Laguna Herrera, Malaga Province.

A few more year ticks.

After having a look around the Garden centre on the Cordoba road out of Antequera we had a quick look at the lake near by called Laguna Herrera. The water levels were still very high which prevented us driving along the full lenght of the lake but we were able to get views over the flooded fields on the right hand side of the track from the bridge. The commonest species were Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), followed by Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Anas clypeata), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadorna tadorna) and at least a dozen or so Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina). In the surrounding fields singing Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) could be heard from all directions and over head both Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) passed over in mixed flocks with loads of Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis). On the main lagoon there were hundreds more Gulls, a couple of dozen Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), more Mallards and a few Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus). We then turned around and retraced our steps ack to the Cordoba road, on the way we added Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and a Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallingao gallinago) which was feeding out on the flooded road.

We then took a track off into the agricultural area to the south of the lake and soon had Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus). Right at the far end of this track nearer to Mollina we scanned some more flooded fields and picked up a small flock of Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), also along this stretch we saw Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros). It was quite suuny along this track and it had a verge that was covered in wildflowers which had good numbers of Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Small White (Artogeia rapae) butterflies feeding on them.