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Thursday 14 May 2009

Donana and return journey, Several Provinces, (day three).

North of Hinojos, Donana and Fuente de Piedra, Campillos Lagoons and Teba Gorge, Malaga Province.

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).
We started the morning along the Arroyo del Algarbe looking in the poplar trees and olive groves for birds. Golden Orioles (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Nightingales (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) and Serin's (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) were heard all the way along the river with Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Green Woodpeckers (Pito Real / Picus viridis) calling it made for quite a dawn (ish) chorus. A second pair of Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) were seen displaying over the pine woodland with Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla) singing from amongst the trees.
Cath with her cammera in action.
Further along the road we picked up Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).
We then drove straight to Fuente de Piedra in Malaga Province and went straight out to the pool with the board walk. Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Little Ringed (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and Kentish Plovers (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Avocet (Avoceta Común/ Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) were all out on the muddy margins. Moving around towards the view point we scanned through the Tern flock which was roosting on the mud where Whiskered (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chlidonias hybridus), Black (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger), Gull-billed (Charrán Piconegro / Gelochelidon nilotica) and Little (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons) were all seen. From the view point several thousand Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber) and 4 Lesser Flamingo's (Phoenicopterus minor) could be picked out along with Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus cachinnans). 
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus).
After a while we drifted around to the hides over looking the fresh water pools and here Cath got another bird she really wanted to see a male White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala). Also here we picked up Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Anas clypeata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus). The next stop was briefly at a road side colony of European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) and then it was on to Teba Gorge and Sierra. Here we picked up Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Blue Rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), White (Lavandera Blanca / Motacill alba) and Grey Wagtails (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia).
Lesser Flamingo's (Phoenicopterus minor) x4.
Later we passed by a couple of the lagoons near Campillos seeing Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea) and Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula). Just as we were setting off back for Loja Cath and Heather both had brief views of a flying Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

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