Desembocadura del Guadalhorce, Malaga Province, Spain.

Some more birding with Taber and Pamela.

Ebird List for the Ponds, 65 Species.

 

Mirador Desembocadura del Guadalhorce.

I set off early and after getting some breakfast near Villanueva del Rosario I was soon parked near Mirador Desembocadura del Guadalhorce and out with my scope and stool doing a bit of a sea watch but it was generally quite except for large numbers of Gulls, most were Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) but there were a few Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and a single Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus). 

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

Also seen was a single dark morph Arctic / Parasitc Skua (Págalo Parásito / Stercorarius parasiticus) and 2x Great Skuas (Págalo Grande / Stercorarius skua), several Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and a couple of Common Sandpipers (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypole,,ucos).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Just before 11.00 I went down to the main entrance onto the reserve and met Pamela and Taber again for some more birding, we made our way onto the reserve seeing Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata).

We reached Observatorio de Laguna Grande and scanned the largest of the pools on the reserve finding good numbers of Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), singles of male and female Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Great Cormorant, Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), a single immature Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), a winter Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), at least 4 Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Chroicocephalus genei) which was a lifer for Taber and Pamela, European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), an elusive Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) which is evident from the quality Photo's 😁😁😁, Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), a flyover Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas) which flushed a lot of the birds and Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x4.

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) well half of a male.

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) another classic photo.

After quiet a while we headed off around to Observatorio de Laguna Escondida where there were more Northern Shoveler along with Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), a single female Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), a female Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), 4 Eurasian Siskin (Jilguero Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) which flew across in front of the hide, Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) x4, Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) x1 and Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

On our way around to Observatorio de Laguna La Casilla we picked up 4 Marbled Ducks (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) and European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) but only added White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) from the hide.

Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina).

Just along the track a short way we made a brief stop at Observatorio de Río Viejo which I have always thought of as the wader hide but with very high water levels every where we only saw 2 Black-winged Stilts so we continued on and checked out the Rio Viejo and we were pleased to see at least 3 Ruff (Combatiente / Calidris pugnax), a Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and 2 Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis).

At the end of the track in the Observatorio Espigón de Levante we saw Northern Gannets and a Great Skuas which was sat on the sea, from here we walked along the beach and back onto the reserve where we spent some more time checking the Laguna Grande and added Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) before popping quite into Laguna Escondida again hoping for but dipping on the White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala) whichare usually quite easy here.

Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus).

On the walk out of the reserve we picked up a couple of Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Small White (Pieris rapae) before we reached the cars where we said our goodbyes, Taber and Pamela headed off into Malaga and I made my way home but just after I left Malaga it started to rain and made the drive back a bit more difficult with the spray.