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Saturday 6 May 2017

RAM, Charca Suarez and Rio Guadalfeo, Granada Province.

A mornings birding with Juan Pérez Contreras on the Granada Coast.

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica.
I met Juan at 06:30 and we made our way down to Peñón de Jolúcar where we carried out a very quiet RAM sea bird survey, we only recorded a single immature Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), 2x Cory's Shearwaters (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris diomedea) but what was a surprise were the group of 4 Razorbills (Alca Común / Alca torda) going west and a single later going east.
Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus).
Other species seen included Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), 2x Peregrine Falcons (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and as we were sat up on the cliff tops a group of Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica) came hurrying past. 
As we walked back down to the car w also picked up White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula). 
Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus).
We then drove a short distance along the coast to a nice bay with some good cliffs where unfortunately the sun was right into our eye when we were looking at the area we wanted to check, we did see a single Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), how Juan picked it out with the extremely bad light conditions I do not know. We also saw 3x Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) which were flying west along the coast, Feral Pigeons (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), a migrating Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus) and several more Ibex.
Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus).
Our stop was at Charca, on the way we saw and heard Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and on the coastal rocks a Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura).
Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).
Once we were in Charca went in to the hide over looking Laguna del Trebol and found several Common Sandpipers (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Red-knobbed Coots (Focha cornuda / Fulca cristata), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Zitting Cisticola, Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).
We moved on to the main hide over looking Laguna de las Aneas and scanned the larger pool there picking up Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Little Egrets, Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Lesser (Anax parthenope) and Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Stripe-less Tree Frog (Hyla meridionalis), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).
3x Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).
 Next we checked the margins of the new pool from the new hide and soon found a pairs of Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), a calling Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), 3x Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) which fle in and started feeding, 2x Eurasian Spoonbills (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) which flew up and the droped quickly back into the reeds and a flying Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).
Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus).
From the hide on Laguna del Taraje where we had female and a juv Little Bitterns (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) and just around the corner from there as we walked towards Laguna del Liriowe had several Spotted Flycatchers (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).
Red-knobbed Coots (Focha cornuda / Fulca cristata).
From that hide we we had great views of another female Little Bittern in the reeds just below the hide and watched several generations of Red-knobbed Coots before making our way to the exit.
We the drive north and checked out a spot on the Rio Guadalfeo where we watched Dipper (Mirlo Acuático / Cinclus cinclus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus).
Red-knobbed Coots (Focha cornuda / Fulca cristata).
We then headed back to Juan's and then I continued home. Later Jayne and I drove down to Malaga Airport and collected Brenda, Jaynes sister and her husband Keith who were staying with us for a few days.

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