Rvers above Malaga City, Malaga Province.

The last day with Paul and Helen which we spent down on the river above Malaga.

Paul and Helen Brock Day Nine.

Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria).

We dropped down the motorway to Malaga and then out West to look at a few of spots along some rivers that I have visited several times, our first stop was at the point where the Rio Guadalhorce and the Rio Grande join.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata).

We soon had Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii), Black-tailedSkimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) and Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi), Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous) on the insect list. Birds seen were European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus).

Yellow-Veined Skimmer (Orthetrum nitidinerve).

We later moved a bit further West to another smaller river whch was dry alng most of its length but was feed for a short way by irrigation channels, the site was more over grown than the last time I had visited but we still managed to find see several male Yellow-Veined Skimmers (Orthetrum nitidinerve), as well as some Southern (Orthetrum brunneum) and Keeled (Orthetrum coerulescens), Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Black-tailed Skimmer, Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis), Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma), Iberian Blue-tail, Orange-winged Dropwing, Violet Dropwing, Scarlet Darter and Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus).

Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea).

We also saw several Wasp and Bee species along with Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

We again move slightly further up the rivers and stopped near Pizzana, we searched a short area of river but only added Mammoth Wasp (Megascolia maculata), Blue-eye (Erythromma lindenii) and Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) before we again dropped back down to Malaga where I dropped Paul and Helen off at an Hotel on the outskirts.

I would like to thank Paul and Helen for a very successful nine days in the field and hope we adding quite a few species to the up coming book of Insects of the Mediterranean for Paul.