British Isles Birding

This trip was planned in order to see the long-staying Allen's Gallinule that has been present at El Rocio since 21st December 2006. After a relatively tricky night's sleep in the car (tempered by drunken locals and the lack of reclining car seats), the Allen's Gallinule was located with extreme ease just after dawn in the small reedbed adjacent to the old SEO hide and the Hotel Toruno. We watched this bird from 8am until 11.30am and then again from 3pm until 5.10pm.

Allen's Gallinule

Glossy Ibis were very common in the immediate area and other Iberian birds seen on the lagoon at El Rocio included a large flock of Greater Flamingo and a few Spoonbills. Cattle Egrets, White Storks, Spotless Starlings, Spoonbills, a Black Stork and a Squacco Heron enhanced the feel we were well away from the British winter.

Glossy Ibis

A brief trip south a few kilometres produced the hoped for Azure-winged Magpies (a species I hadn't seen since 1999) in the car park at El Acebuche and a pair of White Storks occupied the nest on the tower on the visitor centre building.

Azure-winged Magpie

White Stork