Today we collected Paul and Greta and set off across the fields to ‘find some birds’. As we drove across the Salinas I started my list with Southern Grey Shrike, Little Tern, Shelduck, Flamingo, Avocet, Black winged Stilt and Cormorant.
We made a good addition at the Pallet Road where we found one of our target birds, a Roller. Also along this road we had Woodchat Shrike, Serin, Bee eater and Goldfinch.
Our next stops were along the monastery road where we saw more Bee eaters, another Woodchat Shrike. We heard some noise and saw a bird fly into some trees before we identified it as a Great Spotted Cuckoo, in fact there were three of them apparently fighting with each other, another brilliant bird for our list!
We continued along the track by the ‘little reserve’ where we heard Great Reed Warblers and saw and heard a Corn Bunting. Continuing along GSA we added Reed Warbler, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier, Cattle Egret and Grey Heron before heading to San Felipe village for a coffee stop. From here we moved on to the Santa Agueda platforms/La Cucharra where our first birds were a Yellow Wagtail and a Stone Curlew. Another Great Spotted Cuckoo was here before it flew away and Sardinian Warbler, Black winged Stilt, Great Reed Warbler, Little Egret and Red Crested Pochard were also seen here.
We headed back along the road by the sheep sheds and soon spotted a Cuckoo on the wire, in the same place as we had seen it yesterday. A Purple Heron was also seen at the far side of a patch of water. We had a final stop at El Pinet where Common Tern, Little Tern, Avocet, Black winged Stilt and Slender billed Gulls were all busy nesting.
Cuckoo by Mary Brazier© 
Purple Heron by Mary Brazier©
We all agreed it had been a great few hours birding.
Species list – Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Flamingo, Red Crested Pochard, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Stone Curlew, Black winged Stilt, Avocet, Slender billed Gull, Yellow legged Gull, Little Tern, Common Tern, Woodpigeon, Cuckoo, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Roller, Bee eater, Hoopoe, Green Woodpecker (HO), Pallid Swift, Collared Dove, Crested Lark, Swallow, Red Rumped Swallow, House Martin, Blackbird, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler (HO), Yellow Wagtail, Southern Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Spotless Starling, Serin, Goldfinch, Corn Bunting.