Charca de Suarez

Sunday 13 December

A very busy week ahead of me today promising to be the best day in the coming week I took off for a couple of hours at the Charca de Suarez in Motril where David Jefferson and Mick Richardson had record a Spotted Crake yesterday.  Approaching I had Spotless Starlings and Collared Doves along with a large number of Cattle Egrets following the tractor as it ploughed a roadside field.   A few Rock Doves put in an appearance and a lone Hoopoe sat in the road and refused to move until I was within a whisker, or feather, f it.  Presumably joining in the festive spirit and playing "Chicken!"

White Wagtail Motacilla alba

Leaving the new laguna till the end I headed straight to the Laguna del Teraje where I soon found scores of Chiffchaff and a couple of Kingfishers.  Also present were many White Wagtails, Coot, Moorhen and Mallard.  Whilst a Stonechat posed in the opposite reeds, Blackbirds flew across and there was the constant calling of Cetti's Warblers. A couple of Crag Martins dropped down to feed over the water and then a single Little Grebe.

Scores of Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita to be seen everywhere

Moving on to the main hide overlooking the Laguna de las Aneas, passing a female Black Redstart on the way,  I was soon aware of the large number of Crag Martins present and in addition to the Mallards this water produced both Shoveler and Pochard plus a single Ferruginous Duck.  Lots of Coots and Moorhens but just the one Purple Swamphen.  Little Grebes a plenty along with about a dozen Cormorant and one Grey Heron.  Again, more Chffchaffs and White Wagtails.

One of the two Snipe Gallinago gallinago on show at the Charca de Suarez

A quick visit to the Laguna del Trebol produced more of the same but also Red-knobbed Coot and a female Reed Bunting before I head back seeing both Robin and Great Tit towards the new hide overlooking the Laguna del Alamo Blanco where the reed growth looked very lush.  Here the resident ducks numbered a dozen Teal along with a couple of Snipe.  Very few small birds but I did pick up a Zitting Cisiticola.  A single Little Egret dropped in for a few minutes before departing across the reserve and a Yellow-legged Gull made its noisy way overhead.

A fine pair of Teal Anas crecca

My homeward journey took me down "Turtle Dove Alley" where, much to my surprise, I found a Wryneck along with House Sparrows and Goldfinches.   Finally, in a detour to the reserve at Padul where my woodside trail took me to the lake, I managed to record more Mallard, Shoveler and Cormorant before coming across a Southern Grey Shrike and Kestrel.

The Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis on sentinal duty

Birds seen:
Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Heron, Kestrel, Rock Dove, Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Coot, Red-knobbed Coot, Snipe, Yellow-legged Gull, Collared Dove, Kingfisher, Hoopoe, Wryneck, Crag Martin, White Wagtail, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Southern Grey Shrike, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Goldinch, Reed Bunting.

Another gorgeous Little Egret  Egretta garzetta

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