Charca Suarez, Cstillo de Ferro,Cerro Gordo and Balsa de Rigedor, Granada Province.

Birds, Reptiles and Butterflies down on the Granada Costa.

Kate and Jim Day Six.

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

We drove down to the superb reserve at Charca Suarez near Motril arriving at 09:30 and made straight for the hide over looking Laguna Blanca, on the walk in we came up with 3 Common Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Once we were in the hide we soon had good views of a couple of Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

In the air over the water we saw several Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) and Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea).

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

Before we left the hide we were joined by good friend Juan Pérez Contreras and we had a chat before going on around towards the main hide, on the way we picked up Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), African Grass Blue (Nina esmaltada / Zizeeia knysna), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta).

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

In the hide we picked out Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Red-knobbed Coot (Focha cornuda / Fulca cristata), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

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

We started to walk around to the next hide but then I got a call from Juan to say he had found a small, a very small Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) back near the hide at Laguna Blanca so I went back quickly so that Juan did not have to hang around. 

Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca).

I got some shots and then when Kate and Jim we relocated it and they got shots as well, Juan had a wonder again and we went back into the hide where I got brief views of a male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) and in the air above the hide a rather late European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) calling as it flew West.

European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).

We spent the next half hour in the hide over looking Laguna T but we did not find anything new so we decided to head out and along the coast to Castell de Ferro where Jim and I walked up to a spot above the beach and photographed a couple of Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore). 

Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata) female.

In the same area we found Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Small White (Pieris rapae), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala). 

Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).

We returned West along the Autovia passed Charca again and along to Cerro Gordo where we were hoping for the Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius), we managed to see one but it did not land and disappeared after a minute or so. 

Red-knobbed Coot (Focha cornuda / Fulca cristata).

We continued to search for a more cooperative insect but did not find one, we did see a female Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) before having a coffee and heading back to the hotel.

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore).

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore).