Near Motril, Playa de las Azucenas, Granada Province and Caleta de Velez, Malaga Province, Spain.

Some nice species down on the costa.

Ebird List for Playa de Las Azucenas.

Ebird List for Caleta de Velez.

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) with a ring.

I drove down to Motril where I was meeting Juan to go and have a look for a Long-legged Buzzard (Busardo Moro / Buteo rufinus) which had been around since Wednesday when it was first found by Manolo Marsilio, Juan had seen the bird yesterday and rang me to tell me it was still there so after planning to have a day in the garden I changed my mind and went down for a look.

The ring R1TU

I was a little early so I had a look along Turtle Dove / Crap hole Alley where I was amazed how much flytipping had gone on, however I did find Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and 3 Reed Buntings (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus).

Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus) Immature.

Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus) Immature.

I met Juan at the gate to Charca Suarez and I was pleased to see that Beatriz and Chika were also coming along, I followed them to a track up above Motril and we stopped in an area where there were plenty of Pylon's where he saw it but we spent some time looking but we did not find it.

Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus) Adult.

 Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraetus faciatus) adult and immature.

 Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraetus faciatus) adult and immature.

In this area we did see Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).

After a while of scanning the area we decided the bird was not there at that time so we dropped back down to the coast and checked out Playa de las Azucenas, we parked and walked across the bridge out to the beach, on the way we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and on the beach and the sea at least 300+ Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) including one with a green ring on, a couple of Yellow-legged and a loads of Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) X Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) hybrid.

Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) X Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) hybrid.

Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) X Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) hybrid.

Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) X Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) hybrid.

Other species seen as we walked around included Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and a nice male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

We got back to the car and I went back up to the Buzzard spot and Juan and Beatriz went for some lunch, I got back to the spot via Burger King, won't do that again as it was a right load of tasteless crap. Anyway I parked and I walked along the track adding Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and futher along the track I picked up an Adult Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus) which was display flying with Immature bird.

Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).

The Bonelli's Eagles were swooping around doing aerobatics then they disappeared over the ridge but popped up again a couple more times before I headed off up the coast to Caleta de Velez where I was going to meet Juan and Beatriz again to search for Gulls.

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

I arrived and Juan and Beatriz were soon there so we walked up to the Leisure boat port and we soon found a couple of Common Gulls (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus), lots more Meds, a few Black-headed, Lesser Black-backed and Yellow-Legged, Little Egrets, a Sanderling and Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus). I said goodbye to Juan and Beatriz and headed inland back home.