Zapata, Malaga and Rio Turon, Ardales, Malaga Province, Spain.

Covid tests, Birds and Dragons.

Steve and Lynn, Day Twenty.

 

Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).

We drove down to Malaga and to the Airport where Lynn and Steve went into the terminal and had the necessary covid test for their return to the UK. Once it was carried out we drove out of the back of the airport and along the river at Zapata where we parked by the Ford that crosses the Rio Guadalhorce and we soon had good numbers of passing Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Honey Buzzards (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus) and Booted Eagles (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus).

Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus).

In the same area we also recorded Grey (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) and Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius).

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) male.

Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta) male.

There was a good number of Dragons around which included male and female Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), Lesser (Anax parthenope) and Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Violet (Trithemis annulata) and Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) and a couple of butterflies African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna) and Small White (Pieris rapae).

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) male.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) male.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) male.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) male.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) male.

We returned to the car and drove North to Ardales where we went on to a spot along the Rio Turon where we checked the river and soon found several male Small Pincertails (Onychogomphus forcipatus), White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes), Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii), Orange-winged Dropwing, Blue / Common Emperor, Scarlet Darter, Small White, False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus),  Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) and the large Hoverfly called Volucella zonaria.

White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes).