Coin and Fuengirola, Malaga Province.

Last Orchid of the year.

Ophrys malacitana.

After hearing that Kevin Wade had found some Ophrys malacitana down near Marbella I decided that I would try a site that Ian Phillips had taken me to a couple of years earlier for the species to see what was flowering. We arrived at the location near to the town of Coin in Malaga Province but the wind was quite stronge and cool which if anything was in flower meant that getting shots would be hard going. Eventually I found just two spikes but they were in perfect condition just on the road side. The wind did cause some problems as did the deep shade that the plants were flowering in, below a small Carob tree. In the same area I saw Friar's Cowl (Arisarum vulgare), a male Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) and a very vocal Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla).

Friar's Cowl (Arisarum vulgare).

We continued on down to the coast to Fuengirola where I had a quick look on the river adding Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Somria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), one of the latter in full breeding plumage. Both White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtails (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) were present along with masses of Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and several fly over Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) which were heard well before they were seen.