other species during the dry season.

Flocks of Calandra and Lesser Short-toed Larks are easy to see in the dry marshes. We also get good sights of Spanish Imperial Eagle often these days, mainly early in the morning sat on a one of the cattle fences before the set off hunting.

Red Deer started their rutting season a couple of weeks ago but September sees the pick of their reproductive activity. The rut is a period when the biggest and strongest male (stag) rounds up a group of females (hinds) for mating.  Of course every other male deer wants to do the same, but there's only so many females to go around. In order to maintain control over a group of females the stag must constantly drive away rivals.  The stag announces his superiority over other males by constantly bellowing out an echoing roar, which sounds something like a cross between a chainsaw and a burp.  I guess if we had to shout for days on end we'd end up making a similar noise. Sometimes shouting is not enough, and when contenders approach the females they need to be chased off.  Occasionally fights between males can break out, and this can lead to some serious clashing of those magnificent antlers. It is really impressive these days to stop in the early morning to see and hear this magnificent prove of power in nature.
 

2009 AUGUST 20th

A few notes after our tour today.

Most of Black Kites have left Doñana by now, huge concentrations can be found at every dumping place in the region, but Booted Eagle is still around in good numbers. 1 Black Shouldered Kite is back at the nesting spot in Veta Zorrera. The numbers of Woodchat Shrikes are decreasing, specially adults but Southern Grey Shrike have increased numbers in the marshes where they predate over insects and passerines. We have seen today the first Northern Wheatear passing through so migration is starting. Lots of Spectacled Warbler in the marshes and large flocks of Pintailed Sandgrouse (about 250 in one flock yesterday), specially good views of the flocks coming back from the rice fields to the marshes before sunset at Caño Guadiamar.

First Reed Deer calls in the forests and many sights of Iberian Lynx in the last few days. Very few Short-toed Larks but many Lesser Short-toed and Calandra. Many Montagu´s Harriers and always a few Short-toed Eagles. Yesterday we also saw a third year Spanish Imperial Eagle sat on the fence at Cancela de la Escupidera. Still small numbers of Cattel Egrets and Glossy Ibis in the colony at Jose A. Valverde. Caño Guadiamar with good numbers of Flamingos, White Storks, Spoonbills and Little Egrets. Also Avocets, Black-winged Stilts and other waders.

At Dehesa de Abajo the water level is decreasing very quickly but there are still spectacular concentrations of Flamingos, Storks, Glossy Ibis, Avocets, Stilts, Godwits and other small waders. In the nearby rice fields there are large numbers of Ibis and waders. At the northern section of Brazo de la Torre, next to the Dehesa de Abajo Reservoir is now easy to see male Golden Bishops displaying and Common Waxbills flying in small flocks over the reeds.

Golden Orioles and Hoopoes on their own moving south through the marshes and flocks of Bee-eaters doing the same at a higher altitude, their distinctive calls can be easily heard. House and Sand Martins are also moving south in huge flocks that spread all over farm land and marshes.

2009 AUGUST 17th

The beauty of emptiness

Summer in Doñana is a hard time for all, the local flora and fauna struggle to survive through the extreme conditions imposed by the high temperatures and the lack of water. Mammals concentrate their activity at the early morning and the late afternoon. Reed Deer is now fairly easy to see  around the few water points in the forests and Fallow Deer close to the Jose A. Valverde Visitor Centre where there are still some water left. The last few egrets and Ibis born in the colony last spring are still around there going and coming from the Caño Guadiamar where there are still small numbers of waders, ducks egrets, flamingos and spoonbills. Away from these two spots the marshes look like the photo below taken at Lucio de El Lobo.

You will not find the attractive landscapes of Spring now in the Park but the vast marshes in summer time are not lacking in beauty; the blue of the sky, the ochre of the bulrushes and the grey cracked clay decorate the endless plain and shape an attractive set. Calandra Larks fly in large flocks over the cereal fields and small flocks of Lesser Short-toed stay close to the ditches in the transformed marshes. Spectacled Warbler is also abundant this time of the year and the some Melodious Warblers are also still around in the tamariscs.

Is still good for raptors. Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Black Kite, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Montagu's Harrier, Marsh Harrier, Common and Lesser Kestrel can be easily seen in forests and marshes. The male Spanish Imperial Eagle of the ill-fated family of Veta de Alí is reported to be back at the old nesting spot in the deep marshes.

But to get a good variety of birds in summer time you will have to move a bit further north to the rice fields. Spots like Dehesa de Abajo, Brazo de la Torre, Entremuros and a huge extension of flooded fields offer some very interesting chances to get most of species of usual waders and other aquatic birds. A visit to this area is compulsory at this time of the year.

2009 July 16th 

3 Spanish Imperial Eagles killed in Doñana

Ecologists in Action, WWF-Spain, SEO / BirdLife and Andalucia Bird Society (14/07/09)* reported poisoning of three imperial eagles in the Doñana Natural Area (15/07/09)

The Board of Andalusia is required to use all reasonable means and forceful actions to find and punish the guilty. On July 4 in the Doñana Natural Park 3 corpses were found poisoned, a female and her two chicks in the town of Aznalcázar (Seville). In addition, the male of the pair is missing since that date, it is suspected it might also have been a victim of poisoning.

According to the data accessed by the ecological associations, poison was relayed via a poisoned rabbit, which was used as bait to attract the adult eagles in the enclosed supplementary feeding area in the vicinity of the nest, where food is shipped in for meal times by the technicians of the Board of Andalusia for the eagles.

For the environmental associations, place and type of bait used is clear proof of intent to attack directly the imperial eagles nesting in Veta de Ali. Given the seriousness of this, the environmental agencies require that both the government and police and state security forces should redouble their efforts to identify and make available for criminal trial those responsible.

This loss is a major blow to the population of imperial eagles in Doñana, which after years of significant declines and on the brink of extinction, had entered a recovery phase, reaching the 9-pairs, for which the couple Veta de Ali was essential, as it was among the highest reproductive successes of the Doñana region, with 10 chicks raised in the past five years.

The ecological associations consider this poisoning, which clearly was directed only to remove the pair of imperial eagles in Veta de Ali as both an eco-catastrophe, since it means losing a few of the 250 pairs that exist of imperial eagle in the world (and its genetic basis), as economically and socially, because you cannot forget that human and economic efforts are being devoted by the government to ensure the survival of the species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula.

Ecologists in Action, WWF-Spain, SEO / BirdLife and Andalucia Bird Society consider it as unacceptable the ease with which it was possible to access the area and put down poisoned bait, requiring the Ministry of Environment to institute greater efforts in preventive measures for the eradication of venom in Doñana and increased surveillance both inside and outside of protected natural areas. It also asks the prosecution to face an offence like this with due consideration to the seriousness of the crime, initiate the procedures required to clarify and, once aware of their responsibilities, ask for the maximum sentence for such an offence.

Environmental organizations are also called upon to cooperate with investigations and submit any information that may help to identify the person/s or organisations for this poisoning.

* First publicly announced by Andalucia Bird Society on the 14/07/09

For previous reports go to the Reports page.