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Monday 16 January 2012

El Faro, Fuengirola, Malaga Province.

A few winter waders.

Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).
I had a hour or so to go down and have a look at the coast near Fuengirola in between different stops on a days shopping and sorting on the coast (taking a damaged door back to Ikea amongst other things) so I decided to go and have a look for some waders for the year list. I parked by the large rock on the sea ward side of the coastal motorway and started to walk back along the path to the west. 
Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).
On the very first group of rocks I found all the species I had expected with around 20 each of Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) and Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) which were accompanied but 3 Purple Sandpipers (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritime). 
Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).
I watched and photographed they flock for quite a while before a male Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) did an all to close flypast and flushed the lot. They all moved on to the rocks down but car but were to far out to get any decent views. 
Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritime).
I also saw Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Somria / Larus fuscus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocorax carbo).
Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritime).