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| Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis). |
The day started with the usual couple of hour's sea watching at cabo Sacratif near Motril but this month another member of SEO Sierra Nevada Alice joined us. The sea birds were much the same species we usually record including Cory's (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris diomedea) and Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus), several Imm Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).
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| Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis). |
Also seen and slightly more unexpected were two Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and a single Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) which was a considerable way out to sea. Good numbers of Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido / Apus pallidus) and Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) flew around the cliffs along with Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).
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| Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis). |
Later we spent a few minutes at the port but the birds were too distant to do any ring reading and the sun was in the wrong direction. About 200 Audouin's and equal numbers of Yellow-legged Gulls were present.
The last stop was at Charca de Suárez but bird wise as last month it was quite quiet, Western Swamp-hen (Calamón Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), 2x Gull-billed Terns (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) and Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) were the best species seen. Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Great Reed (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and Reed Warblers (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) were also seen.
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| Lesser Emperors (Anax parthenope). |
As with last months visit Dragonflies were seen commonly all around the reserve, many more Black Perchers (Diplacodes lefebvrii), Common Emperor (Anax imperator) and Broad Scarlet's (Crocothemis erythraea) Dragonflies were on the wing along with a few Lesser Emperors (Anax parthenope).
