Punta del Santo, Golf Los Moriscos 2 and Charca de Suárez, Motril, Granada Province, Spain.

A mornings birding with Friend Juan Pérez.

Ebird List for Sea watch.

Ebird List for Golf course Pools.

Ebird List for Charca.

Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) one of several on the beach.

I was up and about early and down on to the coast to meet friend Juan Pérez at Punta del Santo  but instead of staying up on the wooded walk way we dropped down onto the beach as the Palm Trees had grown enough to make viewing difficult and as I have been have a bit of a sciatica flare up so sitting was going to be easier.

Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria).

Anyway during the 2 hours we were there we saw Balearic (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) and Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) with most birds heading West towards the Atlantic.

As we sat there we also saw good numbers of immature Shags (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) x5, Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) x6, Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) x1, Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).

Our next stop was just over the road along the side of the Golf course where we were checking the two pools for a Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) which we soon found on the larger more Manicured pool along with Common Sandpiper, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) as well as Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) and a couple of Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).

We returned to the cars and then went just down the road to Charca Suarez and walked around the reserve visiting several of the hides adding Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Spotted Flycatcher x2, Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) x5, Barn and Red-rumped Swallow, Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) at Alamo Blanca

Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava).

From the hide over looking the Northern end of Laguna Laguna Taraje where we found Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) and a Hybrid between it and a Eurasian Coot, Western Swamp-hen x3, Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis).  

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Further round at the main hide over looking Laguna de Las Aneas, here we found Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) x2, Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata),  Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) x4, Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) x2, Yellow-legged Gull, Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) x2 pale morph birds which flew around the lake twice and on their second pass they disturbed an Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) from the Tamarisks.

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Our final new hide was over looking Laguna del Trébol where we had good views of both female and Immature Little Bitterns (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus), other species seen as we walked around the reserve included Monarch (Danaus plexippus), African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna), Small Red-eye (Erythromma viridulum), Black Percher (Diplacodes lefebvrii), Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa), Yellow-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) and Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus).

Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus).

We went back around to the Main hide where Beatriz joined us and then back to Alamo Blanca but we added nothing new so I headed off home again.