The Laguna and Torcal de Antequera, Malaga Province

Waders and Ibex.

Greater Flamingo’s (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber).

As usual I called in at the laguna on my way over to the en-slava hotel at Antequera, the sun was low and viewing was not easy. I did manage to pick out a good selection of waders including Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Green (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Wood (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa Glareola) x1 and Curlew Sandpipers (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea) x2, Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Little Ringed (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus) x3. 

Spanish Ibex (Capra pyreaica hispanica).

The regular 50-70 Greater Flamingo’s (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber) were out in the very slightly deeper water along with 2 Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and a few Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis). On the water there were about 50 Mallards (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and 8 Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus). 

On the fields and in the air above the site I also saw Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) x2, Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) x1 female, Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Crested (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer Domesticus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) and Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula).

The walk was the usual Saturday hike around the yellow trail at El Torcal, The five of us started out from the car park in nice sunny but cool weather and were soon well on the way around the first half of the walk. On the way we had some cracking views of the Spanish Ibex (Capra pyreaica hispanica), a small group of female were first seen and then a youngish male stood on the limestone crags. 

European Plumbago (Plumbago europaea).

Also see were Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blue Rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor). Along the tracks on the second half of the walk the only plant in flower was European Plumbago (Plumbago europaea) and the only new birds were Bonelli’s Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).