Guadalhorce, Malaga

Saturday 4 January

In to Malaga to attend a committee meeting of the Andalucía Bird Society, passing a male Kestrel along with both Serins and Goldfinches as I drove down the mountain, and as I crossed the motorway bridge I could see below me a number of both Grey Herons and Little Egrets on the eastern arm.  First stop was at the Golfing Parador where the result of heavy early morning rain had certainly brought out the birds with numerous Monk Parakeets and White Wagtails along with a fair number of House Sparrows and a few Spotless Starlings.

"Pepe" the sole-surviving Superb Starling Estornino Soberbio Lamprotornis superbus at the Golf Parador. Malaga

Meeting over, I decided to take a quick detour down to the western arm of the Guadalhorce to see if anything was about on the coast.  But before leaving I was able to walk round to the kiosk where everyone's favouritie, "Pepe" the sole surviving Superb Starling was looking most radiant in his lovely multi-coloured coat of feathers.

Arriving at the end of the track above the beach I immediately noticed a couple of Cattle Egret along with a single Little Egret with just the one Coot paddling along the river.  On the opposite shore, a lone Common Sandpiper was working the river's edge.

Sardinian Warbler Curruca Cabecinegra Sylvia melanocephala

Next a quick stop at the main entrance so that I could walk up the slope to the bank top.  Cormorants were freely to and fro whilst on the path in front I had both a true pair of Sardinian Warblers and a single Greenfinch.  A Stonechat landed on a twig below me and, needless to say, both Rock and Collared Doves were seen along with a male Blackbird.

And I have just remembered; we had a Magpie sat on the opposite roof as we concluded our business at the Parador.

Pleasing to see that without any effort at all I had managed to see 22 species including our resident Thekla Larks!



Birds seen:
Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Heron, Kestrel, Coot, Common Sandpiper, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, Thekla Lark, White Wagtail, Stonecat, Blackbird, Sardinian Warbler, Magpie, Spotless Starling, Superb Starling, House Sparrow, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.

Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information.