Mollina, Fuente de Piedra and surroundings, Observatorio de buitres en Peñarrubia and Tajo del Molino o de los Molinos Teba, Malaga Province and Balsa de Regidor, Granada Province, Spain.

A chase around Malaga with John in the heat.

Ebird List for Balsa de Regidor.

Very young Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) on the side of one of the tracks.

John and I headed off west and made our first stop near to the town of Mollina where we were hoping to see the Rufous-tailed Sceub Robin (Alzacola / Cercotrichas galactotes) but we didn't have any luck, we did however see Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) at the first spot we tried.

Wild Carrot (Daucus carota).

Further around the site we caught up with Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), Pitch Trefoil (Psoralea bituminosa), Field (Convolvulus arvensis) and Mallow-leaved Convolvulus (Convolvulus althaeoides), Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris), Small (Pieris rapae) and Bath White (Pontia daplidice).

Avocets (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

Black-tailed Godwits (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa).

We moved on to Fuente de Piedra, on the pool along the entrance road we found Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro).

From the Mirador we found a few Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) on the very small area of water that is left along with several Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and a couple of Gull-billed Terns (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica).

Western Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna opaca).

Around at the first hide we found a few more species including Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata) x1 in eclipses, Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and a female Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) male.

From the second hide we added Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope),Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Western Olivaceous Warbler

Mediterranean Bluet's (Coenagrion caerulescens).

 (Iduna opaca).

Mediterranean Bluet's (Coenagrion caerulescens).

We returned to the car and headed for Campillos but we went over the fields but we didn't add any thing to the list before we stopped for lunch, later we headed towards Teba and then took a track which I had accidentally taken before, as we drove we stopped at a couple of streams where we had Little Ringed Plover,  Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla), lots more European Bee-eaters, Southern Skimmer, Mediterranean Bluet's (Coenagrion caerulescens), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Antirrhinum boissieri.

We rejoined the main road to Malaga but turned off towards Teba where we stopped and scanned the cliffs but only managed to a couple of Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) which were out on the Embalse.

Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina).

Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina).

Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina).

Further along the road we made our last stop of the day at the bridge over the Tajo del Molino and had views of Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) as well as Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Orange-winged (Trithemis kirbyi) and Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) and Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea). 

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

On the way back to the house we picked up Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and later whilst we were eating we had a Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus).

Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).

At around 20.00 I went towards Moraleda to check on the Egret roost at Balsa de Regidor, by the time I left at 22.30ish I had counted 113 Western Cattle (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and 1x Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), 1x Squacco (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides) and 1x Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).

Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).

Other interesting species were Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), 3 more Black-winged Stilt, Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).