Rio Velez, Malaga Province.

A quick visit to the river.

I dropped Jayne off at the shopping centre in Velez Malaga and headed down to the river for a couple of hours birding, I started up on the beach or what was left of it. I started the list off by seeing several Balearic (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) and Cory's Shearwaters (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris diomedea), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and a single Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) in winter plumage. On the pool there were several Eurasian Coots (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), a Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), 10x Yellow Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Willow Warblers (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and both Grey (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Purple Herons (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).

Over the pool and in the reeds there were several Lesser (Anax parthenope) and Blue / Common Emperors (Anax imperator), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) and Iberian Blue-tails (Ischnura graellsii). I then decided to call it a day as the usual weirdos were hanging around the reedbeds up stream which makes birding unenjoyable.

Guadalhorce, Malaga Province.

A few hours around the coastal reserve at the mouth of the Rio Guadalhorce.

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

I parked by the school and walked up on to the bank and scanned the river where I started the list off with Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and from the bridge there were several Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).

In the reeds just over the bridge I saw a single Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and on the fields on the opposite side of the track I saw a fly over Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), a group of flying Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and a Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo). 

Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica).

I reached the main hide and started the wader list with Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), other species seen from here were Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and a fly over Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

From the second hide over looking the long pool where I added just Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera) and White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala) as well as Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

I continued on around the reserve to the first hide on the bank but added nothing new so I went on to the wader hide and saw just Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus).

On the old river there were several Black-winged Stilts, a Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), several Sanderlings (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and a single Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons). From here I headed up to the sea-watch point / cyclists urinal and checked the sea picking up Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), a single Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), another Whimbrel and lots of migrating Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

I walked along the beach and then back to the main hide where I spent the last part of the visit adding 1 immature and 2 adult Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Time was moving on so I walked back towards the car and increassed the list with Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus), Pied (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) and Spotted Flycatchers (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).