Friday 5 June
Leaving Mezquitilla at 7am to drive over to the Guadalhorce in Malaga, I had large numbers of
Pallid Swifts over the nearby apartment blocks and upon entering the motorway a
Hoopoe flew across the road in front of me. Approaching my exit for the A7 above the
Guadlahorce to take me down to Guadalmar I could not but notice a trio of
Jackdaws resting atop the lamp-posts. Then, parking up near the primary school, welcomed by a few
Collared Doves and numerous
House Martins feeding low overhead.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRem7s9UVbegqmtlFC1srQZbDMguBHXKUM80PekHNqe6w2bhm-XzpGI7BNUsnbgCezkpL8ORIRlfOFRYmDn6Ra7wVxIj3uj_Fl3aeoPpFL6GE2hwEvWQDyKCP8Gn450Fx21Kzx71XzeY9e/s640/Gulls+and+Terns060551+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg) |
Mixture of gulls and Sandwich Terns Charan Patinegro Sterna sandvicensis |
A bright sunny start at 8 o'clock with just a slight breeze but cool enough to retain my sleeveless with its helpful pockets. More
House Martins and even a few
House Sparrows as I approached and crossed the footbridge along with the first
Barn Swallows of the day. A
Cetti's Warbler was calling from below and I was now joined by the first
Common Swifts. As the morning progressed I never seemed to be without scores of
House Martins and both
Common and
Pallid Swifts plus a number which could have been either. And so to the
Laguna Casillas where I found mainly the breeding
Black-winged Stilts and a
Coots. Just one
Moorhen and one female
Mallard plus the couple of
Lesser Black-backed Gulls that passed over. During my stay I had the pleasure of a flypast
Red-rumped Swallow to join the other hirundines and a number of
Reed Warblers below the hide. On the far side, a couple of
Little Egrets visited for a few minutes resting atop the dead tree before moving away upstream. And last, but certainly not least, I turned to my right just in time to see a single
Little Bittern quickly fly into and disappear with the reed bed.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhN8G66zIgeeIKEiP808hg4q90NvWstOY4cvuvl3wKpk8CaV0i1zNEjBrWyWGJvB4AL37ezGanyGvY3lw4x88UyZrT28_mdPYnAoWCYPhWTRoTuwNTEPPQi96VXLlrxH2VYvvoCc2IiEcv/s640/WaderPool060540+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg) |
Wader Pool with some of the Black-winged Stilts Ciguenuela Comun Himantopus himantopus |
The
Wader Pool upped the number of
Black-winged Stilts present by another couple of dozen and along paddled a single
Avocet. Also present, a single
Redshank and in one of the dead trees at the back I managed to find a solitary
Peregrine Falcon taking a long rest. To my left a
Sardinian Warbler landed at the top of the small, bare tree and remained far longer than one would normally expect.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-R5q_4BMLzKSCF49jJ8dLcWojHp5EfAOpeWdATCg9v8HcuC9etITzzlJ0XWLd4AXgfmZg4pTO7hS3Z-uBayy3RBaHNR-2hHK2I02W0huHzlZhYSpknxblDsfKWSxUjx3k6pluQoMA9ulq/s400/Avocet060561+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg) |
Avocet Avoceta Comun Recurvirostra avosetta |
As is sometimes the case, the
Rio Viejo (Od River) turned up trumps once again with a whole range of species. I could see the assembled gulls on the distant island as soon as I reached the water and getting as close as possible was able to identify a few of both
Black-headed and
Mediterranian species. At least one
Audouin's and a couple of
Slender-billed before also identifying a couple of
Yellow-legged Gulls. And resting with them at least eight
Sandwich Terns. On the far bank a
Kentish Plover quickly followed by a couple of
Little Ringed Plover and, using the scope, even a
Ringed Plover. In front of me a
Zitting Cisticola headed for more dense cover. However, one of my "birds of the day" just had to be the preening
Oystercatcher which has been somewhat of a nemesis to me in Spain these past couple of years.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1Zsa7-IEgSwl_Lwi53PGuSW2v_RokNbH0_SGzMnb3WNV2Yc4BPvcF-kINiWdcF-KF7CLTk9gZulKV3TGWWlBMuMuHilWbnr0WWFYevn7W7O9HHf0Uta7KjGjPyzHMBCBpCq-RQ_Aqx5y/s400/Oystercatcher060552+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg) |
Oystercatcher Ostrero Euoasiatico Haemmatopus ostralegus |
The walk to the
Sea Watch produced nothing at sea but on just about the last tree before the end of the tack a couple of
Spotted Flycatchers. Making my way back I was finally greeted by the first
Monk Parakeet gang and then, in the far distance passing low of the back of the laguna Grande, a lone
Purple Heron. Continuing on a pair of
Shelduck passed over head as they made their way to the Wader Pool and even a
Crested Lark on the track.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8U4zbE1Kp7HZK7Bb8_wKSt7UOuQdATWN8zk9im-xWnORoMPlFw-UetZM3NlOQ4yCWX489XZ1xlHHVuwFHfbUJywhNnL1vVGLH24PM-DhyphenhyphenGRRu6vWDaAhzJwiP_y6Sj4nrafOZekzjRvuA/s400/Shelduck060560+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg) |
Shelduck Tarro Blanco Tadorna tadorna |
The short return visit to the Wader Pool gave me chance to take a closer look at the
Shelduck and, at the back of the pool, seven adult
Flamingos were seen heading low to the Laguna Grande. From the Laguna Casillas I saw my first
Little Grebe and behind me a pair of
Goldfinch. Walking to the
Laguna Escondida I had first a couple of
Greenfinch and then watched a pair of
Purple Herons fly over and away to the east. Once at the, almost empty of birds, pool a couple of
Coots, Little Grebes and
Mallard plus a single male
White-headed Duck. A male
Pochard was resting or brooding eggs on a bank under a tree on the far bank.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbgzvMA1bEUJcDVQm-g7iRVH6jN7e93xJVL3Ysi-Ikt_IPVKs6AsDGXzG_9R2_YTUA9aMCoGPdAKbCfWJRVj6XGYzk1M6zaDwXfZukistdrH64F5LgQReQagG1G_-rHt2WQGvbxgzkWkZ/s640/Flamingo060569.jpg) |
Mot of the Greater Flamingo Flamenco Comun Phoenicopterus roseus |
So on to the main hide overlooking the
Laguna Grande where I found not seven but 35
Flamingos. Indeed, fifteen minutes later they were joined by a further 13 individuals. The trees to my left held a good-sized flock of
Spotless Starlings plus a number of
Collared Doves and there were yet more
Black-winged Stilts. However, two more surprises; a male
Kestrel was unable to avoid me finding him eating a late breakfast at the back of a dead tree where I would normally find a Booted Eagle during the winter months and resting just above the closely-packed
Flamingo flock a single
Whiskered Tern.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAp8Q1PinWoDyYedmzXI8S3F9o8R3N-3Xj1nHHm6zSNYyYkKMnFSeFE9mINEzUEwdGiI9lfZLuS3X43jFUaA_CJFQaG71iYw3vI5thJHKHhycY7A2alO3GepYk2bD4zFJ0MKEe4ROtcNpJ/s400/WhiskeredTern060562+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg) |
Whiskered Tern Fumarel cariblanco Chlidonias hybrida |
With the day getting warmer and warmer by the minute time to head for home and as I walked back along the tack first a couple of
Serin and then, presumably picking up grit from the track, a
Turtle Dove. An approaching jogger frightened the bird away but it was quickly back on the track in front of me and this time mobbed by a
Barn Swallow. But it was a bird on a mission as it returned for a third time, no more than twenty metres in front of me.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNRCReKjdmcKxpmyDLOV4EoAlHNB_WWsfNmdcfIkTRewM8-9EpMkgA2KQVxJwC8L2-KiEBEfylXIhgyJ0YsecbS7DWOWblRSxG89vOqfg7lYnDBVizb9d_fCG2p6fQjyfPKIvTFlyLIDK/s400/TurtleDove060578+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg) |
Turtle Dove Tortola Europea Streptopelia turtur |
Crossing the footbridge I could see that a handful of the resident
Rock Doves had returned to their resting place below the motorway bridge and noting the missing bird of the morning, I stopped by the church and, sure enough, found a singing
Blackbird.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGvUKWTDd38z18cpHcWMzi_-v2aj1Tuqb8qw3e0q1a4ElcmEMay0Lxp5B8FxP5_HrsC2kdkqrasfp0CPkDu31td7Ad751t6wS1c0hOKJp-3f3m2i4_wXU_eNlpY7Ll1cH7LAx9LjFfO-N/s400/PeregrineFalcon060543+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg) |
Very distant record shot of the Peregrine Falcon Halcon Peregrino Falco peregrinus |
Birds seen:
Shelduck, Mallard, Pochard, White-headed Duck, Little Grebe, Little Bittern, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Flamingo, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Redshank, Mediterranean Gull, Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Audouin's Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Sandwich Tern, Whiskered Tern, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Turtle Dove, Monk Parakeet, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Reed Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Jackdaw, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOi8xgBZpwUDlAQ8vbPT7a47bTIf7rGZR7ajNuTn_u4IC6yxDIHI2wvvHxSTtF4jgeQ-xiOJXPyQCAavsuJm9bCBn8x5DxYk9vUYbeW6EvgveQs9qmNDY4YnPcRaNnqCgwHbLscmNF6KUo/s400/BlackWingedStilt060570+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg) |
Black-winged Stilt Ciguenuela Comun Himantopus himantopus |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjXzIS5AckFG9ZwcMdBt3eX3hisC4mbECthpbN7tzBv8H4STZcBBxtdj_O_j9HPJPqjM_fBL0g7TinuSUUWXJ_qEo9HPGRv40cT05TEagSdRSk3MA5_DgGwPhPZeoxHCCYanGcbxTkhhF/s640/Flamingo060568+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg) |
Newly-arriving Greater Flamingo Flamenco Comun Phoenicopterus roseus |
Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information
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