Wednesday 24 October
Chris to the airport for 11.30 so time for a couple of hours at the
Guadalhorce before returning home for a late lunch. Greeted by a few
House sparrows and a dozen or so
Spotless Starlings I made my way to the footbridge where I was able to see a pair of soaring
Booted Eagles. Just the one
Heron and a couple of
Coot on the river itself along with a couple of the resident
Rock Dove resting be;low the motorway bridge. A
Cormorant flew into the site as I made my way to the
Laguna Casillas where I found much water and few birds. Just the single Little Grebe and about dozen Coot. But way up high there were a number of feeding
Crag Martins.
Moving on to the
Wader Pool this was even worse with the sole birds being a trio of Coot. I did have a resting
Kestrel in a nearby tree and a calling
Cetti's Warbler but otherwise nothing. So onto the old river where I was once again rewarded with much water and little bird life albeit a single
Great White Egret took of and re-settled at the far end. Just a pair of
Black-winged Stilt as I made my way to the Sea Watch and noted the handful of
Greenfinch.
The sea was calm with deserted beaches. using the scope I managed to pick out a very small mixed group of
Yellow-legged and
Lesser Black-backed Gulls and at the mouth of the eastern arm three
Cormorants and a singe
Great Crested Grebe on the water. A couple of
Stonechat were seen on the beach rubbish and making my way back a quartet of screaming
Monk Parakeets passed overhead. On the other hand, a quick call in at the Wader Pool did result in me locating a couple of
Snipe and the presence of Ian Kirk out birding.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7IpiK0LId5GXP1amEJKYGq2pQH77nnoxmJ5jx9dzffFu0plX5vgCVW-75-hn1YzcPA0UWpoH_uTpPYCOS6Xh5tlHfNVwwRujMa1A1iUN7j1LXDqm52hORkgzctWbbB-ralWOrPDTWpKc/s640/Avocet102405.jpg) |
Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta (front) with Sanderling Calidris alba and Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus |
At least the
Laguna Escondida showed some signs of life with the presence of a score or more
Shoveler. Looking carefully I also added
Moorhen then
Pochard,
Teal and a pair of
Wigeon. Before leaving the ducks had also been joined by a pair of
White-headed Duck. A good number of
Little Grebe were present and a
Kingfisher was busy working the site. At the far end we had a lovely view of a visiting juvenile
Marsh Harrier by which time visiting birder David Hird had also arrived at the hide.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EOn8FYAYd6jcB5tlTDmdN1ozy144m9muiEIpxfrBB8-SEWnOFjn6qNINXklZxuUivZsZsDqVRsz8WmBzSTNKUg8m_1zHp4f8eGFFRbrDpsE_TKL-H3rKhiKwGm0iSetzjvaRkLMoiwFX/s640/BlackNeckedGrebe102400.jpg) |
Black-necked Grebe Zampulin Cuellinegro Podiceps nigricollis |
And so on to the
Laguna Grande where there was also a good supply of birds including about 40
Cormorant and the same number of
Black-winged Stilts. At least a half-dozen
Herons reflecting that both
Heron and
Cormorant numbers were beginning to build up as winter approached. Most of the
Black-winged Stilts were close to the nearby island along with a number of waders including single
Bar-tailed Godwit and
Avocet and a small mixed group of
Sanderling,
Curlew Sandpiper and
Dunlin. Further out on the water a constant movement of
Moorhen and a what looked like a family party of seven
Black-necked Grebes. To the left both
Collared Doves and
Spotless Starlings in the bare trees.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjnkHPRZjLTNjsWK-Gi-zyCPjdl6lzOGOd7rWdgIOlN11dv_ZQDlKugNYz5ZuGG4-hsSRlSGiS5ZC4MBaIvD2tbuA9Ri3Y-ibMDjpBwjTh5wlN8V5Dv0LX8aOHy9YULtPhab11JxLYaEb/s640/BarTailedGodwit102499.jpg) |
Bar-tailed Godwit Aguja Colipinta Limosa lapponica |
The island at the far right had three more
Bar-tailed Godwits feeding nearby and in the trees at the very back both a resting
Osprey and
Peregrine Falcon. With
37 species recorded I then made my way home.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWeYFAFJ6jxJJ3rORSYtlfwo00LsJb1EL2wz6c1NEcnaTqTbw52XlbzlS-4_zoeyd_7MRlY7GI4t2t7rFGjqfR8nRG8jOkN1sD3-fzZsL0ybBpi-LVuUa2KGeuIdEXOTHn8thaJu1w0dEc/s640/Osprey102407.jpg) |
Top left the Peregrine Falcon Halcon Peregrino Falco pelegrinoides and bottom right the Osprey Aguila Pescadora Pandion haliaetus |
Birds seen:
Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard, White-headed Duck, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Cormorant, Great White Egret, Heron, Osprey, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Moorhen, Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Snipe, Bar-tailed Godwit, Lesser Back-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, Kingfisher, Crag Martin, Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Greenfinch.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8Cjzvdjq8X0M-cUB1r80LDSkKzqLVd1JqOhId3x2ciJDr3KseZFDWXVzbl3Sdtr2fMaB1dNaaYINGxMuFEFesllfrv02fuzyTbsdP2ubidrN_esL90vj-JeDsLtc1Scd1Jxsq51zpp3m/s640/Ducks102488.jpg) |
How many duck species can you find? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2C53PzIGzYUTFLMyBorrn1lPZHdTga7bPDD8rMa-q-gXb7PdoYqjKaH79A2dd6Jm9RduBHdcSLGKs6Ge7thyphenhyphenoIIdKlyNpu113togFeLF04eK-e_VZXQOfT1Cb5YpIjIpHPB8jlaqoXLK/s400/Dunlin102492.jpg) |
Dunlin Correlimos Comun Calidris alpina |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcw2ywMzAXT3dTYjhlyaQ2kTNgmjNJQIoC6Nm7HpMMSqp7ZuGHqBeYCHHF0pUljcJ27etCWINqQlRy4nAacnjEXzlCJsZJALBjWuDGLwgBtAUNBVa8t8pHhqGQuOxRTbCJtgNSGqEtVLbr/s400/Sanderling102404.jpg) |
Resting Dunlin Calidris alpina and Sanderling Calidris alba |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5A6tTeNoHS6hcvX1AipbEJ685BSEGlDS2gJFkE1n6CCXwHyBxaTY18N9oJrle7Ia0VmqPonrUHaRon12U2lwFum5Ul618gqhDEx02nH_je_kKlJf7RaY32vKjl3Ss8r8xet_h1KfLX9j/s400/Shoveler102489.jpg) |
Male Shoveler Cuchara Comun Anas clypeata |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Qvgs9RFfQYH-8lE70KjfamA4A2K8tSwh8s0uWFtDBgnxS8FrX-eRW8ztSTccfoyPIXmui3Bxk5qqG5bL3ZKs_SlB1WM-kxEm2QDCzV9s9GBmu251_wVNa18A-pkF_Oyf6wbmRHJa5lcl/s400/Peregrine102406.jpg) |
Distant record sht of the Peregrine Falcon Halcon Peregrino Falco pelegrinoides |
Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information
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