Algarrobo Costa

 Wednesday 18 November

Now back from our interesting but weird visit to the UK.  Booked for three weeks to allow for two weeks of self-isolation followed by a week to meet family and friend as well as undertake a little birding.  Within four days of arriving the UK lockdown commenced so no chance of going anywhere or even family visiting.  Then, the following day, an email from Ryanair to say return flight had been cancelled and with nothing else available till early December found ourselves returning a week earlier than planned, last Monday morning.  Not sure whether or not the fact that there were only 17 (seventeen) passengers on board was some sort of a bonus!

Therefore, delighted to actually be able to get out birding again with an upstream walk along the dry river bed of the Rio Algarrobo. Another minor problem, Algarrobo seems to be the smallest municipality in the area.  If we lived 200 metres to the the east, that part of the pueblo would be in Mezquitilla de Velez which comes under Velez Malaga and would also have opened up the river at Torre del Mar and possibly even the province right up to the Granada border at Ventas de Zafarraya.  Ah well, perhaps something will improve next week.

Female Black Redstart Colirrojo Tizon  Phoenicurus ochruros

No sooner at the riverside walk and we became aware of the screeching Monk Parakeets quickly followed by a couple of Collared Doves.  By the time we returned we must have recorded almost thirty of these very common doves, far more than the supply of Monk Parakeets.  Once clear of the initial park are we had a Great Tit followed by the first of quite a number of Black Redstarts, almost all being of the feminine gender.  A small charm of Goldfinch flew over and then on up towards the first river crossing.  Here we found a pair of White Wagtails and a lone House Sparrow.  On the far side a trio of Cattle Egrets were noted and then one flew in to forage the far side of the river bank.

Collared Dove Tortola Turca Streptopelia decaocto

Continuing on up to and slightly beyond the motorway bridge we noted scores of Spotless Starlings and, included in their number, at least three Common Starling.  A Chiffchaff was working the trees and we were to find another couple on the return journey.  Overhead there seemed to be almost always a trio of Lesser Black-backed Gulls drifting around and a slight deviation on the return walk to circumnavigate the local sewerage treatment plant only produced another Black Redstart and a House Sparrow.  Continuing on back to the old N340 a Blackbird and finally a lonely Feral Pigeon.  An enjoyable walk in the sunshine, even if only 14 species recorded.

Birds seen:

Cattle Egret, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, White Wagtail, Black Redstart, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Common Starling, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Goldfinch.

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