Los Llanos (Antequera), Fuente de Piedra and Campillos area, Malaga Province.

First full day out in 2018.

Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata).

With Jayne's brother David and his wife Pauline visiting us I had the chance to go out for a day with visiting photographers (closet BIRDERS 😀😀😀😀) Steve Jones and Kevin Gill from Cornwall.

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Whilst I was out side waiting I started my day list off with Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and a Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) up on the wires.

Egyptian Mongoose (Meloncillo / Herpestes ichneumon).

Steve and Kevin arrived and we headed off west to our first stop at Los Llanos near Antequear where we had a look along the main track and quickly added Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) x5, Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) x20+, Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) x1, White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) x5, Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and several formations of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) passing over head.

Egyptian Mongoose (Meloncillo / Herpestes ichneumon).

We moved on along the motorway to Laguna de Fuente de Piedra where we parked and had a look at the pools along side the entrance road finding Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), an adult and immature Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and in the air above the pool good numbers of Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and at least 6 House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

We walked across the boardwalk just a short way and saw very little except for Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and further around towards the mirador a Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) on the far bank. 

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

From the mirador we scanned the main lake seeing more Greater Flamingo's, Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and we heard a calling Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

Next we went to the main hide over looking the fresh water pools at the back of the centre, there were many of the same species as well as several Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and from the other hide Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) as well as a Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), plenty of Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) and a single Egyptian Mongoose (Meloncillo / Herpestes ichneumon) which sat out amongst the plants at the side of the pool, photo's by Steve Jones.

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

We returned to the car and drove around the western side of the lake adding Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and the first flock of aroud 100 or so Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

We got to the main road and turned towards Campillos calling in briefly at Laguna Dulce but even with water there were not many birds, we did see several more Common Cranes and some Northern Shovelers but nothing else so we movesd on to a nearby Vulture feeding Station were we saw a few Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), another Clouded Yellow, Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Large White (Pieris brassicae), Friar's Cowl (Arisarum vulgare), Andalusian Storksbill (Erodium recorderi), Field marigold (Calendula arvensis) and Broad-leaved Iris (lirio de invierno / Juno / Iris planifolia).

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

We dropped back dow to the road again and continued on along the side road to a wooded area where we made our exet stop and found another Dartford Warbler, Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

We moved on again stopping at Laguna Capacete, bird wise it was quiet and we only found a few Greater Flamingo`s, a pair of calling Ravens (Cuervo / Corvus corax) but more surprisingly we found 2 species of Dragonflies. 

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

There were at least 2 male Common Darters (Sympetrum striolatum) and a single male Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) photo's by Steve Jones.

Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus).

We moved down the road and check the smaller Laguna Redonda where we only found 4 Black-winged Stilts but nothing else so we moved on and headed back to Huétor seeing Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) on the way. 

Common Darters (Sympetrum striolatum).

On the fields we checked out the Irrigation channels on the Mesia side of the area where we got brief fleeting views of a male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) but the light was dropping so we headed back to the house and finished off with the local Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the way.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).