Charca de Suarez and Cerro Gordo, Granada Province.

Another day down on the coast with Jayne, Lynn and Steve.

Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus).

We all headed down to the coast near Motril where Steve and I spent a couple of hours in the wetland reserve of Charca de Suarez and Jayne and Lynn went for a long walk along the beach to get Jayne's 10.000 steps in for the day.

Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus).

We first stopped at the small hide over looking the long pool on the western side of the reserve, on the way round we had seen Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and a single Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava).

Once in the hide we spent quite a while watching and photographing small parties of Red Avadavats (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava) as they feed on the exposed mud of a very low pool. we also saw Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) and Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).

Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava).

We moved on to the new hide over looking the new lagoon which was also lacking a great deal of water and spent the rest of the visit seeing what came out of the reeds.

Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).

Species seen included Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and both male and female Little Bitterns (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) but only in flight as well as Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria), Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope).

Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

After lunch we drove a little further along the coast to Cerro Gordo where we walked out to the tower and photographed the splended Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius) and at the same time saw Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Western Orphean (Curruca Mirlano / Sylvia hortensis) and Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius).

The only big dip of the day was when we visited Salabrena and the frozen milk shop was closed!!!! GUTTED. We did however have a cracking meal at El Cerro bar in Loja later in the evening.

Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius).

Steve and the Two-tailed Pasha.

Jayne by the tower.

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).