Field Meeting 27th February - Laguna de Medina (near Jerez de La Frontera)

[Stephen]

Meeting 1000hrs, Saturday the 27th of Ferbruary 2010, at the car park in front of the laguna. Approx 2km walk around the walkway where in the open fields we'll be looking for resident Stone Curlew, migrants can include Woodchat Shrike, Yellow Wagtail, Northern Wheatear. Along the walkway and scrub and reedbeds there should be lots of hirundines including Red-rumped Swallow, Sand Martin etc. If the weathers kind we can expect Hoopoe, Reed, Great Reed and Cetti's Warblers. On the water's edge we can keep a look out for Little Bittern, Squacco Heron with Red-knobbed Coot and White-headed Duck being the rarer birds out on the water. Black-neked, Little and Great crested Grebes should all be present and there is normally a good raptor presence with Black-winged Kite breeding, Marsh Harrier, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Black Kite migration and often a passing Osprey hunting. Weather and water levels play an important factor on the presence of Eurasian Spoonbill and Greater Flamingo presence but there should be loads of duck and other species. There is a hide that we'll walk to and scopes are advised.
Lunch will be around 1400hrs near Benalup (hopefully we can sit outside...) and after we can drive the short distance to the N side of La Janda to see what's there.

Leader: Stephen Daly

[Stephen]

Hi Everyone!
Can members and their friends let us know if they are coming along and also if they'd like to join us for lunch.
Thanks, Stephen

[DaveS]

Steve, I'm hoping to make this my first trip with the club and will be looking forward to lunch.  Look out for a weighed down chap with a black ruckasack and tripod exiting from a green camper van.  Hope I'm not late.  Coming from Estepona and not sure how long it takes to get there - 1.5 hrs?

Dave

[David]

Hi Steven,

Juliet and I will definately be there and will also join you for lunch.

David

[TonyB]

Yes, I'll be there too.  I'll ask Eve to reply as well.

[Liz Fox]

Liz and Denny Harrison will be travelling down from Seville if anyone wants to car-share.  And having lunch too.

[Franky no Hair]

Hi Stephen
                  I will be there and Eileen is coming as well, hope we have a dry day.
                                    Have Fun Frank

[harryabbott]

Hi Stephen,
Amy and I look forward to it, see you there.
Harry

[Mel Hayes]

Hi Stephen,
Lorraine and I will be there and for lunch too.
See you then.
Mel Hayes

[Stephen]

Thanks for the good response so far to the next field trip folks - just as a matter of interest there's been lots of migration movement this week. I'll put up a small resumé on "Your Local Patch" section.

Cheers, Stephen

[TonyB]

Hi Stephen. Change of plans, I'm afraid. Eve and I won't be able to make it this time. Another date in the future, hopefully.

[Peter]

Hi Stephen,

Hoping to make the trip and looking forward to a great day. Thank you for arranging the meeting and fingers are crossed for some decent weather!!

Peter

[Franky no Hair]

Hi Stephen
                      Just to say that Eileen and I will be coming for lunch and have a look at La Janda should look good as a large luguna.  I am thinking of staying over and having a long look at La Janda on the Sunday do you know of a cheap hotel in Barbate of Vejer.  Would love to see the grater spotted cuckoo.
                                 Have Fun Frank
PS when is this rain going to stop it reminds me of Devon

[Liz Fox]

Sorry, but Liz and Denny Harrison from Seville can't make it on 27th February.  We have to go to Portugal with some Ikea furniture instead.   

[Stephen]

Hi Everyone,
Just a note to say I'm really pleased with the response and am looking forward to seeing some of you again and meeting new members and their friends!
If anyone is looking for a good hotel to stay at in my area, then I can highly recommend the Hotel El Palomar de La Breña. It's located above Barbate in the pine forest of the Parque Natural. http://www.palomardelabrena.com/ - No noisy scooters and peace and quiet with good restuarant, bar, birds in the area etc and it had the biggest dovecot in the world which was a gunpowder factory )from all the guano) in the 18thC. 17,000 terracotta nesting 'pots' in the walls....Only Owls and Kestrels now but an amazing place to stay or visit for a coffee.
This huge forest runs from Barbate to Los Caños de Meca and there are lots of walks including the spectacular cliff-top walk past Torre de Tajo where the Peregrines breed (Displaying now!)
Frank mentioned having a look around La Janda and it's resumed 'natural' state after the heavy rains of the last months...Unfortunately it's absolutely innundated and the main track is now washed away! If you aproach from Benalup you may see the CS Cuckoos before descending into La Janda proper but this section of the tarred road is also so broken up that without a 4x4 it may prove both an uncomfortable drive and costly visit! Connecting to the main collector canal from this approach ewas also impossible in the Land Rover the other day but perhaps by the weekend the water may have receeded enough to pass but there will be a lot of mud washed off the slopes.
Saturday at Laguna de Median it is then. Regards to all,
Stephen