Fuente de Piedra, Malaga City, near Archidona in Malaga Province and near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province.

A morning birding with Friends at Fuente and then an afternoon with another friend visiting from the UK.

Ebird List for Fuente.

Ebird List for Realenga.

The pool to the left of the entry road.

I started the morning with a visit to Fuente de Piedra to look for a few Waders, as soon as I arrived I bumped into friends Barbara and Derek Etherton, Andy Patterson and Mick Smith by the pool on the left of the road in.

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) in the early sun.

We spent a while scanning the pool as the light started to improve and we saw Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola).

Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

Out on the same area we also had Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

We parked and then walked down to the boardwalk and spent quite a which watching a good selection of birds feeding on either side of the walkway including Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Wood Sandpipers, Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Common (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) and Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax) and more Curlew Sandpiper.

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) sure they can breath through another orifice.

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera).

Avocets (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta) on final approach.

Other species included Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus).

Mick, Barbara, Derek and Andy, 4 out of 5 of the creaky birders on the day.

Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).

Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).

Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).

We walked on further around the reserve and checked the next section of water adding Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis). 

Checking through the waders.

Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola).

Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola).

Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola).

We moved on again and made our way up to the Mirador where after a while we managed to pick out a single Lesser Flamingo (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor) out of the 100s of Greater, the task was made all the more difficult due to the height of the Tamarisk trees surrounding the main lake which could all do with topping out.

Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris).

Looking across the boardwalk pool.

Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi).

Whilst there we also had Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) ad Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea).

Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea).

At this point I headed back down to the lower track and the others went back to the car park via the visitor center which was closed, on the walk around to and across the board walk and then along the back track to the roadside pool, on the way I saw Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) and Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi) x4. 

Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus).

Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus).

On the pool I picked up a single Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) before saying bye to the others as they were leaving and heading to my car and dropping down to Malaga, where I had a quick look for the long staying Lesser Yellowlegs (Archibebe Patigualdo Chico /Tringa flavipes) but dipped and only found more Black-winged Stilts, Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpiper, White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Mallard, Common Moorhen and Collared Dove.

Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius).

Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

My next stop was at Malaga Airport where I picked up a good friend Steve Griffin from the UK and we were soon on our way back north to an area near Archidona where we parked and walked part of a track looking for Butterflies and Orchids, on the way out we started Steve's list of Butterflies for the trip (the main reason for his trip) with Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) x30+, Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides) x3, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x2, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) 5, Rosy Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus onopordi) x3, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x6, Bath (Pontia daplidice) x3, Small (Pieris rapae) x18+, Large (Pieris brassicae) x4, Western Dappled (Euchloe crameri) x3 and Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia) x2, Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) x4, Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x9, Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) x1, Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x5, Black-eyed (Glaucopsyche melanops) 3, Adonis (Lysandra bellargus) x4, Southern (Polyommatus celina) x7, Lorquin's (Cupido lorquinii) x3 and Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) x3.

Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta).

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca).

Iberian Mirror Orchid (Ophrys Vernixia).

Iberian Mirror Orchid (Ophrys Vernixia).

Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis papilionacea).

We also saw several Orchids including Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea), Small Woodcock (Ophrys picta), Somber Bee (Ophrys fusca / foresteri / lupercalis), Mirror (Ophrys speculum), Iberian Mirror (Ophrys Vernixia), Small Tongue (Serapias parviflora), Dense-flowered (Neotinea maculata), Pink Butterfly (Orchis papilionacea) and Man (Orchis anthropophora).

Rosy Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus onopordi).

Small White (Pieris rapae).

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).

Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus).

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia).

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).

Lorquin's Blue (Cupido lorquinii).

We also saw Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).

Spanish Iris (Iris xiphium).

Barbary Nut (Moraea sisyrinchium).

Other species included Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Brown Bluebell (Dipcadi serotinum), Blue Hound's Tongue (Cynoglossum creticum), Ground-pine Germander (Teucrium pseudochamaepitys), Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata), Neapolitan Garlic (Allium neapolitanum), Common Vetch (Vicia sativa), Rosy Garlic (Allium roseum), Field Mustard (Brassica rapa), Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), Mallow-leaved Convolvulus (Convolvulus althaeoides), Pitch Trefoil (Psoralea bituminosa), Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum), Ronda Cranesbill (Geranium malviflorum), Long-headed (Papaver dubium), Corn (Papaver rhoeas) and Rough Poppy (Papaver hybridum), Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata), Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum baeticum), Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa), Spanish Iris (Iris xiphium), Barbary Nut (Moraea sisyrinchium), White Campion (Silene latifolia), White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum), Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus) and Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca).