Rio Velez, Malaga Province.

Back at the Rio again, still good but not great!!

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta).

Jayne had to sort a few things for a parcel we were sending to Alan so we went back down to Torre and I dropped her off at the shopping centre before heading back out to the river, how things change. The only returning species were one of the two Bluethroats (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) seen a few days ago and the three weirdo's hanging around the bushes, but I pushed on ignoring the undesirables and checked out the reed beds around the beach pool and soon had nice views of a Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and a couple of Reed Warblers (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) which were still hanging around.

Female Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

In the area I also saw several species of Dragonfly, the commonest by far was the Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta), but these were joined by good numbers of Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea), both Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperors (Anax parthenope) and Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii). I then moved out on to the beach after getting brief views of a Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus) which flew in and landed on the shingle bar that seperated the pool from the sea.

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

I got around there to find the bird had been flushed much further along the beach by a fisherman that had just turned up, I did how ever see a very nice female Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) in amongst the Eurasian Coots (Focha Común / Fulica atra) on the pool, also from here I added Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Several flocks of Gulls moved on and off the pool whilst I was there and they were made up mainly of Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) but they were joined by smalled numbers of Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) plus a single 1st winter Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii). On the sea I only saw a few Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and several Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

I then started to head back to the car, on the way I added White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula). On the way home we only added Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and 2 Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).