Malaga and Caleta de Velez, Malaga Province.

A second go at the Booby.

Red-footed Booby (Piquero Patirrojo / Sula sula).

Jo, Brian and I set off from the house and dropped down to Malaga airport where they were catching a flight up to Barcelona before heading back to Australia.

Red-footed Booby (Piquero Patirrojo / Sula sula).

Once they were on their way I drove along the coast to see if the Red-footed Booby (Piquero Patirrojo / Sula sula) was still around, I arrived but there was no sign of the bird on any of it's usual perches up on the light fittings so I looked at what else was hanging around.

Red-footed Booby (Piquero Patirrojo / Sula sula).

In the beach I found Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).

Red-footed Booby (Piquero Patirrojo / Sula sula).

After about 15 mins I looked up at the most right hand post to see that the Booby had flown in and was having a preen so I went ack around to the port side and took some shots but just as I started to take a few it took off but this gave me the chance to get some nice flight shots as it circled the port a couple of times.

Red-footed Booby (Piquero Patirrojo / Sula sula).

The bird then disappeared of out over the far wall and did not return so I left the site and drove back to the house.

Red-footed Booby (Piquero Patirrojo / Sula sula).

Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Travelling South from Madrid and Alcázar de San Juan Lagunas.

Travelling again but a spot more wetland birding with Jo and Brian.

Madrid and Travelling South, Day Nine.

Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

We were up and about early as Judy and Mike had an early flight, after getting them away we dropped Sofia and Bob off at a hotel nearby where they were going to rest up until their flight.

Brian, Jo and I then dropped south heading for Granada, on the way we headed just a short way off to the west of the main motorway to the lakes near to the town of Alcázar de San Juan Lagunas.

Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser).

We drove onto the site and then walked out to the first of three hides and soon started to find some interesting species including White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Black-necked Grebes (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and above the reed beds good numbers of Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) were hunting, Whiskered Terns (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus), Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and several Heron and Egret species like Grey (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) as well as loads of White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

All around the hide there were plants of Zygophyllum fabago which had lots of Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) dragonflies perched on them. We moved around to the second hide and had many of the species already listed but added Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), quite a few very noisy Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), as well as Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and out in the slightly deeper water a small flock of Black-tailed Godwits (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa).

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

On the muddy margins there were lots of House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) coming down to bath amongst lesser numbers of Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius).

Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).

In the air over this part of the pool there were lots of Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), a few House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and some drinking Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus). 

In the reed beds good numbers of both Great Reed (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), calling Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Savi's Warbler (Buscarla Unicolor / Locustella luscinoides) and Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) but the latter species remained unseen.

Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).

Back by the van we saw Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) and Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).

We moved on around to the third hide and scanned the largest area of water finding a small group of Collared Pratincoles (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola) which were feeding or roosting on one of the muddy islands, Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) female.

We returned to the motorway and headed of South to the house, on the way we saw Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).

Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola).

We arrived at the house where I dropped Jo and Brian off and then headed back to Malaga with the Van, after dropping it off I caught a bus to Malaga City and then up to Huétor where Brian met me at the bus stop.