RG - The wonderful quality continued when, in thick morning mist, we stopped at a bridge near Benalup a few miles from Alcala, and I saw my first male Spanish Sparrow - quite a stunner for a sparrow. (Despite stopping here specifically for this species – which seems to like eucalyptus groves hereabouts - I again missed them at this site. It was only after searching for several more minutes and seeing only House Sparrow that Robin realised how lucky he’d been! - JC).
Driving along a minor road/track at Cantaranas/ Las Naveros we had three more Red-rumped Swallows, but initially we didn't find anything new, apart from hearing a Hoopoe. (You weren’t complaining at the time Robin! – JC). However, once we got out of the car and explored a side track we saw a distant silhouetted raptor perched on a fence post which John identified as a Black-shouldered Kite. We walked down a track to get nearer, but the bird seemed to have dropped out of sight. Perhaps it was disturbed by another hunting male Montagu's Harrier. (The sight of some distant cattle persuaded me, if not Robin, that it was time to beat a retreat – a decision amply vindicated given what soon unfolded! Being used to Wiltshire’s finest Aberdeen Angus, Robin was keen to proceed further down this track, but I insisted that we turn back. Robin clearly thought I was a bit of a wimp, but those distant bulls had a somewhat sinister bulk and mien. Shortly afterwards a horseman passed by, but failed to notice us. Then a clanking of bells announced the arrival of several cows and a second horseman carrying a long pole. He spoke to me in clipped and urgent Spanish amongst which, thankfully, I managed to pick out the words "toros bravos" - fighting bulls! Obviously they'd brough the 'ladies' along to tempt the bulls in the right direction - unfortunately this was in our direction! It was pretty clear he wanted us out of
th
e way and fast! We walked back to the car, but paused to get a drink from the boot at which point the second horseman reappeared urgentlt gesticulating & shouting at us to get in the car - my Spanish appears to improve in such circumstances! This we did and shortly thereafter a posse of large and irritable looking fighting bulls thundered along the track we’d just vacated! A close call! Thank goodness that a certain habitue of Grove Ferry wasn't there - these weren't dairy cows, 007, but real Spanish fighting bulls! - JC) Later, nearly at the end of the Cantaranas road, John found another Black-shouldered Kite perched on a wire. (Actually, I saw it fly up to the wire, but didn’t let on what it was at first since I knew Robin much preferred to ID birds himself rather than be told. He was very impressed that I’d identified this distant dot until I admitted I’d seen it fly in! – JC). Soon it flew up and started hunting, hovering, then gliding with wings held in a V more pronounced than any harrier, then off over the hill: a truly stunning bird. A stop on the Conil road was notable in that it produced my first new butterflies - there hadn't been many up to now apart from a few Large Whites, and abundant Painted Ladies and Clouded Yellows everywhere - these were 3 Green-striped Whites, like Bath Whites on the upperwing but with a green-striped underwing. Here there was also a pair of Stone Curlews.
The Roman ruins at Baelo Claudia near Bolonia were an unforgettable experience, the Temple, the Theatre, the dramatic seaside setting with the largest moving sand dune in Spain - and the birds! Three stunning Black-eared Wheatears included a very tame pair - the female was gathering nesti
ng material around the theatre - and there were two Thekla Larks which we examined closely - identification from Crested was clinched by the convex, rather than straight, lower mandible. (Both species seem to be present here – although previously I’ve only seen Crested at this site – JC) Next, driving up to the spectacular Sierra de la Plata, we stopped at a beetling crag where appropriately we had Crag Martins, a superb singing Blue Rock Thrush and two splendid Egyptian Vultures. The thrush was perched heroically right at the top of the cliff, and the vultures perched briefly 
then flapped away, their black and white plumage more stunningly immaculate than I expected. A bit further on - actually near the top of the hill, John found my first, much hoped for, Spanish Festoon butterfly, but I didn't get much of a view, just good enough to identify it. Also here was an Iberian Green Woodpecker.What a host! Not content with showing Robin the birdlife of the area I also knew that, as a fellow History graduate, he’d enjoy some decent classical ruins – it’s purely fortuitous that they’re in a good birding location! Not only that but, even though my pretense of knowing nothing about butterflies isn't too far from the truth, I also managed to find Robin a butterfly tick too - JC
At the La Janda marshes raptors were back in view with a superb Short-toed Eagle, a female Montagu's Harrier and another Marsh Harrier. On the marshy ditch there were about 5 Purple Gallinules. On the way back to Alcala a small pond near Embalse de Barbate produced a Wood Sandpiper, and another Iberian Green Woodpecker flew in front of the car. All was by no means over for the day however - near the embalse (reservoir) there was another superb hunting Black-shouldered Kite, the first John had seen here, and the third for the day!
Since colonising Cadiz province in the mid/late 1990s (surprisingly late given the proximity of Africa), Black-shouldered Kite has rapidly become relatively common in the area. I see them on pretty much every visit these days - even when I'm not looking seriously and almost every time I see them at another 'new' site. With up to 40 birds wintering on La Janda, Cadiz province is now probably the best place to see the species in Europe; in my experience it's much easier here than the much touted Extremadura! In fact I've now seen them in about a dozen different places in the area, but, annoyingly, not yet from our terrace (although I have seen them just outside the village).
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