Rio Guadalhorce, Malaga Province.

A mornings birding with the Axarquia bird group.

Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus).

Jayne dropped me off (that made a change) and headed off along the coast to Fuengirola, I waited at the entrance to the reserve and after a short while several members of the group turned up including Bob Wright who was leading us around. we set off and started the list with European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) which were sat in a dead tree on the far side of the river along with several Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) around the bridge. 

Once across the river we were joined by Kevin Wade and picked up Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and then the biggest surprise of the day (well it was for me) was when a Short-eared Owl (Buho Campestre / Asio flammeus) dropped into a reed bed and disappeared as fast as it appeared but was a good, late and unexpected year tick.

White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala).

We continued on along the bank to the first hide (Casillas) adding Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) on the way and from in the hide Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and just before we moved on Kevin picked up a male Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) in the reeds opposite.

Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

From the next hide (Wader Hide) where the water levels were just spot on and the margins held good numbers of birds including Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Curlew (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea) and Wood Sandpipers (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Little Ringed (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Kentish Plovers (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and in the vegetation Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Willow Warblers (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata).

We walked on down towards the beach checking the old river, Rio Viejo which produced lots of new species for the day including Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides) x1, Little (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons) x8 and Gull-billed Terns (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica) x4, Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluviali squatarola), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus) x2 and Avocets (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

As we walked down to the beach a Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) flew over and then from the sea watch point we managed in the very high winds to find Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) and Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

After a short se watch we were beaten back by the spray and wind and retraced our way back along the bank adding Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

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

We moved around to Escondida hide and found a cracking male Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) along side another White-headed Duck.
We moved on around to the main hide adding Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia) there and a splendid Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei) as we walked back to the cars.
Thanks to Bob for organising a cracking day with 66 species seen. 
Travelling home I did add a few more species to my day list including White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor / Hieraetus faciatus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).