Charca de Suarez, Motril

Tuesday 30 August

An overcast, cloudy and humid evening to pay a visit to the Charca de Suarez but still very warm at 31C.  A couple of spots when first arrived so hoped the 75 minutes spent at the reserve would get me back to the car before he rains came.  It never did and the evening continued to prove very humid and unpleasant and not helped by the state of the water; everywhere seemed to be covered in a dense growth of reeds and grasses save for the main water.

Collared Doves when I first arrived and then straight to the Laguna del Taraje where I found mainly Mallards and a couple of Common Coot but also a pair pf Purple Swamphen hiding away at the very back behind the grasses and a single Moorhen.  Moving to the hide at the far of the water, a quartet of Moorhen and a single Glossy Ibis.  The hide overlooking the Laguna del Alamo Blanco was a complete waste of time with just a pair of Mallard on the smallest clearing of water with the rest of the pool completely covered by tall grasses.

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Walking down towards the rear entrance I found a resting Spotted Flycatcher resulting in me taking a distant record shot whilst overhead a number of Barn Swallows were observed. Back to the path and round to the main hide overlooking the Lagunsa de las Aneas and noting a pair of male Blackbirds on the way.  Once ensconced in the hid a number of both Cattle and Little Egrets along with half a dozen Heron.  Plenty of Mallards and Coots, both Common and Red-knobbed, before finding both a couple of Gadwall and the first of three Ferruginous Ducks to be seen during the visit.  Also present a good number of Black-headed Gulls and then more time studying the Little Egrets away on the far right-hand side which resulted in conforming a couple of Night Herons.

Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Moving on to the Laguna del Trebol mainly Red-knobbed Coots, more Moorhens and a couple of Little Grebe. The hide on the southern side of the water produced nothing ne and the final hide overlooking the Laguna del Lirio had more Red-knobbed Coots plus a pair of Ferruginous Ducks. 

Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca

Making my way back to the car to drive along the back of the reserve I picked up House Sparrows and a Kestrel to finish with 21 species for the short visit.

Heron Ardea cinerea

 Birds seen:

Gadwall, Mallard, Ferruginous Duck, Little Grebe, Night Heron, Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Heron, Kestrel, Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Common Coot, Red-knobbed Coot, Black-headed Gull, Collared Dove, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Blackbird, Spotted Flycatcher, House Sparrow.

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

Common Coot Fulica atra

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

Night Herons Nycticorax nycticorax with Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio

Record shot of distant Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata

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