Monday 17 September, mostly sunny, calm air-light SW wind, 33C. Another day out joining a Wingspanner tour today visiting Laguna Medina and the Bonanza Salt Pans near Cadiz. As we left Gaucin at 0700hrs it was cool with a little mist that developed into quite thick fog as we approached Laguna Medina; fortunately it thinned rapidly and visibility improved whilst at the lake and the sun broke through by 1030hrs. A brief summary of what we saw follows:

Laguna Medina: Marsh Harrier, White-headed Duck, Gadwall, Shoveler, eclipse male Garganey, Ferruginous Duck, female Pintail, Common Pochard, Red-Crested Pochard, 6 Black-crowned Night Heron, 20+Red-legged Partridge in the adjoining fields, 7 Spoonbill, Great-crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Green Sandpiper, Pied Flycatcher, Stonechat, Reed Warbler (at least 2, interestingly quite happy in the shrubbery away from the lake fringes), Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Sardinian Warbler and Reed Bunting.

Puerto Real - we moved on towards Puerto Real hoping to catch up with a flock of Stone Curlew; we dipped on them but did see 3 Marsh Harrier, Black-winged Kite, an Osprey, Southern Grey Shrike and Woodchat Shrike.

Bonanza Salt Pans (see general scene photo that actually includes 2 Little Tern!) - Red Kite, Montagu's Harrier, Booted Eagle, Slender-billed Gull (see photos), Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Black-headed Gull, Little Tern (5 or 6 diving and feeding only 10m away - fantastic!), Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit (see photo of small portion of a large flock of 200+), Shoveler, Greater Flamingo (250+), Grey Heron, Little Egret, Spoonbill (see photo of all four preceding species!), Black-winged Stilt, Avocet (100+), Grey Plover, Kentish Plover, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Redshank and Greenshank.

Laguna Tarelo - White-headed Duck, Glossy Ibis, Kingfisher, Curlew Sandpiper (still in summer plumage).

Algaida Stone Pine woods - Black Kite, Common Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Garden Warbler.

Santa Maria Salt Pans - Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Black Kite, Jackdaw, White Stork, Cattle Egret, Calandra Lark, Skylark, Short-toed Lark, Northern Wheatear.

Also seen whilst travelling between sites were: Short-toed Eagle and a good number of Lesser Kestrel. An unusual sight of 4 White Stork heading South just in front of Sierra Crestellina on the way back to Gaucin. A superb day's birding!