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Thursday 29 July 2010

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).

Tuesday 27 July 2010

Near Archidona, Malaga Province.

A better day's weather with the walking group. 

The view from the Monastery.
I again made my way to the hotel Enslava in Antequera and joined the walking group for todays flog around a loop near Archidona. We set off at a fair pace but a few hills soon slowed some of the group down and when we turned off the main track on to a side spur which took us UP on to the cliff edges above Arroya Marin it slowed even more. On the first part of the hike I picked up Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Bonelli’s Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulga / Falco tinnunculus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Dartford (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Orphean (Curruca Mirlona / Sylvia hortensis) and Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).
The second half of the walk was a bit flatter and was mainly through agricultural land with lots of Olives. Along this section I added Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer Domesticus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Great Tit (Carbonero Común / Parus major), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata).
Once we were back at the cars we move a little way up the road to the parking area at the bottom of the step climb up to the monastery at Archidona and started the climb to the top. Along here I added several Alpine (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) and Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido / Apus pallidus), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) and Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) to the list.