RAM, Coast Granada and Charca Suarez, Granada Province.

A morning down on the Granada Coast with good friend Juan Pérez Contreras and Eviromental agent / Consultant for the Motril area Verónica.

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

I picked up Juan Pérez Contreras from Granada and we headed down to Peñón de Jolúcar near to Torrenueva where we were going to carry out the RAM sea bird count, on the parking area we met up with Verónica an Enviromental Agent / Consultant from the Motril Town Hall. We walked up to the cliffs where we set up and straight away we counted 19 Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis) either on the sea or coming off the cliffs, loads of the usual noisy Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and a single Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) which was the only one we saw all morning.

During the main count the commonest species and pretty much the only proper sea bird recorded was the Scopoli's / Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris diomedea / borealis), we also saw Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and a couple of Gull-billed Terns (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), an adult and an juvenile.

Juan and Verónica checking on one of the areas to possibly be protected.

Around us we also had large numbers of Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), a couple of Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and 2 Turtle Doves (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) as we walked back down to the car. 

Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii).

Our next stop was on a nearby beach where Juan and Verónica were involved in the protection of some vegetated areas at the top of the beach where both Kentish (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) breed but have been struggling due to the cleaning machinery distroying the nests and from disturbance from people walking through the areas going to the beach. As a temperary messure there have been signs and tape put up and this was partly successful but today Juan and Verónica were talking about a more permanent solution.
Whilst on the beach we saw more Audouin's, Med and Yellow-legged Gulls, Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Scopoli's / Cory's Shearwater, female and juvenile Kentish Plovers, Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and on a rock further along the coast a group of roosting Shags.

Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

We drove back along the coast heading for Charca Suarez, picking Verónica's van up on the way as well as seeing a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus). 

Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

We parked and entered the reserve with just two hours for the visit, as we walked towards the new hide over looking Laguna Blanca we stopped at one of the canals and checked the dragonflies finding Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) x1M, Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) x2M, Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii) x9 and Small Red-eyed (Erythromma viridulum) x1M.

Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) bad shot as I knocked camera on to wrong settings.

As we stood there a male Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) flew passed twice and we heard both Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) calling and watched a Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) cross the channel a couple of times whilst Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) crocked in the reeds.

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

We sat in the main hide amongst the line of photographers watching Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Purple / Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) as well as Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) 2xM and 1 pair in tandem and a male Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) which patrolled up and down the reeds to the right of the hide.

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

We walked around to the main hide, on the way I heard European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) and saw African Grass (Nina esmaltada / Zizeeia knysna) and Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Black Percher (Diplacodes lefebvrii) x1TM and several Carpentor Bees (Xylocopa violacea).

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

From the hide we saw loads of Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and several Red-knobbed (Focha cornuda / Fulca cristata), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Purple / Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).

Time was almost up so we walked back to the exit adding just Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) on the way.

Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).

Juan and I said goodbye to Verónica before I dropped Juan just down the road where he was meeting Beatriz his wife and Chika the dog on the beach for the rest of the day.

Purple / Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).

I then headed home picking up Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) on the way and Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) in the fig tree.

Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).

Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).