Come schnell and high water

'Er indoors said she enjoyed last year’s trip down to Seville and Donana; must be the Lynx effect.  So a return trip was in order. Aha, a chance to check out Baillon's Crake habitat and gauge possibilities of northward movement this year.

Arriving at El Rocio on the western edge of the Donana National Park, it was clear that this was no drought year: it was wet, very wet.  Water levels were very high.  A heavy storm forced us into the local restaurant to debate the finer qualities of Coquinas verses Almejas, accompanied by some fried anchovies, and a little octopus of course.  With full bellies and the rain easing, we ventured out to look over the lagoon.  At the tail end of the storm, Sand Martins and Swallows were moving in numbers. An estimated 10,000 passed through over the next hour, the naked eye view appearing as a mass of midges swarming over the water and all moving northwards with purpose.  Slowly the sun broke through and temperatures rose.  The soft rolling ‘prruup’ noises from above broke into the consciousness as dozens of Bee-eaters streamed through.  Now concentrating upwards, Black Kites, Booted Eagles and Red-rumped Swallows dotted the sky in a steady movement. The odd Monty’s and Purple Heron added interest.  Warm sun on the bones and birds on the move; what could be better?

Early next morning we were out looking around the marshes; they were wet.  Spotted Crakes, Baillon’s Crake and Water Rails crept around the flooded swamps.  Not much chance of a major northward push of Baillon’s this year.  In last year’s drought conditions, Baillon’s, Stilts and Glossy Ibis all moved northwards searching for better conditions.  It also delayed the onward passage of Spoonbills due to poor feeding.  No such problems this year.  Feeding groups of Spoonbills, several colour-ringed, were swishing energetically, belly-deep in water and frequently flicking up and gulping down small fish.

There were many birders around and most seemed to be Germans. A beckoning "Come, schnell" provided me with close views of Purple Gallinule.  Savi’s reeled from every swampy hollow, Subalpine Warblers disappeared around every patch of scrub and Woodchats dotted the tops of bushes.  Nightingales sang and Redstarts flitted.  As lunch time approached, the baby lamb chops needed some consideration (oh the flavour!) and after several glasses of rioja, we were surprised to see a Lynx run right through the restaurant.

Below - Lynx in pine wood

Philopatry? – no thanks, there’s a drought.

A stilt in Donana - coming to a site near you

Having recently moved home and been starved of internet access, birding and blogging has recently been on the back burner.  However, the arrival of a few Black-winged Stilts in the UK links nicely to my last entry.  Further to the exodus of Glossy Ibis from Donana due to drought in the region, it is likely that, given a fair wind, this spring will also see a bumper crop of Black-winged Stilt sightings in the UK.  The breeding population of stilts in Donana varies from around 50 pairs in dry springs to over 14,000 pairs in wet years.  The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is one of the main cyclical climatic forces that affects the weather of the region.  During positive phases of the NAO, westerly winds increase temperature and rainfall over northern Europe but bring drought to the Mediterranean.  Stilts will normally return to breed at their natal site but when conditions are poor, dispersive  behaviour kicks in and they move north.  A study by Jordi Figuerola showed a clear link between poorer conditions and less breeding birds in Donana and the number of records of stilts in the UK.

Drought is much in the news at the moment.  The wildlife stories are all doom and gloom.  Yet wildlife adapts to such conditions as shown by the ibis and stilts, and such dispersive behaviour will prompt colonisation of new areas.  The drying of the Oostvaardersplassen in The Netherlands in the 1990s resulted in the dispersal of the locally breeding Spoonbills and colonising many new areas.  What’s the odds on Black-winged Stilts breeding in the UK this year?

Glossy Ibis mystery solved

'Er indoors said she fancied some tapas.  Eager to please as always, a weekend trip to Seville was swiftly organised.   Seville has 300 or more tapas bars, but we didn't manage them all.  We made a start at El Rinconcillo, with a glass of fino and a plate of acorn-fed, luscious, red, iberico ham.  On to La Giganta for a salmorejo of orange and salt cod and some slow-cooked pigs cheek, with a glass of fino or two. Then to the tiny 'one man and his gas ring' Bar Eme for a wonderful plate of coquinas washed down with fino.  And so on.  You probably get the idea.

After many a clam was dispatched, dripping in olive oil and garlic, we moved on to Donana.  Overnight rain and southerly winds had left the bushes dripping in migrants.  Willow Warblers, Whitethroats, Redstarts, Subalpine warblers, Wheatears, Woodchat Shrikes and Nightingales were everywhere.  We set off at dawn with our guide, firstly exploring the Stone Pine and Cork Oak forest. Serins sung from every corner; Woodlark, Crested Tit and Azure-winged Magpie were added along the way.  Mammals were the key target at this time though and an essential first stop was a regular watering hole for an Iberian Lynx.  Further down the track, half a dozen Wild Boar scuttled away.  Lynx have increased in recent years, with around 80 animals now present in the national park.

Once out onto the marshes if was clear that Donana was suffering from a major drought this winter.  There were far fewer birds than normal.  The expanding population of Glossy Ibis, now 1,000+ pairs, is expected to have a poor breeding season this year, with many birds having departed to the north to seek more favourable conditions.   Hence the remarkable numbers in the UK this winter. The remaining pools held a few Ibis, Teal, Garganey and Shoveler.  The reed edge revealed 2 Spotted Crakes, 2 Purple Herons, Little Bittern and Great Bittern.  Isolated bushes all held migrants; best of all, a Ring Ouzel and a splendid male Black-eared Wheatear.  The dried-out wetlands had a column of Griffon Vultures descending to a dead horse and singing Calandra Larks were everywhere.  As the sun rose high into the sky, a spot of raptor watching added Spanish Imperial, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, and Lesser and Common Kestrels to the vultures and ubiquitous Black Kites.

Finally, to the main flood by the town of El Rocio.  Hundreds of Flamingo, Shoveler, Teal, Black-tailed Godwits and Coots worked their way around the shallow, drying lagoon.   Our guide had said check every coot carefully, a technique that finally ‘dug out’ at least 4 knob-less Red-knobbed Coots from amongst their even-more knob-less cousins.  Northward-bound waders fed furiously around the margins, with half a dozen Temminck's Stints being the cream of the crop.  Streams of birds circling down from on-high signalled the first major arrival in the area of Collared Pratincoles and Gull-billed Terns.

It was time for more fino and coquinas before contemplating the agonies of the return flight with Ryanair, the company that puts the customer last.  Pallid Swifts screamed their approval as we snuck a few extra pounds past the hand luggage Gestapo.

Below - Sharp-ribbed Salamander, Jamon Iberico and Black-eared Wheatear.