An hours sea watching and then a visit to Charca wetlands.
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| Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata). |
I met Juan Pérez Contreras out side his apartment and we headed down to Peñón de Jolúcar east of Torrenueva near Motril to spend an hour watching for passing sea birds.
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| Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta). |
During the hour surveying the waters we recorded
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo),
Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), both
Cory's (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris diomedea) and
Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus),
Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii),
Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and
Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis),
Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus),
Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and
House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica),
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica),
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
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| Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio). |
Once we had finished the sea watch we made our way to Charca which opened just as we got there so we did the usual anti-clockwise route around the hides. At the first hide over looking Laguna del Lirio we saw
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis),
Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra),
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus),
Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio),
Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata),
Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and
Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).
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| Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous). |
We moved on around to the hide over looking Laguna del Trébol and soon had
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus),
European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster),
Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and
Collared Doves (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus),
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and
Red Avadavats (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava).
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| Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus). |
We moved on around towards the other hide over Laguna del Trébol, on the way we heard and saw a couple of
Penduline Tits (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) which showed well in the top of several willow trees.
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| Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata). |
Once we were in the next hide we heard a
Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) and saw
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea),
Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina),
Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos),
Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria),
Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea),
Black Percher (Diplacodes lefebvrii) and
Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope).
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| Monarch (Danaus plexippus). |
The main hide was quiet so we moved on around towards the new pool, on the way we had
Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous),
Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria),
Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii),
Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) and
Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).
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| Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus). |
When we reached the new pool I was surprised to find a new hide which gave good views over the shallow new pool where we found more
Black-winged Stilts including three immature birds,
Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus),
Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius),
Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus),
Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa),
Yellow-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta),
Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi),
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and
Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).
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| Yellow-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta). |
Our last stop was at Laguna del Taraje, we watched the reeds opposite and eventually had views of a nice male
Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) as well as
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica),
Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti),
Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus),
Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and
Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica). It was soon around to13:00 so Juan and I headed back up to Granada and then I headed home.
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| Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus). |
