It is getting hot in the south of Spain, really hot. Temperatures go well over thirty degrees. A good reason to get up really early. I arrived at Arcos de la Frontera at around 7:30 AM, just after I had seen the sunrise. The temperature was ideal, around twenty degrees, but I knew it was going to get hot soon.
It was also quite windy and overcast. Decent weather though for birdwatching, but probably not for taking great photos with such a dull sky. At least, that's what I thought.
This route goes along the Guadalete river. Spring combined with the presence of water means a lot of birds. This visit lived up to all my expectations! However, after barely five minutes I came across a big disappointment. I could not continue the planned route because there was water streaming over one of the concrete paths near one of the watermills. I tried, but I didn't want to end up walking for another three hours with wet feet. According to a man who was walking his dog, they had only recently let the water through.
The only option was to walk back to where I had left the car and follow the road toward the first bridge over the river. I felt a bit annoyed but soon forgot about the detour because I spotted a Little Owl sitting on a powerline. Only the second time ever I was able to photograph it!
The prize for most abundant species I saw this morning goes either to the Spotless Starling or the Common Swift, both species easily exceeding two hundred individuals.
This must have been one of the easiest places to take decent photos of Nightingales. I heard many of them singing, but surprisingly they weren't shy at all. Some of them came as close as four metres, without hiding themselves.
Along the river Guadalete I also spotted a Kingfisher nest. There must be plenty of good places to hide and wait for one of these splendid birds to come and sit on a perch above the water, but I didn't spend too much time on this today. Certainly something to bear in mind for a future visit.
I saw and heard quite a lot of young birds, among them Sardinian Warblers and Great Tits. A reward for coming to this place in spring!
As so often, not only the birds were interesting to observe. I am not a flower or plant expert, but enjoyed all the colours that were on display. They will soon be gone as the heat starts to take its toll.
During the whole walk that lasted about four hours I observed many different bird species. Some of them I did not expect to find here at all, like the Stork. Especially not on the ground.
I spotted two Jackdaws risking their lives while eating from a dead rat in the middle of the road. When the road was clear, I tried to kick the rat to the safer border of the road but that was impossible because the rodent was sticking to the asphalt. Thousands of birds get killed this way, not aware of the dangers that cars entail.
I had started the walk with a rather strong wind and pleasant temperature. There had been more things to see than I expected so the whole walk took longer than I had planned. I was happy when I reached the top of the climb that lead me to the centre of the town and than back to my starting point. Just in time, because the temperature began to be a bit uncomfortable.
Before heading to the car, I enjoyed the views from the main square where I also got the opportunity to photograph some Lesser Kestrels in flight.
A very interesting visit during which I spotted 37 different bird species. I would strongly recommend this place, but it's probably better in early spring. This is obviously true for most places now, as the Andalusian sun has no mercy, not even for the keen birder. Be aware though of the fact that some crossings might give you wet feet!
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