A walk to Davids Finca.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDfZaSXt2k2SbJ20iMW-1WGMEQxjo5lr0DCXj5fB5Fp-2BwVMoj8tBdaxnY7X9HU58adKyXiVNmoTXxuUxue_7c3JeYpVKghk-j6JATecOWNbpy6474ny5Fdo32c-_XyTU4UtDFfvo2c/s640/Davids-finca-4.jpg) |
David. |
On the way over for to days walk I called at the Laguna again, the first bird which stood out was an adult White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) which was feeding amongst the 50 or so
Greater Flamingo’s (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber). Waders included
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus),
Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos),
Curlew (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea) and
Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus),
Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax),
Little Ringed (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and
Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and
Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago). A couple of
Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) were out in the middle of the water fishing and
Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) patrolled around the margins. About 50
Mallards (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and 8
Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) swam along with the
Eurasian Coots (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and
Common Moorhens (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpbMpkLmc6Mun0oX29F751zK-E5idf8qRyi1-ndpdz_24lXP-cnsTsZs6LOPjawc-bVtl2rJHWEwJLNqarNNMVdMKRtatAeIZ7J3FqG4bBtpcoBgOT73b1Ob_KkNHptwshXFgRB0DTlE/s640/Davids-finca-3.jpg) |
Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera). |
Other birds noted were
Crested (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata),
Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and
Short-toed Larks (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla),
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer Domesticus),
House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica),
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido / Apus pallidus) and on the track back to the road I picked up a couple of
Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) on the deck feeding.
Sophie, Rowina, David and I set off from the Hotel and made our way to a spot above Villanueva de la Concepcion where we started a walk out to David’s place called Finca Muerte (Death Farm!!!). We started from a watering hole for the local goat population, a row of 6 solid limestone baths and made our way up towards the foot of the Torcal cliffs.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5QqwqioVuJ-t95ARt-yqmjtyoNrFHuhwZCFts3vf5a7XSLcX8HrgVp73JXkANJqrFKT5q-5el6wiG5gWiO4zZR6UKwQfVV6GQOhbvme0h6UxFLMxQc5D-WkOPIwCWnl3AqpyyNAh0PM/s640/Davids-finca-1.jpg) |
David, Sophie and Rowina. |
The views were fantastic but as we climbed further up through the scrub and Oaks we were soon in the low cloud as we were a few days earlier. Again the
Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) appeared ghost like out of the grey shroud, at least 10 birds were seen along with a pale phase
Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) passing what seemed to be a long way below us.
Along the base of the cliffs a couple of
Black Wheatears (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and a male
Blue Rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) were seen perched up on the large boulders and in the dried out grass I identified
Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera),
Striped Grayling (Pseudotergumia fidia),
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla) and
Large White (Pieris brassicae) butterflies. We arrived at David’s finca, pretty much a ruin but in a fantastic location amongst the Oak trees and with amazing views right down to the coast. We sat and had a drink at the stone building he and his friends had built, here I found a beautiful Spider which turned out to be a female
Argyope lobata.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrnlpkvxWoooKsnsfh1R9vx9n6A-FnNcvpLJjh99IFEqZGotRpJEsdxkdq8zHHELzqXuGr41WXz4X64tbOWygaI_VN0o_l_iNhuHgh8px6B9Vfa2OiYcaF-MTb1uEH6zabOkglFQKTxg/s640/Davids-finca-2.jpg) |
Argyope lobata. |
Refreshed we started the walk back down the hill through a much more agricultural area picking up
Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata),
Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris),
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulga / Falco tinnunculus) and a few
Iberian Wall Lizards (Podarcis hispanica) which scuttled around on the track side boulders. We eventually got back to the car and went back to the hotel.
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