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Friday 20 July 2012

Rio Velez, Malaga Province and near Zafarraya, Granada Province.

A couple of hours birding with Bob Wright.

Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).
Jayne and I set off down to Torre del Mar on the Malaga coast, on the way we passed Salar and made our way through the Oak woodlands above the town before dropping down through the agricultural areas between Alhama de Granada and Zafarraya. In the area of oaks we had several Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and a couple of Jays (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) fly across the road Infront of us and in the bushes at the roadside I saw Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula). Out in the more open areas there were very good numbers of Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), one perched every 50meters or so along the telegraph wires. 
Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).
In the same area we also had Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis). We turned off the Alhama road and headed towards Zafarraya, out in the Agricultural areas we started to pick up a few Short-toed (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), along with Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer Domesticus) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) around the farms. 
African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna).
In the air we added Pallid (Vencejo Pálido / Apus pallidus) and Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) to the day list.
I dropped Jayne off in the town and went and met Bob who had been at the site since 08:00 on my drive down to the pump house I picked up a skulking Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta), Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and a Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) which flushed of the overhead wires.
Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) by Bob Wight.
We started by watching a family group of 3 or four immature Spotted Flycatchers (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), the first of several Monk Parakeets (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Serin and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), by the pump house before moving down to the beach. On the way we saw some more young Spotted Flycatchers and a Cetti’s Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).
Bob also got the chance to practice some of his dance moves dodging all the piles of crap as the dirty gits that use the beach seem to think it’s ok to use the track as a toilet!!
Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea) by Bob Wight.
Anyway back to the birding, we set the scope up on the beach and as there were a few fishing boats heading back in towards Torre bird numbers were quite good with lots of Gulls following the fishermen. They included lots of Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), a couple of summering Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Somria / Larus fuscus), summer and winter plumage Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and a dozen or so Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) most of which were just loafing around on the sea. In the boats wake we also saw a couple of Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), two Cory's Shearwaters (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris diomedea) and a single Balearic (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus). We then gave the beach pool a scan but found little else except for a Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scirpaceus), more Eurasian Coots, Common Moorhens and a family party of Zitting Cisticola’s
Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).
We walked back along the beach and past the dump track and out onto the fields where we soon picked up an immature Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) which was perched on one of the field fences and a couple more Western Cattle Egrets flew over the reeds by the river. We turned back towards the track and were soon watching a small group of around 5 Short-toed Larks feeding in amongst the cut stems of what looked like Sprout plants. Back by the main track we again took some more shots of the Spotted Flycatchers and then move out on to the river bank.
We walked up the river and started to pick up a few Dragonflies (not in the numbers expected) including a very nice male Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) which sat nicely for Bob to get a few shots and disappeared as soon as I tried. We also picked up Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma), Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea), Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) but the best find was a nice male Black Percher (Diplacodes lefebvrii). Several African Grass Blues (Niña esmaltada / Zizeeia knysna), Clouded Yellow (Colias Común / Colias crocea), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla) and Small White (Artogeia rapae) were the only butterflies seen. 
Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).
Birds added to the list included Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and a very nice little flock of 6 or so Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) which were a nice addition to the year list which stands at 239. 
Eventually we found our way back around to the cars and after what had been a very pleasant couple of hours birding Bob and I said our goodbyes and headed off. 
I met Jayne and we went and had some lunch before spending an hour or so at the shopping centre then headed for home.
Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).
As we started the drive back we saw an eagle soaring over the main road up to Zafarraya near the Tripache which I thought was almost certainly going to be a pale phase Booted (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) so I was pleased when it turned and gave away the fact that it was in fact a very nice Bonelli's (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus).
Further along on the way back I took the route up the Western side of Sierra de Loja and stopped at a site where Juan Perez and I had seen Epipactis tremolsii last year. I parked the car under some nice old oak trees and was immediately aware of large numbers of Hairstreak Butterflies whizzing around in amongst the leaves. I had a walk to the Orchid spot but found that I was a week or two too late and the flowers were well dried. I then took another look at the butterflies and was surprised to find that all the ones that settled long enough for me to check were female Purple Hairstreaks (Quercusia Quercus) and not False Ilex (Querquera / Satyrium esculi) as I had expected. 
Purple Hairstreak (Quercusia Quercus).
Other species included Clouded Yellow, Cardinal Fritillary (Pandora / argynnis Pandora) and Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia).

Thursday 19 July 2012

Laguna Chica, Salinas and inbetween, Malaga Province.

Not even mad dogs would venture out on an afternoon like this!!!

Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto).
As I have done on the last couple of Thursdays I dropped Jayne at the craft group in Trabuco but this week she was joined by our neighbour Carole and then I carried on to spend a few hours at Laguna Chica near by. I arrived and found a nice big oak tree to park the car under and then went and had a walk down to the waters edge and then around the Northern shoreline. On some thyme bushes I had brief views of a single Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius) and much better views of several Sage Skippers (Muschampia proto) which were much more cooperative for the camera. On the water birds were again in short supply with just a few Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Common Moorhens (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus), a single male Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) and half a dozen Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) being seen. 
Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata).
In the air large numbers of swifts and hirundines were feeding including around 50 or so Alpine (Vencejo Real / Apus melba), equal numbers of Pallid (Vencejo Pálido / Apus pallidus) and a few Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus). These were joined by good numbers of House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and the odd Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica). Out on the open water several Broad Scarlet’s (Crocothemis erythraea) were chasing each other around the tamarisks, Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), a couple of Blue / Common Emperors (Anax imperator) were patrolling the margins and lots of Common Blue Damselflies (Enallagma cyathinerum) were flying low over the floating weeds. A single female type dragon was perched quite high in a bush which had me confused for a while as it had completely clear wings and an obvious white pterostigma, but after some time it came down lower and I could see that it was a newly emerged Black Pennant (Selysiothemis nigra). 
Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).
On the land ward side of the reeds I soon found quite good numbers of the very common Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), along with a couple of Black-tailed Skimmers (Orthetrum cancellatum) both of which were recently emerged, a Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) which flushed up from one of the broom bushes and then I came across a new species for the site when I located a immature male Black Percher (Diplacodes lefebvrii). Wasp Spiders (Arana Tigre / Argiope bruennichi) were also seen in good numbers building their intricate web between the stands of Rushes. I moved on around to the rush covered margins down at the eastern end of the pool where the drop in the water level was most noticeable because of the rather larger area of dried mud. As I came through the reeds several Turtle Doves (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) flushed up along with a nice male Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and a family of Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala). 
Wasp Spider (Arana Tigre / Argiope bruennichi).
Along the rush fringe I picked up a couple more Black Pennants, several more older female type Broad Scarlet’s and a couple of Small Spreadwings (Lestes virens) which I tried but failed to get some shots of, in the dry conditions they just melted into the back ground and disappeared all too easily. On the walk back I found a nice male Adonis Blue (Niña Celeste / Lysandra bellargus), several Small Whites (Artogeia rapae) and Lang's Short-tailed Blues (Leptotes pirithous). Birds included Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops). During the return journey I picked up just a single Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) and a few Small Red-eyes (Erythromma viridulum). By now it was getting dam hot so when I reached the car I had a drink and then headed off to have a look at a small now quite dry pool near Salinas. I arrived and found several Broad Scarlet’s, an Epaulet Skimmer and a couple of Mercury Bluet’s (Coenagrion mercuriale) but little else. I spent some time watching a Viperine Snake (Culebra viperina / Natrix maura) in the small track side stream catching and eating a good number of very small tadpoles before a male Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) distracted me. 
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
It was now about 15:30 and things were just getting too hot so I got back in the motor and started to head back towards Trabuco on the farm tracks, on the way I picked up Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer Montanus), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulga / Falco tinnunculus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki). I got back to the bar where the craft group meet and had a drink before we headed off back towards home, on the way the only new species was a cracking Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) which was perched along side the motorway on a large pylon.