Caleta del Velez and the mouth of the Rio Velez, Malaga Province.

More Gulls and a few other odds and ends.

Jayne and I dropped down to the coast at Torre-del-mar in Malaga Province and on the way down I saw Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian / Azure-winged Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cyanus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulg aris).

I dropped Jayne in Torre and then went along the coast to Caleta del Velez where I checked the Gulls on the beach, I arrived to find things were quiet with just a few Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) roosting and numbers of Mediterraneans (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) flying over. Also on the beach I also saw Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) and on the wall there were several Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) sitting on the sea wall. On the inland side of the site I picked up Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

As it was quiet I went along the coast to the mouth of the Rio Velez and on the way down to the beach I bumped into Pat and Eric Lyon and we had a chat and saw Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).

I parked down towards the beach and walked out through the reeds to check the sea as the track was rather muddy, once out there I found Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and up the river there were Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and lots more Great Cormorants.

On the walk back up the river I spent a while sat along side the reedbeds to see what came to me and got shots of a very smart male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) along with Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Also in the same area I found Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

During the afternoon I popped back to the port and added Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Photographs from the top: 4x Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), 2x male Bluethroats (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), 8x Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) anda returning fishing boat.