Travelling to and at Rio Velez, Malaga and Granada Provinces.

Dragonflies everywhere !

Black Percher (Diplacodes lefebvrii).

The main wildlife purpose to today was to get some shots of the Dragonflies on the Rio Velez. I arrived and had a walk down the river towards the beach and immediately started to see Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Broad Scarlet’s (Crocothemis erythraea) and a few Iberian Bluetail’s (Ischnura graellsii). On the shingle areas there were upwards of 50 adult and immature Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and a single summer plumaged Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) all of which were soon flushed by a naked man and woman wading up the river (why is it that nudists are always people who really should keep it covered up). They also flushed a couple of Squacco Herons (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides), a Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) and both Grey (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Purple Herons (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea). I reached an area where the bank was a little more open with some blanket weed along the margins and sat down to see what showed up. Almost immediately a pair of Long Skimmers (Orthetrum trinacria) in tandem flashed by and disappeared into some nearby reeds before coming out singly. They performed up and down the spot for the next hour and a half giving me views down to a couple of feet but never settling for the camera. The next nice find was a male Black Percher (Diplacodes lefebvrii) which again did not want its photo taken, so I only managed some poor shots of it from far too far away. Whilst I was sat there I also saw more Broad Scarlet’s, Red-veined Darters, Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) and a male Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum). 

Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides).

Other birds seen included Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Cetti’s Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata).

On the way home we also picked up Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).