Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Rivers North of Malaga, Malaga Province.

Sunday 13 August 2017

Rivers North of Malaga, Malaga Province.

Visiting some of my favourite dragons.

Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

After taking Jayne down to the Airport at Malaga for her trip back to the UK to see our Son Alan, his wife Becky and our Grandson Ryan. Lynn, Steve and I then went and had some breakfast before driving to Zapata but it was quiet except for 3x Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and as we were leaving the site on the tracks through the ellotment type areas Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and a group of 20 or so Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea).

We headed inland to the Rio Grande but after the winter rains the tracks were in poor condition and most of the birds had been flushed by dog walker meant we only saw more Little Egrets, Little-ringed Plovers, Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Copper Demoiselles (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis).

We again pushed on in land to another river but when we arrived I was surprised to find it was dry except for the usual sewage flow from the town, a few weeks earlier there had been a good flow at the point where we parked.

Copper Demoiselles (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis).

In spite of it being dry at this point we walked on what would be up stream until we found a stretch of around 150 meters of the river that held water and had a small flow on it feed by the local irrigation system.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus).

At first we only found a teneral ♂ Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), several Copper Demoiselles (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) and a couple of teneral Epaulet Skimmers (Orthetrum chrysostigma) but as things warmed up we added Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi), Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii), a female Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) and lots of Perez's Frogs (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

Epaulet Skimmers (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

Steve and I walked up stream along the stretch that held water and we hear some noise in the dry reeds ahead of us then Steve had an Otter (Nutria / Lutra lutra) cross the track ahead of him but as I was a couple of seconds behind I missed it but it did not matter as a few seconds later another two crossed at the same spot and disappeared in under the trees, fantastic!!!

Perez's Frogs (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

In the same place we had Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides baeticus), African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna), more Common Waxbills, House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos).

Faded Pincertail (Onychogomphus costae).

Our last stop of the day was at a short stretch of the Guadalhorce further North, a spot where that have visited for a couple of years and have always had success at and today was no different.

Faded Pincertail (Onychogomphus costae).

Almost straight away we were getting super views of what is probably my favourite dragon the Faded Pincertail (Onychogomphus costae), as well as at least 5♂ and 2♀ Ringed Cascaders (Zygonyx torridus), White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes), Blue-eye (Erythromma lindenii), Orange-winged Dropwing, Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), Scarlet Darter, Epaulet Skimmers and Copper Demoiselles.