Rio Guadalahorce, Malaga Province.

Out of Province experiance. 

Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scirpaceus).

Jacko's last day birding was spent at the coastal nature reserve of Guadalhorce on the edge of Malaga. We first had a look over the largest of the fresh water pools and it seemed quite quiet, several White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Black Winged Stilts (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) and Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) were the only birds to be seen. We made our way around to the second hide over looking a long narrower pool where Jacko picked up a bird which was on his wanted list a Purple Swamp-hen (Calamón Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) was seen crunching on vegetation at the far end of the pool along with Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanco / Chlidonias hybridus), Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus).

Purple Swamp-hen (Calamón Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).

The third hide was on the raised bank along the main river which over looked another small reed fringed pool, again this was fairly quiet except for the rattlings of a couple of Great Reed Warblers (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus). Further along the same track there is a view over a bow shaped pool where a collection of terns and gulls were roosting along with a Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), these included Little (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons), Whiskered, Sandwich (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Gull-billed (Charrán Piconegro / Gelochelidon nilotica) and Caspian Terns (Pagaza Piquirroja / Sterna caspia), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus Audouinii), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patimarilla / Larus michiallis), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Lanus ridibundus) and Lesser-black backed Gulls (Gaviota Somria / Larus fuscus). Also seen here were a single Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Black-winged Stilt Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Little Ringed (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).

Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquirroja / Sterna caspia).

We then made our way to the sea watching point picking up Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides) and Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) on the way. On the sea 20+ Cory's Shearwaters (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris diomedea) were floating close to shore and a couple of Nothern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) past West a little further out. On the return journey to Loja we picked up 4 Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and a couple of Booted Eagles (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) in the hills near to Salinas on the A92.