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Tuesday 26 October 2010

Laguna Herrera, Antequera, Malaga Province.

Ups and Downs and not just on the walk.

Before the walk at Nacimiento just to the south of Antequera I had a look at Laguna Herrera and some oil pits near the Hotel. On the laguna the bird numbers were very low now that the hunting season had really started and the fact that the hunters do not respect the bounderies of the lake and shoot from the reed beds does not help. I understand that they should not be shooting nearer than 50 meters to or over the water. The only birds seen were Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) x6, Avocet (Avoceta Común/ Recurvirostra avosetta) x3, Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) x4, Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) x2, Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber) x5, Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) x2 and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) x 30+. On the surrounding margins and fields I added Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Meadow Pipit (Bistita Común / Anthus pratensis), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) to a poor list.
Just to the rear of the hotel a small farm track leads to a collection of Oily pits, waste from the Olive Oil Industry. In the area I picked up Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer Domesticus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a single brave Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus).
At the hotel Antonio and myself meet today’s guests and headed out on the mornings hike around the Nacimiento area, near Torcal. New birds for the morning included Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) x20+, Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blue Rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba). Two butterfly species were seen, Bath White (Pontia daplidice) and Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea).