Heading out west for a few days birding with Paqui.
Ebird list for the Presa.
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| Our first view of the Moon as it comes from behind the clouds. |
Paqui and I were off early as we were hoping to get views of the overnight Luna Eclipse but there was a large band of cloud which was covering the Moon when we set off.
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| The last of the Luna Eclipse seen near Antequera, Malaga Province. |
As we got to Antequera the Moon appeared from the cloud so we made a stop at a service area just after coming off the motorway and took some photos through the scope.
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| The bank of cloud which had covered the Moon. |
We continued on and made our way to our first planned stop of the day at the Presa de Embalse de Bornos, on the way we saw
Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and
Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum),
Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and an
Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) which crossed the road in front of us.
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| Looking down stream at a rather grey smelly Rio Guadalete. |
We reached the Presa where we were surprised by how bad the water smelt and grey it looked, bird numbers were down but we did see Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), a group of 4 Caspian Terns (Pagaza Piquiroja / Hydroprone caspia) which flew up and over the dam onto the Embalse, Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), 2x migrating Western Ospreys (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).
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| Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii). |
We arrived at the Rio and checked a spot near the bridge but all the vegetation had been strimmed down and further down the River the margins had been completely scrapped so I wasn't confident that we would find much and I wasn't wrong. |
| Crossing the very slippery weir on the Rio Guadalete. |
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| A mirky looking Rio Guadalete. |
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| The bridge over the Rio Guadalete. |
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| A scrapped out Rio Guadalete. |
As we walked we found lots more Violet Dropwings as well as smaller numbers of White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes), Blue-eye (Erythromma lindenii),
Red-veined Darter,
Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta), African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna) x8,
Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis),
Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus). |
| Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♂. |
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| Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♂. |
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| Blue-eye (Erythromma lindenii) ♂. |
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| Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta) ♀. |
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| African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna). |
Bird wise we had nice views of some European Bee-eaters,
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Grey Heron, Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and
Western House Martin.
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| European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster). |
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| European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster). |
We decided to head to Costa Ballena where we wanted to check the two lakes on the large urbanisation, on the way we stopped for a nice lunch before checking the southern Lago Plaza del Mar where I was hoping to see the long staying
Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis) but unfortunately dipped.
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| 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis). |
However we did find
Mallard,
Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina),
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres),
Black-headed,
Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and
Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sternula albifrons),
Eurasian Coot,
Little Grebe (Zampullín Común /
Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus canariensis), Grey Heron, Western Cattle (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis)
and Little Egret, Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum),
Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) and African Grass Blues. |
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African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna). |
We returned to the car and moved up to the northern Parque de Los Lagos where we did a short walk and added several new species including a nice juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei) and
Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus). |
| The Northern Lagoon. |
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| Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax). |
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| Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax). |
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| Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax). |
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| Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax). |
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| Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax). |
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| Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax). |
We also recorded Mallard,
Common Pochard,
Eurasian Coot,
Common Moorhen,
Little Grebe, Ruddy Turnstone,
Yellow-legged Gull,
Little Egret, Common Kingfisher,
Western House Martin,
White Wagtail,
Banded Groundling,
Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria), Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi). |
| Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta). |
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| Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta). |
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| Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta). |
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| Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta). |
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| Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) ♂. |
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| Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) ♂. |
We again returned to the car and headed off to Lebrija where we stayed in the Hostal Mellizo and had a few drinks in the nearby Restaurante Miano before turning in.
