The day began with a seawatch from Matalascana beach.  We found a spot near the lighthouse and set the scope up.  Initially a lot of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and not much else, but as usual with seawatching, the more time you put in the better the rewards.  Checking through the rafts of loafing Lesser Black-backs produced seven Audouin’s Gulls on the water.  Next came a Gannet heading north, a year tick for us.  This was followed by many more Gannets as the morning went on.  A gang of four Slender-billed Gulls flew northwards close in to the beach.  A Great Skua powered across the waves obviously intent on reaching its distant breeding grounds quickly.  At least another eight Great Skuas followed but try as we might, we couldn’t find any additional species of Skua.  While watching one of the Great Skuas, it was overtaken by a Balearic Shearwater, and this was followed by a further two much closer in.
Well satisfied with our three new birds from the seawatch, Gannet, Balearic Shearwater and Great Skua, we headed inland to the Acebuche Visitor Centre in the Donana National Park.  We spent a good five hours exploring the area around the visitor centre walking the various trails and spending time in the hides.  The pools held a pair of Red-crested Pochard, new for the year, and we also enjoyed great views of Purple Swamphens with young, Purple Heron, Spoonbills and nesting White Storks.  On one of the trails we shared great views of a male Dartford Warbler with a group of British birders who told us of a particular hide where a good number of passerines could be seen.  The information was spot on, as we had Savi’s Warbler, Reed Warbler, Serin, Hoopoe, Woodchat Shrike, all showing really well.  As we left the hide, we discovered a singing Iberian Chiffchaff feeding close to the path.  Back at base later we were pleased to find out that this has been split by Clements so we can add it to our year list.  The picnic tables at the Visitor Centre proved to be a fantastic place to get close up and personal views of Azure-winged Magpies as they readily came for scraps.
Late afternoon we called in at the lagoon at El Rocio.  The light was superb with the sun at our backs and a host of birds laid out in front of us.  A huge flock of birds swirled over the water and we couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw that they were all Collared Pratincoles, over 1000 birds!  We realized that the Pratincoles were nervous and continually taking to the air due to an eagle soaring above.  Given the fantastic viewing conditions, we quickly realized that this was an immature Spanish Imperial Eagle.  The eagle was repeatedly mobbed by a Common Buzzard, ideal for size comparison.  As always, the lagoon was a constantly changing kaleidoscope of birds: a flock of fifteen Whiskered Terns appeared from nowhere and just as quickly moved through, a pair of Garganey swam along a ditch, Spotted Redshank and Wood Sandpiper fed in the shallows amongst Black-winged Stilts; Greater Flamingoes, Glossy Ibis and Spoonbills were everywhere.  What an amazing place.
Everywhere we went today we heard the distinctive call of European Bee-eaters as they passed overhead in colourful gangs.  Even as we're updating our blog we're adding new birds to our list, a glorious male Golden Oriole singing from the trees overhead, Bird No. 1900!
Species list: 1990
Posted 7pm, 31st March, El Rocio, Spain