Laguna Chica, Laguna Grande and Salinas area, Malaga Province.

A couple of hours on the far parts of the local patch.

Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) male.

I had a couple of hours on the distant part of my patch just over the border into Malaga Province, on the way to Laguna Chica I started the list off with Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

I parked amoungst the trees at above a very low water level pool which was surrounded by a thick belt of Tamarisk bushes, on the water I could see Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and in the trees and in the air over the site I also had European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).

White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes).

I walked through the scrub around the Northern side of the pool but did not find a single Dragonfly which was a big surprise as the site had been so good in previous years, I did see Common / Southern (Polyommatus icarus / celina) and Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) and Small White (Pieris rapae).

I returned to the car and drove around to Laguna Grande where the oposite problem came up, there was so much water in it that there was no margin to allow me to search for Dragons, but out on the water there were again Mallards, Common Pochards, Eurasian Coot, a family of Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) two adults and three well grown youngsters, Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and a pair of Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus) which as usual were the noisiest species there.

Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) male.

Other species seen whilst stood above the lake included Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

I moved on again and made my way around to a stream near Salinas where I did eventually find some Dragonflies, a very smart male Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) and a male Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) were doing battle for a perch on one of the reed stems and along the ditch I also found several male Keeled Skimmers (Orthetrum coerulescens), a few White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes) as well as Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and a pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus).

Blue-eye (Erythromma lindenii).

I moved just up the track to another patch of water which turns out to be a large water leak from the mains. A lady resident just above where I was photographing a few more dragons came down as she was hoping I was from the water company. Alsa I explained to her what I was doing and her and her son came down for a look at the dragons and were quite interested.

Here I again had Southern and Keeled Skimmers, Scarlet Darter and added Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) and a couple of Blue-eye's (Erythromma lindenii).

As I drove off the area and into Salinas for a Menu del dia I had Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata).

Wasp Species.

As always the food for lunch was very good and I later made my way home full but disappointed in the Dragonfly numbers for the day.