Red-knobbed Coots at Embalse del Cacin and at the Pantaneta de Alhama, Granada Province.

Red-knobbed Coot (Focha moruna / Fulica cristata).

Male Red-knobbed Coot (Focha moruna / Fulica cristata).

Whilst on a visit to the Embalse del Cacin with a group of Spanish Friends (Alice, Zoe, Candi, Lourdes, Antonio, Jesús, Jorge, Juanra and Juanfra) we discovered a pair of Red-knobbed Coot feeding on the road edge of the lake. After a controversial bird at Pantaneta de Alhama back in 2008 (photo's above) it was great to see what appear to be a genuine pair in a good breeding habitat. The species is a very rare bird through out Southern Spain with a strong, long running reintroduction program.