Tour report for Doñana Delights tour – 23 -27 January 2025
In recent years, Coto Doñana Natural Park has attracted considerable press attention for the parlous state of its aquifer due to intensive soft fruit farming in the nearby area. But following a wet winter and large amounts of rain in recent days, the infamously parched wetlands were once more full of water and life, and we were super-excited to go explore!
Newly-flooded pastures hosted a joyful gathering of Red-crested Pochards, Ferruginous Ducks, Common Cranes, Storks both White and Black, Eurasian Spoonbills, Western Swamphens, Black-crowned Night Heron and Glossy Ibis. El Rocío´s famous Madre de las Marismas lagoon nurtured a wealth of wintering wildfowl, including Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintail and Eurasian Teal, while Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe and Black-Winged Stilts waded in the shallows.
On Doñana´s “salty” eastern side, a colony of Little Swifts delighted, Greater Flamingoes promenaded and we met with Caspian Terns, Slender-billed and Mediterranean Gulls, Endangered White-headed Ducks, Mediterranean Short-toed Lark, Little Stint, Bar-tailed Godwits, Common Redshank and Greenshank, Pied Avocet and more!
Soaring over all, Doñana´s impressive selection of raptors included Hen and Marsh Harriers, Lesser Kestrels, Griffon Vulture, Western Osprey and Black-Winged Kite as well as Little and Barn Owl and a roost of nine Short-eared Owls! And our encounters with local royalty – four Spanish Imperial Eagles, including the world´s oldest female – were outstanding!
With delicious locally-sourced and sustainably-produced food nourishing us throughout, and an extra-curricular sampling of El Rocío´s lively horse-based culture, it was a trip to remember!
Day 1 Thursday 23 January
Encounter with Royalty
Niki collected the Sevilla arrivals and we made the hour drive to our lovely Cortijo-style hotel on the outskirts of Matalascañas. After lunchtime bocadillos and fruit in the pretty tiled patio area, we headed out to get stuck straight in!
We headed to the village of Hinojos where we met our two guides – both called Jose Manuel! – from local Nature-watching company Doñana Nature. Their 4×4 jeeps and access permits would take us to very special private areas of the park.
The first of these was Coto del Rey private estate, where we immediately encountered resident royalty, finding two enormous Spanish Imperial Eagles perched side by side on a pylon! We were thrilled to find that one of them was an old friend – the female was the oldest Spanish Imperial in the world at 34 years old! No longer producing eggs of her own, last year she permitted the development of an unusual love triangle, where a younger female lays eggs in her nest, fertilized by her long-term partner, and she then uses her decades of experience to successfully rear the chicks. In 2024 the throuple managed to fledge two chicks in this way, a big achievement for this species!
Across the pastures we could see many Common Cranes feeding and a couple of Eurasian Hoopoes flitted up from the sandy ground. A Little Owl glowered at us from a stump and we had gorgeous views of a very showy Iberian Grey Shrike. Flocks of Eurasian Spoonbills flew over as Western Marsh Harriers quartered. We picked out a third perched Spanish Imperial Eagle, this young bird presumably the final member of the threesome! As we scanned across the vibrant marshes, it was clear that Jose Manuel the Elder was intensely emotional about seeing the vast marismas brought to life for the first time in over 20 years!
Meanwhile Simon had collected the remainder of the group and arrived safely in the area, also making a start on some brilliant local birding! Taking a look around the lagoons on the outskirts of El Rocío we picked up Black-winged Stilts, Greater Flamingoes, White Storks, Iberian Magpies, an endearing flock of Common Waxbills and hundreds of wintering wildfowl.
Team Sevilla and Team Málaga then convened at our hotel for our first dinner together! The hotel is very much after our own heart, having in place a laudable sustainability policy which has completely eliminated single use plastics from the entire hotel, economises on water and electricity use and sources all water from renewable sources. They had even laid on several extra vegetarian options for the delicious evening buffet-style dinner. WE LOVED it!
Day 2 Friday 24 January
Marvellous Marshes
After a hearty hotel breakfast, we headed out to explore the birding on offer in the local area, beginning at the famous Madre de las Marismas lagoon on the outskirts of El Rocío village. The “Mother of the Marshes” was today nurturing a wealth of wintering wildfowl, including Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, and huge flocks of Eurasian Coot. Greater Flamingoes and Eurasian Spoonbills waded, and Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe and Black-Winged Stilts fed in the shallows. Common Waxbills, White Wagtails, and many wintering Meadow Pipits browsed the shore.
We next headed further afield to explore the farmland areas to the east of the Natural Park, where the glorious rains had flooded large areas that had been dry for years! Stopping by one such area, we spotted our fourth Spanish Imperial Eagle of the trip perched nearby! Red-crested Pochards and Ferruginous Ducks bobbed about on an area that was until recently a road, and the sounds of whinnying Little Grebes and rejoicing Iberian Pond Frogs filled the air! Hundreds of Little, Great and Cattle Egrets were on show, and we surprised an early or overwintering Little Bittern. Two small Wild Boar ran from the ditch by the roadside, one galloping into the distance and the other swimming ably across the inundated farmland!
Miles and miles more of flooded grassland awaited us alongside the Guadiamar river. Seemingly not content with reclaiming the land, Western Swamphens, Black Storks and Great Egrets roved about on the road! We were privileged to encounter a roost of nine Short-eared Owls and spent a magical time observing them.
Simon and Niki conjured up a picnic lunch by the side of a wild scrubby area, while the group watched quartering Marsh and Hen Harriers, several newly-arrived Lesser Kestrels and a Barn Owl flew right past! which we later relocated for the most fabulous views (see photo). White Storks made a bill-clapping display from their nearby nest and we could see a haze of pink Greater Flamingoes in the distance. Driving on, we got great views of a Western Osprey perched on the telegraph wires.
The Jose Valverde Visitor Centre provided opportunity for a welcome coffee break, and from here we viewed Glossy Ibis, Pied Avocet, roosting Black-crowned Night Heron, Spanish Sparrows and searched for the elusive Penduline Tits we could hear pinging from the bulrushes.
For dinner tonight we headed to famous sandy streets of El Rocío, where things were heating up for the Candeleras de Triana pilgrimage festival. Our friends Sergio and Javi at Restaurante Toruño gave us a warm welcome and fed the group delicious warming traditional tomato-and-bread soup, a local chickpea and spinach dish, tuna steak for those that wished and a yummy flan pudding to finish off. As we wandered the streets back to our vans, we admired the horses and riders in their traditional finery that were filling the streets and enjoyed the sounds of flamenco and banter filling the air!
Day 3 Saturday 25 January
The Salty Side
We made a good early start today and headed via Sevilla over to the eastern side of the Guadalquivir River, to explore the saltier side of Coto Doñana!
Finishing our drive at a small harbour town, we arrived at the perfect moment to catch the colony of Little Swifts as they awoke! They were emerging from their nests up in the eaves of the harbour buildings, and we loved watching them zipping around making their engaging “giggling” calls. We were able to keep watching them as we tucked into Second Breakfast like hungry Hobbits! Great coffee and a mountain of hot churros fuelled us up for our next spot!
On next to the expansive salt pans of Bonanza, where we were greeted by proudly promenading Greater Flamingoes! Among them, a great selection of shorebirds included Black-Winged Stilts, Little Stint, Bar-tailed Godwits, Common Redshank and Greenshank, Pied Avocet, Grey Plover, Sanderlings and hundreds of Dunlin. We enjoyed our picnic lunch right here, tucking into local olives, salads and sustainably-produced goat´s and sheep’s cheeses, while Caspian Terns, Slender-billed and Mediterranean Gulls and three Western Ospreys on show. By the tracks, we picked up Crested & Mediterranean Short-toed Larks, and a mass of wintering Crag Martins fed overhead.
After lunch we headed to nearby freshwater ponds – originally established to irrigate local small-scale veg production, they have flourished into natural treasure troves! Today was no exception, with Glossy Ibis, Black-Winged Stilts, Ferruginous Ducks and Eurasian Hoopoe among the gems on show. We were thrilled also to get great looks at two Endangered White-headed Duck.
Day 4 Sunday 26 January
Woodland Tranquility and Coastal Drama
Rain this morning brought a certain magic to the tranquil wet woodlands of Acebrón. Newly-returned House Martins filled the air and the surreal bright pink of a Eurasian Bullfinch stood out against the subdued woodland palette. European Serins jangled and Short-toed Treecreepers and Common Firecrests squeaked through the trees, and we could hear a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nearby. Tiny Pixie Cup lichens tiptoed up the bark of the Cork Oaks. And we thought we spied a rare Iberian Crocodile lurking in a pool….
Heading on to our lunch spot at Acebuche Heath, our guests had time to peruse the excellent Visitor Centre and stock up on T shirts while Simon and Niki prepared picnic! In the end we had additional guests join us, as a gregarious flock of Iberian Magpies arrived to hoover up our leftovers! The photographers had a fantastic time snapping these cheeky yet elegant birds.
For the afternoon we headed to walk off some calories and blow off some cobwebs at the spectacular Cuesta de Maneli dune system. Among tall, well-established Mediterranean scrub we picked up Dartford and Sardinian Warblers. Earth Star fungus sprung from the damp sand. Barn Swallows were arriving in off the sea, and we picked up a surprise Common Kittiwake. Down on the vast empty beach, we felt like we had landed on an undiscovered shore as Atlantic waves smashed the desolate but beautiful coastline.
After some relax time at the hotel, we headed out for dinner at the delightful Restaurante La Plazita in town. Host Elisabeth helped us celebrate our last night in style by treating us to local and house specialities served tapas style, including pescado frito, fried aubergines with dark cane syrup, patatas alioli and with special home-made bravas sauce, and local favourite chickpea and spinach stew – delicious!
Day 5 Monday 27 January
Back to the Coto
Today after breakfast it was already time to exchange goodbye hugs with our earliest departers!
It was now the turn of the second group to head into the heart of the park with Doñana Nature, and chance of a second visit for some! And this time we got to go in a huge 4×4 bus! Today we focused on exploring the heaths of Coto del Rey. Here we enjoyed Iberian Grey Shrike, Thekla´s Larks, Corn Buntings and large flocks of Iberian Magpies. A flock of twelve Woodlarks and two Eurasian Hoopoes browsed the sandy soils. A Griffon Vulture soared overhead, with Common Ravens and a Red Kite, on the lookout for carrion. Common Cranes bugled softly from the grasslands. That same Little Owl persisted in glowering at us from its tree stump and we ended the trip as it had begun, with views of the exalted queen of the Spanish Imperial Eagles!
Farewell Team Doñana 2025, we loved sharing this snapshot of Doñana joyfully rejuvenated with you!
This tour was run in support of our Conservation Partners Proyecto Marambay, who specialize in restoration of traditional salt pans in the Bay of Cádiz to benefit coastal birds and cultural heritage.
Dates for our Doñana Delights 2026 tour are now live!! Book your spot now
Making our #Birding count – the trip list is available via eBird: https://ebird.org/tripreport/325581
