Shopping on the coast on a Saturday, Malaga Province.

Learn from your mistakes.

Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

Because of commitments later in the week we decided that we would go down to Leroy Merlin's and a couple of other places on the outskirts of Malaga and pick up a few bits and pieces, what a mistake. A large percentage of the population of Malaga Province also decided to do the same thing. After queing to get out of the first place we change our minds and headed inland via Catamar and stopped for a while at the bridge over the Rio Grande on the way up the first bird seen was a cracking dark morph Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) flying low over the road. 

On the margins of the river several White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipits (Bistita Común / Anthus pratensis) and Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) were bathing and feeding. 

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Half a dozen adult and juvenile Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) x5 and a single Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) were on the muddy areas between the rocks. A single Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and several Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) were feeding on the banks along with Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and Cetti's Warblers (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti). 

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysosigma).

Dragonflies were every where, hundreds of Broad Scarlet’s (Crocothemis erythraea) and Red-veined Darts (Sympetrum fonscolombii) skimmed low over the river, with a few Epaulet Skimmers (Orthetrum chrysosigma), Lesser (Anax parthenope) and Common / Blue Emperor (Anax imperator) also present.