Charca Suarez and Surroundings, Granada Province and Caleta de Velez, Malaga Province, Spain.

Down on the coast with Bob Wright.

Ebird list for Charca Suarez.  

Ebird list for Caleta de Velez.

 

Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) male and female.

I drove down to the coast via the new Granada outer ring road and parked near the entrance to Charca Suarez where I met Bob and we made our way onto the reserve and went to the first hide over looking Laguna Taraje where we soon had a nice pair of Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) as well as Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and several Common Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

We moved on around to the hide at the other end of the Laguna but as usual the light was bad from this angle but we still managed to find several Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), the first of lots of Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata), a calling Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

We made a quick visit to the hide over looking the newest pool and as for once it was not full of photographers we sat there for a while adding Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

We walked around to the main hide, on the way round we had Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).

Once we were In the main hide over looking Laguna de las Aneas we scanned the water and boost the list quickly with Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Northern Shovelers (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), an immature Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).

Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) Male.

Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) Male.

Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) Male.

Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) Female.

Moving on we came to the first of the hides over looking Laguna del Trebol where there were many more Red-knobbed Coots and at least 4 Ferruginous Ducks (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) ut they were as everything else was right into the sun.

Ferruginous Ducks (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) 3 males and a female.

As I was scanning the reeds at the far end of the pool I picked up the target bird for the day the wintering Moustached Warbler (Carricerin Real / Acrocephalus melanopogon) which was feeding as usual low down at the reed bottoms, a good year tick.

Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope) Female.

Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope) Female.

Also seen from the hide were Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), good numbers Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) but more surprising was a single House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) Male.

We retraced our way back around the reserve and in the main hide we added Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus). We reached the last hide over looking Laguna del Lirio where we had another 4 Ferruginous Ducks and a very nice female Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope).

Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus).

We left the reserve and went to have a look at one of the pools on a nearby Golf Course were we had lots more Eurasian Coots, Mallards, Common Moorhens, Crag Martins and Black-headed Gulls.

We also checked the area known as Turtle Dove alley finding Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

I followed Bo to his place and then after some lunch we went for a wlak down to the port at Caleta de Velez finding several new species on the way and at the Port including Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and out to see several Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus). We returned to Bob and Jennys where we turned in as we were off early next moring to do some birding at Osuna.