Refugio de aves esteparias las Amoladeras and Los Norias Lagoons in Almeria Province, Castell de Ferro and Carchuna in Granada Province, Spain.

Birding on my way home.

 

Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

I was out early again and made my back up to the Esparto areas for dawn but it was quite and I only found European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and a calling Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

I returned to the car and drove around the city and out into the plastic wasteland to the not so pretty location called Los Norias lakes, I was surprised that it was actually much cleaner than the last time I visited with a great deal less plastic pollution in the water and on the banks.

Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

I spent around 2 hours in the one area hoping for a Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) but as hard as I tried I didn't see one but did get good views of Night (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) and Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Little (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons), Whiskered (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus) and Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

In the reeds and around the margins I added Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

I eventually gave up on the Bittern and drove West along the coast to Castell de Ferro where I parked and checked the scrubby are which was once upon at time was going to be another urbanization where I was looking for Butterflies but it was very quiet, however I did see Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua), Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), a singing male Western Orphean Warbler (Curruca Mirlona / Sylvia hortensis), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina).

I moved on again and went further along the coast to Carchuna where I was meeting Juan to do the Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) survey, as usual we walked from east to west and recorded several incubating females on nest and several young birds ranging from just hatched to well grown birds, so in general a very positive walk with 25 birds being seen.

Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus).

As we walked we also recorded Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) x12 and Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) x1, Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) x4, Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) x1, Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

After three days birding I was knackered so I headed back home and Juan went up the coast to see the Western Orphean I had seen earlier which he did successfully.