iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Strewth, what a welcome! No wonder you deserted Kent.

John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Reprising my talk on "Birds in history, myth & legend" tonight for Sevenoaks RSPB Group. They meet in Otford so I got here early to look at the Archbishop's palace. Not a lot left of it but worth seeing

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Another bonus was having a quick chat with Sam West (who opened the exhibition), where I tried to persuade him to visit Cadiz & the Strait of Gibraltar (he's never been!).

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

A trip to the SWLA exhibition in London has long been an annual fixture on my calendar. This year, I attended the opening day. A bonus was picking up a copy of their book, "This Healing Heath", about the society's Massingham Heath Project, which my old friend Tim Baldwin organised (with others) 1/2

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The yellow crown & shape (in all bar the third photo) suggest Marsh Harrier to me too

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

After the tiresome train journey from Stansted to Kent which, due to cancellations, took longer than the flight, I wish I had.

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

At Jerez Airport where an indifferent ☕ was €4.25 (vs €1.25/1.50, max €2 elsewhere), making a 🍊 juice, ☕ & 🌯 more expensive than Monday's 3 course meal & 🍺 in a venta. Moral have a ☕ & snack before you get here!

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The sunset behind Medina Sidonia from Alcala de los Gazules this evening. Back to the UK tomorrow. A great few weeks here - Spanish, B'ted, Bonelli's & S-t Eagles, Griffon & Egyptian Vultures, Bee-eaters, R-k Coot, Marbled Duck, Great Bustard, Elegant Tern,Wilson's Petrel etc. What a great place!

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Eleonora's continues to be my bogey bird here. I've seen one in Kent and 3 Lanners (much scarcer) in Cadiz but never an Eleonora's.

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

20+ villagers, several of whom had nothing at all to do with the up Insurrection, were shot in cold blood. It destabilised the govt & was one of the events that led up to the bloody Civil War. The pueblo is close to the former Laguna de La Janda which was a source for thatching, etc 2/2

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I finally managed to visit the small museum in Benalup (Casas Viejas) that tells the tragic story of the uprising & subsequent massacre there in 1933. It was closed when we arrived, but fortunately my friend Claire called the tourismo office who came opened it for us. 1/2

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

A sudden reoccurrence of my occasional back problem last night meant getting up & dressed was something of a pantomime this AM. Now dosed up with painkillers but birding 🪶 for the next few days will be restricted to the terrace ☹️. It could be worse though ...

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Very sad & distressing news. I never met Joe Harkness so only knew him through his books. That, though, was enough to know that he was one of the best of us. www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/2655882...

eveningnews24.co.uk

Acclaimed author who once worked with Chris Packham found dead in Norfolk woodland

Inquest opened at Norfolk Coroner's Court into the death of acclaimed author and mental health campaigner.

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Distressing news. I never met Joe other than through his inspirational books.

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

FB reminds me that I had this handsome Red-necked Nightjar on La Janda 12 years ago today. Sadly the roost site where they could easily be seen is no more after trees were cut & a new crash barrier installed ☹️🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I stayed local today looking for birds around Alcala de los Gazules & the Alcornocales. I found a fair mix of migrant passerines (Redstart, Spotify, warblers etc.) Good news: I had a Spanish tick. Less good news: it was Egyptian Goose. As in the UK the species is spreading rapidly in Andalucia 🪶

The impressively overhanging rock by the footpath

Alcala de los Gazules from the Benalup road

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A small part of the Griffon flock

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Then as a finale I popped to La Pena & discovered where most of the Griffons had been hiding today! Some were on the deck feeding on some carrion (see mobile image) but many more were aloft. Prob. better earlier. Sadly I couldn't find the Ruppell's. Video in next post ..

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Good to meet up with friends old & new. On my left 3 friendly Catalan birders I met in my recent pelagic & on my left Juan Martin Bermudez ( of Salarte). The latter told me Marbled Ducks had 100 ducklings on the private part of the new reserve at Trebujena! Fantastic. 2/3

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Down to Tarifa today for some raptor passage. Cazalla was murky with poor visibility first thing. Late morning I moved to Trafico on the coast where it was better. Hundreds of birds moving inc Booted & Sh-t Eagles, Black Kites, HBs, C Buzzards, Egyptian Vs, Marsh H, Spr'awks plus W-r Swift 1/3

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I didn't welcome traipsing around Algeciras for House Buntings!

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Photos apparently confirm that one of the shearwaters on yesterday's trip was a Yelkuan. A good bird to get despite being (rightly) relegated to a subspecies of Balearic. (Photo: Manuel Barcena of Oxyura Birding who organised the trip). 🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

A weak (2.5%) German grapefruit infused wheat beer. My beer aficionado friends will be appalled (I'm looking at you Craig @eastkentbirder.bsky.social) but it's delicious and ideal after a hot day birding in Spain😁

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

The Wilson's bounced & pattered over the waves flaunting it's yellow webs - brilliant! We 'lost' Spain over the horizon but I'm not sure how far out we went although I had a "Welcome to Portugal on my phone 2/2🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Today's pelagic out from Chipiona started very slowly. We struggled to see any Gannets, shearwaters, petrels or skuas. Happily, they finally obliged so we had good views of Cory's & Balearic Shearwaters, European & Wilson's Petrels, Arctic & Great Skuas. One of the best birds was a flying fish! 1/2🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Sorry, but I think the message is highly objectionable. That to which the poster refers has given humanity much pleasure for millennia whereas Trump ...

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

They were yesterday! They're residents but numbers fall in winter.

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Another pelagic out of Chipiona underway! Everyone else onboard is, understandably, Spanish. Time that I learnt Spanish bird names!

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

My second (failed) attempt to see a Mediterranean Chameleon in the Jardin de Celestino Mutis - said to be the best site for them in Andalucia. Sadly, gone are the days when the gardener here, Andrea, would drop everything to show you 'her' Chameleons ☹️

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Good to catch up with Elegant Tern this morning at Playa de Montijo (Chipiona, Cadiz) today. Distant digiscoped images. Also Roseate Tern present 🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Thanks. We got Great Bustard & will look for Little Bustards & B-b Sandgrouse tomorrow. I fear that we will miss one another again ☹️

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Overnight in Osuna, my favourite small town in Andalucia. It's an architectural gem. Late afternoon trawl around the Osuna triangle netted 13 Great Bustard, 6 B-w Kite, c200 Short-toed Lark, etc 42+° during the day & still 30+° at 22.40🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

A pleasingly wet Brazo del Este (Seville) today produced mind-boggling numbers of Glossy Ibis, a huge flock of Pratincoles, Black Stork, Purple Swamphen, B-h Weaver, Golden Bishop, etc. Now in a hotel in Osuna waiting for cooler temperatures (currently c40°C) before looking for bustards🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Another good day around Tarifa with oodles of raptors; HBs, Booted & Sh-t Eagles, Egyptian Vultures, etc. but the star turn was a nice cirtensis Long-legged Buzzard (Photos again courtesy of Phil Chantler)🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Raptor watching at Punta Camorro (Tarifa) today:good nos of Short-toed & Booted Eagles, Egyptian Vulture, Honey Buzzards, fewer Black Kites, fewer still Marsh Harrier and a close cirtensis Long-legged Buzzard.

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Good views of Western Olivaceous Warbler today by the service road at Junction 24 on the A381 near Medina Sidonia (Photo: Phil Chantler). A typical & surprisingly common bird of tamarisk stands in Cadiz Province 🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Dipped Western Olivaceous at Laguna de Medina, but a hunch that I'd find one by driving back to Alcala along the service road proved successful. Despite the early afternoon heat, a large stand of tamarisk (their preferred habitat here) by Exit 24 on the A381 soon delivered 😀🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Good to see Laguna de Medina so full this month, in recent years it's had little water come autumn. Good birding too with Red-knobbed Coot, Whiskered Tern, W-h Duck & much else. A pre-dawn start netted a R-n Nightjar near Alcala, also Iberian Green 'pecker at Cetina (but I dipped Med. Lark) 🪶 1/2

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Up to Trebujena early this morning to look for Rufous Bushchat with three Kent birding friends. Happily we soon had three birds at my favourite location. Fabulous birds! 🙂🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Good news/bad news Cadiz Birding. Good news: The track across La Janda is no longer impassable having been fully repaired and in very good condition. Bad news: The track at Bolonia to the famous Cueva del Moro is currently blocked at the Mirador del Camarinal (c2km) from the cave.

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I loathe birding in crowded built up areas, but if you want to see House Buntings in Spain you have no other option than traipsing around the less salubrious parts of Algeciras (mobile phone shot)🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

The obligatory photo of the sunset from my terrace in Alcala de los Gazules ...

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Good to see & hear that there are still hundreds of House Sparrows (never any Spanish Sparrows as far as I can see) roosting in the small park in the middle of Alcala de los Gazules. Carmona (Seville) used have one numbering thousands in a similar situation but they cut down the trees ☹️

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Chilly gusting northerlies this AM in Alcala so not ideal - 50+ Alpine Swifts, 3 Lesser Kestrels, 1 Short-toed & 3 Booted Eagles, a ringtail Montagu's Harrier (infrequent over the terrace) and 250+ Griffon Vultures (inc. an interesting looking dark bird l lost swapping between bins & 'scope🤦🏼) 🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Supper on the terrace in Alcala this evening with uninvited (but welcome) guests - 20+ Griffons low over the terrace, 10+ Lesser Kestrels & Booted Eagles (mobile phone shots only). But best news today is that equipped with new hearing aids I can hear Bee-eaters for the first time in years!😄 🪶

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Back in Alcala de los Gazules (Cadiz). For once Andalucia looked greener than the UK I left. Unexpected rain overnight. A Bee-eater, a few Booted Eagles, Griffons & Lesser Kestrels overhead. Count of 21 Lks over the village last night higher than usual here in late August.

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Thanks. I will look forward to watching it.

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

I'll be in Spain (where I don't have access to television) when it's broadcast. Will be available online when I return to the UK at the end of next month?

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John Cantelo @johncantelo.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

An interesting book I'd not heard of previously

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