Playa de Poniente, Charca de Suárez and Golf Los Moriscos, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning down on the coast.

Ebird List for Seawatch 1, 14 Species.

Ebird List for Seawatch 1, 10 Species.

Ebird List for Charca, 42 Species.

Ebird List for Golf Los Moriscos, 22 Species.

The view looking back up to the Sierra Nevada with the strong wind lifting the snow.

I headed off early to meet Juan Pérez and Chika to do a bit of a Seawatch but it was generally quiet, we still saw Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Snoozing male Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

and another.

Just before 10.00 when Charca opened Juan took Chika home and I make my way to the entrance where I met Barbara and Derek Etherton and John Cantelo, they headed into the reserve and around to the hide where John was hoping to see the wintering Moustached Warbler (Carricerin Real / Acrocephalus melanopogon) and I waited for Juan before we went into the first hide which overlooks Laguna del Lirio and Juan soon found a very nice male Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) and we also added Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata), a female Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Chiffchaff, Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).

The Male Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus).

Male Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus).

We moved on and caught up with the others in the first hide over looking Laguna del Trébol where they were looking for the Warbler so Juan and I continued on around to the other hide over looking the same pool, on the way there we saw a good sized flock of Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), several Spanish Sparrows (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), a couple of Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) and 2x Booted Eagles (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) one of each colour Morph.

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) male.

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) female.

From the hide we picked up Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), a pair of Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), quite a few Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Little Grebe, Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

We moved on around to the main hide where we caught up with Barbara, we scanned Laguna de la Aneas and added Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) x4, Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) x3, Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and more Great Cormorants.

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

We continued on again and saw a couple of nest building Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and a Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) at the newish screen in the Caña de Azúcar area. 

Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago).

At this point Juan said did I want to go down to the Golf Course area to see what was on the pools and I said I though that was a good idea so we met Beatriz by the entrance after hearing a Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) call several time on the way out and walked down there, firstly along the beach and then we took a track through the fields.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

From the gardens over looking the two golf course pools we saw a good number of Barn Swallows and a single Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), both House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and another couple of Monarch Butterflies. 

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

On the walk back to the car we picked up a single Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) on a large puddle in one of the car parking areas before I headed off home leaving Beatriz, Juan and Chika to continue their walk.