Charca Suarez, Motril and Cerro Gordo, Granada Province, Spain.

A day down on the coast.

Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).

We were out early and on our way down to Charca Suarez for a wander around the wetlands and hides there, on the way down we picked up House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus).

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Once we were in the reserve we walked out towards the Hide over looking Laguna  Alamo Blanca, on the way we saw Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) from the first Screen and we just added Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x11, Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) and Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) x2 from the hide.

Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).

We walked back to Pam who had set up by the entrance and met Juan before heading back around to the hides over looking Laguna del Taraje where we picked up Turtle Dove, Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

From the main hide at Laguna de las Aneas we found Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Common Pochard, Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).

Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) Male.

We also saw Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x2, Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) x6, Black Percher (Diplacodes lefebvrii) x6, Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) x6 and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x4.

Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) Male.

We continued on around the reserve calling in at the last three hides overlooking the Laguna del Trebol and Laguna del Lirio where we saw Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti),  Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna) x15+, Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli) x2 and Small Red-eye (Erythromma viridulum) x6.

Black Percher (Diplacodes lefebvrii) Male.

We left the reserve and went just down the road to the pools on the Golf course, there were quite a few Yellow-legged Gulls, a couple of immature Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus) and a fly through Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) x1 which was a new species for John.

African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna).

Our final stop was just along the coast at Cerro Gordo where we made a few stops at different points around the headland adding Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and a year tick for me a White-rumped Swift (Vencejo Cafre / Apus caffer).

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

Other species included Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Small White (Pieris rapae), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) and a nice Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

Looking along the coast from Cerro Gordo.

On the way home we went across country, as we drove we saw Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Iberian (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor). 

Torre de Cerro Gordo.