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Friday, 12 May 2023

Mollina Area, Fuente de Piedra, track between MA468 and A357 (Arroyo del Chumbo - Arroyo del Cañuelo), Rio Guadiaro at Indiana in Malaga Province and Grazalema in Cadiz Province, Spain.

A trip over to see Sue in Grazalema.

Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).
I did a few jobs at the house before I set off to the west, my first stop was at some fields in the Mollina area where I was looking for Rufous-tailed Sceub Robin (Alzacola / Cercotrichas galactotes), I drove the tracks finding Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) and then two year ticks, Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) and then the Scrub Robin which was singing from a chain-link fence.
Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).
I pushed on over to Fuente de Piedra and had a quick look around as it was getting quite warm, on the entrance pool I picked up Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica).
The first area of water, Arroyo del Chumbo.

Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) Male.
A few of the many Mediterranean Bluet's (Coenagrion caerulescens).
I walked out to the Boardwalk but it was pretty much dry so I walked back up to the car and started to head towards Campillos but took the wrong road and found myself heading for Teba but after a while I saw a track that looked interesting, so took a left and as I drove I found two streams which crossed my path.
Mediterranean Bluet's (Coenagrion caerulescens).
Mediterranean Bluet's (Coenagrion caerulescens).
Mediterranean Bluet's (Coenagrion caerulescens).
Mediterranean Bluet's (Coenagrion caerulescens).
At the first I found
Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi), Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).
At the second, which was smaller there were 50+ Mediterranean Bluet's (Coenagrion caerulescens) mostly in tandem, 2x Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata).
White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).
I reached the road down towards Malaga and then took the road to Ronda and to my final stop before reaching Sue's which was along the Rio Guadiaro at Indiana, here I saw White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) and a couple of Western Olivaceous Warblers (Iduna opaca)which was the main reason for coming to this spot.
Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra).
Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto).
African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna).
In amongst the plants including lots of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) and other riverside vegetation I found Egyptian Grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna) x3, Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) and Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto).
Egyptian Grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium).
Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum).
I continued on and managed to park right outside Sue's house and after I unloaded we went up onto the terrace for a drink, later we had a nice meal and then just sat looking at the night sky spotting satellites.

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