Travelling South, La Laguna de la Veguilla in Ciudad Real, Spain.

Last day of the trip, heading South again.

Ebird List for the pools.

Ebird List for the Fields.

Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) Male.

We Left the hotel early and Jerry drove South to La Laguna de la Veguilla near to Alcázar de San Juan a good way south of Madrid, on the way we saw Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Zygophyllum fabago.

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) Male.

We arrived at the Laguna's around 30 minutes before the other car and stayed in the first hide until they arrived and picked up Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Great Reed (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Purple (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea) and Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and Black Tern (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger).

Black Tern (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger).

Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

We moved up to the next hide, the whole area was covered in Zygophyllum fabago, from the hide we added Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Black Tern (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger) and at least three Bearded Tits (Reedling) (Bigotudo / Panurus biarmicus) which were a very welcome year tick.

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

We returned to the car and drove around to the third hide where we had 5 Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) on the fenced off pool where the introduction birds are put.

White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala).

White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala).

From the hide we found Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and back near the car we had 4 Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) on the roof of the visitors center.

Lavatera Species possibly trimestris.

We had some lunch under some nearby trees where there were a couple of picnic benches, once we had finished Jerry, Barbara, Bob and Myself said goodbye to Ricky, Sonya, Derek and Barbara and then headed to a spot out in some nearby fields to show the others a winter site for a few interesting species but whilst there we added a Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) before we headed back south to my house where they dropped me off before continuing on to Malaga.

Can't thank the rest of the group for a cracking trip, especially to Jerry (and Derek) for driving all the time which was great for me as I have always driven on all my past trips up to the area.