A surprise on the fields of Antequera.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_mH4Om6Rc6o8xC9duD9fAL3Nu83L60YednJVjdj_a4Cpg6z06GOTrBk-04_IxJ7UJ_6uxM2GaP16HBLIBc-ZPD1seaY9Jsu4PI1Don_RsFVDSGVImT68FFva4CC1X2JcIkTeVXm8T_Y/s1600/IMG_2112+copy.jpg) |
Great Bustard (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda). |
After taking Jayne over to the craft group meeting in Trabuco I decided to check out whether the recent rain had put any water into Laguna Herrera, I was not disappointed but there was not as much as I had hoped for. I arrived and turned in to the track to get my first surprise, a female
Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus) not a species I have seen before at this site or any where else in Malaga Province before.
Further along the track I picked up several small flocks of finches and buntings which included
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),
Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina),
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus),
Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris),
Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and a single male
Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus). In the ditch I saw a couple of feeding
Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), a single
Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and both
White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and
Grey Wagtails (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fmlwNL7Zf7BifS7Ksh_zv3IiJVLCgFEHcMk3zb54T0LU-SFxt9gMmxzYryb2Y3DGmia2teV0I3U9KKfF5o6YgtSO7DDlkKfZigaj8WmwdTtCmRqLTaRNOMhQxdqvHSEgx30joeQe-Go/s640/IMG_2053+copy.jpg) |
Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus). |
On the fields to the right of the track which usually flood there were quite a few
Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), half a dozen
Golden Plovers (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaria) and a male
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) which was sat on the newly mounded soil.
On the lagoon I could see plenty of birds of birds so I continued on down to the barn and parked and scanned the water, most of the birds were
Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) with around a 1000 birds sat in the shallows.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QRUR7jFeHaRGD8lX_RKswXYGKGWKkabEkqL_qqG22-HxBqNs3MAXZPkXPlmC5p9qYyQtNEgHX57Ak4xTMmEDSJD58yJWpxSzOV0Xx-YRBVujwBOk_m9kgBzmex456mo12QW5hh3f7UQ/s640/IMG_2101+copy.jpg) |
Great Bustard (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda). |
They were joined by good numbers of
Black-heads (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and a few
Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) as well as
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), 8+
Little Stints (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), 20+ more Green Sandpipers, 24
Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), 11
Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea),
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus),
Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra),
Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina),
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and
Northern Shovelers (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDdTlJC8VmNpaJvDcT30_xUvSmVOgTxnES3ngh77LVzXCjrAJ81ZsaGxnGgKUAd7WssnVkoX8BWcv3IiAOyrmvLxNhj0ETXScDeGPL9f4yG6_O2kKWXaWWG6heOtNla4wRAq9c3UvqZI/s640/IMG_2080+copy.jpg) |
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus). |
I continued on along side the pool and picked up a couple of
Black-necked Grebes (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and a male
White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala) at the far end. I then moved along the tracks along side the dyke and through the fields until I turned right heading back to the Antequera road.
Along this track I scanned the distant fields and about half way to the road I picked up a cracking male
Great Bustard (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda) at almost the exact spot I had seen one on 28th Sept 2010 (cannot believe its been over three years), the bird was distant but I had nice views of quite a while before it flew off towards the Laguna. In this same area I saw
Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata),
Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and
Crested Larks (Cogujada / Galerida cristata),
Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni) and
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rpQbBv5PDaLBj_TbaHGRYEd4S39e_YgXzMZdg62heEMwXjxc9DhOstXOCfG6i1EwKiZm4m2xKwfBCz_LaHTGGV5fQsyXQq5fHUAV-297W1HthH08EHYhc4IDcEjHebzemeGIlP4sZ5c/s640/IMG_2132+copy.jpg) |
Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus). |
I reached the road and went back to the track out to the Lagoon, right at the start I scanned the fields and relocated the Bustard right out in the centre of a very large cereal field so I decide that I was not going to get any better views so I headed over to the Arroya Marin.
Once I was in the valley I parked on the track side and just waited to see what turned up,almost straight away a couple of Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) showed up collecting spaiders webs from amongst the bushes and trees. In the same area I also recorded both Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Cetti's Warblers (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) and Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr1q4jNvpgH_Vqb3WweyJuavTevD6EqLR4vLBWgP27ekyk8nh1qvRw-PqR2e-mN5z3Ka1t3fIam5c0WKOhxAyYnS4vQe3ZTK1YGkqIrv1BhWcqxsmSPKQzPfpucDMfKvhiIYyKs_adn4/s640/IMG_2139+copy.jpg) |
Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus). |
I then returned to Trabuco and collected Jayne and we headed home via the Garage for a new handbreak cable to be fitted to the car and Mercodona.
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