Castillo Sohail, Fuengirola, Guadalhorce, Malaga Province and Sierra de Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

A Spanish lifer down on the Malaga Coast.

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

I drove down to the Castillo Sohail on the Southern side of Fuengirola where I was hoping to see a fine male House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari), I arrived and found Luis Alberto Rodriguez already there but he had not found anything at this point.

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

As I walked around I started the day list with Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

After about an hour or so another birder picked the bird up out on the grass to the SW of the Castle and after getting brief view it flew off down the slope and as I walked down to the area I met good friend Andy Patterson and we watched the bird for a while before Andy headed off and a short while later I went along the coast to Guadlahorce.

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus).

I parked by the Church and walked in towards the reserve, I crossed the bridge and to the hide over looking Laguna Escondida, on the way I saw Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and from the hide where I met Barbara, Barbara, Derek and Jerry I saw Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) but the Velvet Scoter (Negrón Especulado / Melanitta fusca) remained elusive.

Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).

I walked around to the hide over looking Laguna Grande finding Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata).

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

I walked back to the car and drove back towards the house but called in at Sierra de Loja and checked out the two lower Quarries and then drove up to the top bend, at all three sites I picked up Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and a nice Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).