Fuente de Piedra, Teba Cliffs, Malaga Province and travelling to Vejer del la Frontera, Cadiz Province.

A mornings birding around the salt lake, lunch time pick up at Malaga and birding to Vejer.

Kate and Jim McCusker, Day one.

Garganey (Cerceta Carretona / Anas querquedula).

I started the day off at Fuente de Piedra checking the pool on the entrance road where I got the day list off with Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata) and a couple of distant calling Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).

Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica).

I parked the car and the had a look at the pools near the boardwalk where I found Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Sedge Warblers (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and over head several noisy Gull-billed Terns (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

I walked on and checked the next pool on my way to the mirador, on the pool I found two pairs of Garganey (Cerceta Carretona / Anas querquedula), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax) x2, Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), a Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa) x1, Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) x3,

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula).

Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola).

I next went up to the Mirador overlooking the main salt lake and scanned the Greater Flamingo flock hoping for Lesser Flamingo (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor) but with the bins it was not possible to be sure if I was seeing one or not so I gave in and went around to the hide over looking the large pool and found White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and lots of Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

I made my way back to the car along the same route adding Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) on the way.

I got the scope out and went back to the mirador the quick way via the visitors center steps seeing a couple of spikes of Yellow Bee Orchid (Orquídea Abejera / Ophrys lutea) on the way and as soon as I scanned the flock I found the first of three Lesser Flamingo's which were mixed in with the masses of Greater's.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Again I returned to the car and started to work around the western side of the site and near a stream which passed under the road and into the main laguna I stopped and found Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).

 Further round I stopped again seeing Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) x2, Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor / Hieraetus faciatus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

I again moved on but soon stopped again at the raptor watch point on the Teba road where I quickly recorded large numbers (50+) Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), a pair of Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus), Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) between me and the cliff tops and distantly on the Res behind me I could see Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

My next stop was at Malaga Airport where I meet Kate and Jim before heading out to Zapata where I was shocked to see the changes made by resent floods. On a new pool at the side of the track we had a few Little Ringed Plovers, a fly over Short-toed Eagle and some noisy Monk Parakeets (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) before moving down to the river where the ford had used to be but it was so damaged it was not possible to cross any more, however we did see a male Vagrant Emperor (Emperatriz emigrante / Anax ephippiger), White and Yellow (Spanish) Wagtails, Meadow Pipit, Cetti's Warbler, Black-winged Stilt, Serin, Goldfinch, Moorhen, Crested Lark, House Sparrow and Greenfinch.

Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus).

Once We had had some food on site we hit the motorways and headed straight towards Vejer de la Frontera and to the Hotel El Paso just below the town, a nice place that I enjoy staying at. On the way we made a stop in a roadside gate way amongst some Cork Oaks (Quercus suber) where we had 3 more Short-toed Eagles, Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus) and a very smart Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina). We again continued on and added Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and on a carcas of a cow a couple of Griffon Vultures and a circling Egyptian (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus).

We went and booked in at the hotel and made our way out for something to eat in Barbate but as we drove there we saw the nesting Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita) on the cliffs along with Jackdaws and a couple of Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).