Desembocadura Río Aguas, Cabo Gata (Playa Amoladeras and Torregarcia), Almeria Province, Spain.

Catching up with a couple of long stayers and few other interesting Species.

Ebird List for Río Aguas.

Ebird List for Playa Amoladeras.

Ebird List for Torregarcia.

I arrived on the beach just as the sun came up.

I set off early and was on site just as it was getting light and searching for the long staying Citrine Wagtail (Lavandera Cetrina / Motacilla citreola) straight away.

The Rio Aguas.

As I started to look I picked up a few White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and then I found the target out in the river on areas of floating vegetation in a reed bed.

The Rio Aguas, the bird stayed in the reeds in the center of the river on floating vegetation.

I had good views through the scope but the bird never really came in close so the photo's were not great but still nice to have a few records of the new species for my Spanish List.

Citrine Wagtail (Lavandera Cetrina / Motacilla citreola) immature Male.

Citrine Wagtail (Lavandera Cetrina / Motacilla citreola) immature Male.

Citrine Wagtail (Lavandera Cetrina / Motacilla citreola) immature Male.

I spent around 4 hours on site and added a pair of Ferruginous Ducks (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and a Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

Silene littorea.

As I walked back to the car I spent a few minutes scanning the sea picking up a couple of Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and a few Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).

Once I was at the car I started the engine and notice a bit of a strange noise so I popped the bonnet and could see that there was a leak of fumes from a rubber gasket but I decided to carry on with the day but had the windows down for the rest of the day, fortunately it was quite warm.

Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).

Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).

Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).

I reached the Playa Amoladeras near Cabo de Gata where I was looking for a Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) which had been around for a few weeks, I went to the location on Ebird but as with a lot of users the pin was not in the correct place, really not sure why in most cases this is done as it wastes birders time, fuel, money and is just bloody annoying.

Eurasian Dotterels (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

Anyway during the time I was walking up and down in the wrong place I did have some good birds including Golden Plovers (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), 9x Eurasian Dotterels (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus), a single Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), a dozen or so Lesser Short-toed Larks (Terrera Marismena / Calandrella rufescens), two groups of Trumpeter Finches (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus) x7 in total and out on the sea another 5x Northern Gannet and 3x Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus).

Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus).

Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus).

I also saw at least 3x Clouded Yellows (Colias corceua) and a single Large White (Pieris brassicae) once things warmed up nicely.

Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.

Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.

Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.

Anyway after an hour and a half I sent messages to Friends Garry Pearson and Ricky Owen who both came back with the correct location down next to the Torregarcia, so I walked back to the car and drove to the new spot over 2.7kms from the pin ????? and within a few minutes I was watching the stunning male Desert Wheatear in almost exactly the same spot as my only other Spanish record.

Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.

Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.

Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.

I again returned to the car and made my way back home via the mechanic's in Ventanueva who had a look at it and said bring it back in the morning as it needed some work on the injectors.