After the seemingly continuous rain for the past three days the sun finally came out in the late afternoon so Jenny and I took a stroll along the seafront paseo from Algarrobo Costa to the fishing harbour at Caleta de Velez in the Axarquia. With both Black Redstarts and the first of very many House Sparrows as we set off we soon added a small flock of Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the beach and crossing the footbridge over the now in-flood Rio Algarrobo added a small charm of Goldfinch feeding below.
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| Record copy of Sanderling Correlimos Tridactilo Calidris alba |
Then it was on past the many palm trees along the front holding scores of screaming Monk Parakeets and through the marina to the fishing port, recording both Rock and Collared Dove on the way. The adjacent small beach held a good-sized flock of Yellow-legged Gulls and a quartet of Sanderling playing "Canute" as they chased the incoming waters. A couple of White Wagtails were also recorded before we took the path down to the lighthouse. Having exchanged greetings with local birder Kirri and a couple of visiting Spanish birders from Malaga, we were then able to pick out three Cormorants and at least a couple of diving Gannets out on the open sea. Looking back towards the shore we saw more Yellow-legged and added Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed along with a quartet of Mediterranean Gulls. However, pride of place must surely go the additional 20 Sanderling that were feeding at the edge of the main beach to our left.
Making our way back we added a lone, ringed, Little Egret on the rocks alongside the path in the marina and then a sole Chifchaff before sighting the small flock of Spotless Starlings.
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| The lone Little Egret Garceta Comun Egretta garzetta in the marina |
Birds seen:
Gannet, Cormorant, Little Egret, Mediterranean Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, White Wagtail, Chiffchaff, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Black Redstart.
Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information
Great Egret surely ?
ReplyDeleteNo, Little Egret. Note the very thin, pointed beak and, unfortnately, the yellow-coloured wall apears just below the beak making it look like the bigger, orangy-tellow beak of the Great Egret.
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