Malaga Airport, Malaga Province, La Janda and Los Caños de Meca, Cadiz Province.

Meeting friends at Malaga and then some birding.

Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

I drove down to Malaga where I was meeting Kate and Jim up and then we were spending a few day over in Cadiz Province around the La Janda area. On my way down I had Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and between the airport and the back way in to La Janda we picked up Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) Immature.

Once we reached the road into the North Eastern end of La Janda we had a slow drive in amongst the Rice Paddies where we had at least 4 immature, 2 female and 1 male Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) and on a Cows carcass we counted 16 Griffon and a single Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus).

Further along the road we came across a part flooded Paddy which had quict a bit of mud showing and on this there were several Little Ringed (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), lots of Western (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava) and several Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) female.

Also seen before we headed for our hotel in Los Caños de Meca were White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Short-toed Eagle, Lesser (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Western Cattle Egrets.

We arrived at the hotel and all was fine but the only down side of the place was the breakfast time was too late.