Rio Velez, Malaga Province.

Mad birders and Nudist (not a pretty sight) go out in the midday sun. 

Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea).

Whilst Jayne was having a look around the shops and getting her hair cut, I went and had a look at the Rio Velez. I parked near the bridge and walked down the east bank and started to see good numbers of Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) of all ages and a single pair of Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) which as usual flew off making far more noise than necessary. 

Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).

I dropped down off the track and followed the side of the river, large numbers of Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea), a couple of both Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperors (Anax parthenope) were seen. Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Small (Artogeia rapae), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Bath Whites (Pontia daplidice), Mallow / False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae / tripolinus), Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea) and African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna) were all identified on the river side plants. 

Down towards the beach the river widened and several Common Moorhens (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) were feeding in the margins and a very smart Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea) fished from the reedy bank. 

African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna).

On the beach pool there was a roosting flock of gulls which included a single adult Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), a couple of immature Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), about twenty Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) of various ages and a couple of none breeding Mediterranean’s (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus). On the shore adult and immature Kentish Plovers (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) scuttled around with a single Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).

I had a quick look at the beach in the company of a visiting German birder but nothing exciting was seen and after getting some funny looks from the nudist on the sands we decided to walk back up the river. We retraced my steps and added Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido / Apus pallidus), Cetti’s Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulga / Falco tinnunculus), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulga / Falco tinnunculus).

I then had a walk to the other side of the bridge hoping for some more dragonfly species but only picked up a single egg laying Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii). New birds for the morning included Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), a single immature Tawny Pipit (Bisbita campestre / Anthus campestris), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).