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Tuesday 12 April 2011

Fuente de Piedra and Archidona area, Malaga Province.

Wader passage.

Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea).
Instead of the usual visit to Laguna Herrera I went for a quick look at Fuente this morning after reading Andy Patterson Blog "Birding the Costa" and hearing of his Marsh Sandpiper (Archibebe Fino / Tringa stagnatilis). Just as I arrived I meet two Norwegian birders and we started to scan the wader flock on the scrap just out of the car park, I was not very hopeful as waders can move through the site quite quickly. But within a few seconds I had the Marsh Sandpiper in the scope, along with a good number of Wood (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa Glareola), Green (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and Curlew Sandpipers (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea). We continued picking up more waders including a second Marsh Sandpiper, Avocet (Avoceta Común/ Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax) and Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta). 
Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus).
While we were watching the birds on the scrap several species flew over including Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber), a single Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) and a female Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus). Other species seen here included Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).
It was then down to the Hotel for this morning hike which was around the wooded loop at Archidona and then up to the monastery on the hill above the town. On the way round I picked up Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Bonelli’s Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Orphean Warbler (Curruca Mirlona / Sylvia hortensis), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos).
Just before I headed home I popped in to Laguna Herrera, It was fairly quiet but I did get the first singing Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus) of
the year.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hi Mick:
First of all... such a complete an interesting blog you have!! Birds, flowers, arthropods,...and quite nice photos. Now i´m your follower and will see your news ;-)
About Fuente de Piedra, I hope to do a little stop next wednesday in my way to Cádiz, so i´ll love to watch any Marsh Sandpiper, which i´ve never watched, apart of the others.
Keep in touch!!
Greetings.
Jesús.