Torcal de Antequera, Laguna Herrera, Malaga Province and Huetor Fields, Granada Province.

Saturday Stroll.

Spanish Ibex (Capra pyreaica hispanica).

I did the birding in reverse today with the walk at Torcal coming first and then a quick visit to the Laguna afterwards. At Torcal we did the Yellow route through the fantastic rock formations, on the way around several Blue Rock Thrushes (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) were seen, as were good numbers of Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus), Blackbirds (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), along with a few Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor). We also had good views of several groups of Spanish Ibex (Capra pyreaica hispanica) and two species of butterflies, Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) and Bath White (Pontia daplidice).

On the Laguna there were quite good numbers of birds about, with over 50 Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), along with Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Kentish (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) made for a nice selection of waders. Other species seen included Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Robin (Petirrrojo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

On the drive home I stopped briefly on the fields near the house and added over 400 Stone-curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and around 150 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) to a good list.