RAM and Charca de Suárez, Motril, Granada Province.

Another new bird for my Province list.

Female Red-crested Pochards (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

Alice, Juan and I met at the usual junction on the Autovia down towards Motril and headed to cabo Sacratif east of the town. The usual birds were seen on the Ram part of the morning, with the exception of Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) and Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).  
Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris diomedea), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) were all recorded on this flat calm morning.

Little Grebe (Zapullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

During the sea watch 3 Peregrine Falcons (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) were seen to take a Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) out over the sea, the adult making the kill and passing it to one of the younger birds.
We later popped quickly in at the port where large numbers (200+) Audouin's Gulls were roosting on the dock areas along with Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Lanus ridibundus) and Yellow-legged Gulls.

We then made our way to the wetland of Charca de Suárez a little further along the coast. We went into the normal hides but then bumped into one of the wardens and he told us that there was someone in the photographic hide and if we wanted we could go and join him.

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

The light is much better from this hide at the time of day we were there so we managed to get some nice shots of the birds. The best birds seen were two female Red-crested Pochards (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) which were a new Granada Province species for me. Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zapullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) were all seen out on the water.

Male Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria).

Several Kingfishers (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) and Little Bitterns (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) were seen around the main lagoon along with Purple Swamp-hen (Calamón Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).
A single Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) made several passes over the main lake causing mayhem for a while. Black Percher (Diplacodes lefebvrii), Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea), Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) and a male Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria), this is only the second sighting of this species that I have had in Spain.