Cabo de Gata area, Almeria, Spain.

A morning with Lynn and Steve and an afternoon in a bar.

Ebird List for Rambla Morales.

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

I left home early and reached the spot where Steve and Lynn were staying by 09.00 and from there we headed around to the northern edge of Cabo de Gata from where we walked down towards Rambla Morales and not long into the walk we picked up 3 very smart Eurasian Dotterels (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus) which posed very well for us and allowed us to get great views.

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

We were searching for a Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorius cursor) which had been around for a few days but had not been reported for a couple of days unfortunately and we didn't relocate the bird but we did see Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Slender-billed (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

As we walked we also saw Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) x2, Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x3, Spiny-footed Lizard (Acanthodactylus erythrurus), Common Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium), Helichrysum stoechas, Mallow-leaved Convolvulus (Convolvulus althaeoides), Pseudopodospermum hispanicum and Sand Lotus (Lotus creticus).

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

We returned to the car and made our way around to Torre Garcia after collecting Lynn and Steve's Motor where we were hoping to see the local Common Tiger Blue (Tarucus theophrastus) x6 butterfly which is found in this dry scrubby area and not long after we had parked up we found half a dozen or so of these tiny, fast moving insects on the wing. 

Common Tiger Blue (Tarucus theophrastus).

Common Tiger Blue (Tarucus theophrastus).

Common Tiger Blue (Tarucus theophrastus).

We also saw Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), 6843 Macroglossum stellatarum (Hummingbird Hawkmoth), Cynomorium (Cynomorium coccineum), Lobularia maritima, Yellow Sea Aster (Asteriscus maritimus) and Lycium intricatum.

Lobularia maritima.

Cynomorium (Cynomorium coccineum).

At this point I said Goodbye to Lynn and Steve for a few day and I headed off around to Rambla Morales where I parked at the end of the beach road and walked to the lake where I had nice views of Slender-billed, Black headed, Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus) x3, Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Just a little further along the track to the side of the Rambla I followed a track into the dune area and almost straight away a cracking Mediterranean / Lesser Short-toed Lark (Terrera Marismena / Calandrella rufescens) flew in from behind me and landed on a sandy bank just a couple of meters away allowing me to get some nice shots before it flew on and away up the coast.

Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).

I was going to this area to check to see if a Richards Pipit (Bisbita de Richard / Anthus richardi) which had been seen by friends Ricky and Kevin a few days earlier was still in the area but as there was a lady with a dog off the lead just ahead of me I was not confident but as she walked I saw two birds fly up in front of her and circle back around towards the spot where I going to look and as soon as they took off I could hear that they were both Richards, they Landed around 50 meters from me so I took a few pictures before they again flew off.

Richards Pipit (Bisbita de Richard / Anthus richardi).

Richards Pipit (Bisbita de Richard / Anthus richardi).

The pictures were extremely bad due to the heat haze, it was now getting warm so I decided that after an early start I would head to San José where I was staying, check in to my hotel and find a bar.