Guadalhorce river mouth, Malaga Province.

A few hours around the pools and on the beach.

Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus).

At first I went to the eastern side of the reserve and parked just off the road to the port and checked the area seeing loads of Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) flying east along the coast. In the same area I saw Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Black-necked Grebes (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).

After finding the river was not crossable I drove around to Guadalmar where I parked by the church before walking out on to the reserve, on the way out to the first hide over looking the main pool I added to the list with Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus).

From the main hide I found Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), 2x female Eurasian Wigeons (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), several Black-necked Grebes (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) in both summer and winter plumages, Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) all in winter plumage, Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and some fly through Sand Martins (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia).

Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) on the sea.

Out on the beach I found Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluviali squatarola).

Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluviali squatarola).

As I walked back around past the two far hides from the beach I only found Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and two Alpine Swifts (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) which flew east over me and were the only year tick of the day. During the walk around the reserve I also had Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Andalusian Storksbill (Erodium recorderi), Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae), Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), Crown Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum var discolor), Eruca (Eruca sativa), Field marigold (Calendula arvensis), Mallow-leaved Bindweed (Convolvulus althaeoides), Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum), Southern Daisy (Bellis cordifolia), Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) and White Mignonette (Reseda Alba).

Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluviali squatarola).