John Cantelo

Total distance - 28 miles

A glorious autumnal day in Kent so I cycled from Canterbury to Reculver & back via Chambers Wall & Hoath. Few birds about so stopped at the charming & clearly much-loved Hoath church. Perhaps over-restored in the 19thC but we'd have fewer surviving Medieval parish churches without the Victorians!

Good to see you too ... we must have that beer sometime!

Double jabbed flu/covid AM then several hours PM looking for an elusive juv PALLID HARRIER at Reculver/Shuart (Kent) finally seeing it late afternoon. 🤞🏼it winters. Now reacting to the jabs & feeling a bit ropey ☹️🪶

£6,000! Thanks to the generosity of the birding community, my 300pp guide to Birding Cadiz Province has now raised 6x more in donations to the @alzheimerssoc.bsky.social in Liz's memory than I dared hope. PM me with your email address if you'd like a copy. Please share! Heartfelt thanks to all 🪶

This is wonderful news and suggests that with the appropriate action Spain's dwindling population (75% decline in recent decades) can be restored.

My good friend in Alcala de los Gazules, Bob Lloyd, has just posted this excellent analysis of Ai on his FB page. It's so good that I have to share it here.

An extraordinary beast!

I birded this AM then PM cycled out to Patrixbourne to marvel at one of Kent's finest Norman church doorways (2nd only to Barfreston). What must it have looked like when freshly carved? Iron gateway to the lord of the manor's abode, a sad reminder of the demolished (in '45) Georgian Bifrons House.

Autumn 2025 Update 4 - all at sea (again) A pelagic trip is now a fixed part of my schedule when in Spain in autumn.  Places are relatively few and they are very popular so it's best to book well in advance and even then I have sometimes...

Oceanic sprites dancing on the rolling swell - a short account (with my naff photos) of the Wilson's Storm-petrel bonanza I enjoyed this September off Chipiona - the last of my 4 autumnal updates. 🪶 birdingcadizprovince.weebly.com/cadiz-birdin...

I've just finished revising my free Birding Cadiz Guide (but donations via my Just Giving page to Alzheimer's Society are very welcome). No major changes, just minor updates (corrections are also posted on my blog - birdingcadizprovince.weebly.com/cadiz-birdin...)

Twitched R-n Phalarope at RSPB Lydden this morning ... by bike! Avoided the busy A257 (Canterbury-Sandwich road) by taking minor roads via Bekesbourne, Staple & Eastry to Worth (c34-mile round trip). Rewarded myself with lunchtime baguette at Chalkpit Farm cafe. Home in time for an afternoon nap 🙂🪶

A fabulous birthday w/e, courtesy of daughters Gemma & Anna. 1st a visit to Hawkinge Battle of Britain Museum (so many excavated Merlin engines!) & then a moving visit to the BofB monument (Dad was RAF in WW2). Supper at the superb (& absurdly underpriced) www.nepalikitchen.co.uk in Sandgate.

Autumn 2025 Updates - Trebujena - Bonanza Trebujena  Having seen one of the first Rufous Bushchats to arrive in April, I was keen to visit the Trebujena area again in September to find one before they left on migration.  Knowing that they...

Another blog post updating my Birding Cadiz Guide mainly concerning water levels & access along the Gudalquivir between Trebujena & Algaida. More to follow. Pleased to top-and-tail my spring-autumn season with Rufous Bushchat! 🪶 birdingcadizprovince.weebly.com/cadiz-birdin...

Another date for my insomniac friends to note - I'll be giving a talk entitled "Fabulous February - Birding in SW Andalucia in Winter" at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory this Thursday (25/09) at 19.00 🪶

Autumn Update 1 2025 - Lagunas de Medina & de Jeli Laguna de Medina The complexes of lagunas that dot (or used to dot) Cadiz Province (also edging into Seville Province) represent an important ecosystem of wetlands long famed for harbouring some of...

I've started to post blog updates re. Birding Cadiz Province after my recent visit (my guide will be updated anon). First up, a comparison of two lagunas - L de Medina ( wet & brilliant) and L de Jeli (disappointing - now invisible from the hide) 🪶 birdingcadizprovince.weebly.com/cadiz-birdin...

I sympathise but the problem is that they don't know that they don't know! A better approach would be for anyone giving an ID to be obliged to give their reasoning.

En route home tomorrow so will sort it out when back in the UK

It's easier if you email me - johncantelo@gmail.com

Remarkably empty skies above Alcala de los Gazules this morning - a LK, a handful of Griffons and the odd phalanx of Alpine Swifts arcing over - saved by the late appearance of two Black Storks. They decently remained long enough for me to nip downstairs for my camera & get some record shots🪶

Return in spring when there's the best chance of the laguna being full. If you haven't got my "Guide to Birding Cadiz" PM me with your email address & I'll send a copy. It's free but donations to Alzheimer's Society via my Just Giving page welcome - £5600+ raised so far!

3 hrs birding nr Castillo de Torrestrella (Medina Sidonia) this afternoon. Last 3 visits have produced Spanish Imperial Eagles (up to 4) within minutes. Arranged to show the site to a friend today who wanted to show SIEs to the birding group he's leading. Naturally, they didn't show! Whose law?🪶

Now checking for SIE south of Medina Sidonia also very quiet. Last 3 visits I had them within a couple of mins

Few raptors (& all very high) over my terrace in Alcala de los Gazules this AM but swarms (hundreds) of Alpine Swifts tracing a path across the sky.

Immediately after posting the above another c45 Alpine Swifts came over & 5 very distant Griffons checked in over the conical "hill of birds" (a translation of it's actual Spanish name) on the ridge opposite!

A beautifully sunny yet cool morning with a light cooling breeze here in the shade on my terrace in Alcala de los Gazules. I decided to do an Ebird list once I saw my first raptor but I'm still waiting (a rare event here). 20+ Alpine Swifts low overhead was some compensation 🪶

Somewhat miffed to dip Ruppell's Vulture at Laja de Zarga yet again (seen once in a dozen visits) but pleased to see two at Cazalla later. My birding day ended with 2 (possibly 3) Spanish Imperial Eagles south of Medina Sidonia. One being mobbed by a Bonelli's Eagle as I got out of the car🪶

Y'day Bee-eaters flew above me at tree-top level but it was a strain to hear them. A few moments ago 50-60 flew over the terrace only a little higher up in, as far as I could tell, complete silence. Hearing loss really impacts on birding☹️ but the view here is still great! 🪶

The above should read "pretty little birds"

Waxbills may not be a native European species but that doesn't stop them from being pretty little it's when seen up close 🪶