Laguna Chica, Malaga Province.

A couple of hours in the water with the camera.

Small Red-eyed (Erythromma viridulum).

Whilst Jayne was at the Trabuco Craft Group I went and had a look around the margins of Laguna Chica for Dragonflies. I parked the car under some very convinient Oak trees and made my way down to the waters edge, on the way I saw several False Ilex Hairstreak (Querquera / Satyrium esculi) nectering on Curry Plants (Helecrisum stoechaes), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla), Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto), Spanish Marbled White (Medioluto Inés / Melanargia ines) and Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata).

Once I was down by the water I was surrounded by dozens if not hundreds of Dainty Damselflies (Coenagrion scitulum), a few Broad Scarlets (Crocothemis erythraea) and Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) and Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator).

Broad Scarlets (Crocothemis erythraea).

On and around the pool there were several Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Common (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Alpine Swifts (Vencejo Real / Apus melba), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).

Dainty Damselfly (Coenagrion scitulum).

I walked right the way around to the Eastern end of the pool passing the ruin and did the return walk away from the water amongst the bushes, I like this site but the ticks this year are really bad and I must have knocked 20 odd of my legs thankfully before they dug in. They were probably a bit slower digging in due to the gallons of insect repellent I had sprayed on my legs.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

On the way out and back again I recorded more Violet Dropwings, Broad Scarlets, Epaulet Skimmers, hundreds more Dainty Damsels and Blue / Common Emperors plus a few new species Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathinerum), Small Red-eyed (Erythromma viridulum), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), Red-veined (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) and Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum).

Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum).

The whole time I was walking around the margins Iberian Water Frogs (Rana Común / Rana Perezi) were leaping from cover into the water and the odd Viperine Snake (Culebra Viperina / Natrix maura) slunk away and swam for cover in the blanket weed.