Fuente de Piedra, Campillos Lagunua's, Malaga Province, Spain.

A day out west around the Laguna's of Fuente and Campillos.

Ebird List for Fuente de Piedra.

Ebird List for Laguna Dulce. 

Ebird List for Laguna Salada.

Ebird List for Laguna Redonda.

Ebird List for Laguna de Capacete.

Lynn and Steve at Fuente.

We started the day with a drive over to Fuente de Piedra and after parking we went to the visitors center and then did a walk out around to the Mirador where we started the list off with Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), lots of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), some distant Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

We continued on and made our way out to the hide over looking Laguneto del Pueblo finding Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

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

From the next hide Observatorio de las Palomas over looking the smaller pool we picked up Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), an Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis) and several Stripe-necked Terrapins (Mauremys leprosa).

We walked back around to the Mirador and then dropped down onto the lower track and made our way around to the Board walk, on the way we saw Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), a couple of flyover Western House Martins (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Common Daisy (Bellis perennis), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis) and Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum).

From the boardwalk we went up to the entrance road pool, in the more swampy area on the left of the pool we saw a single Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and a couple of Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

On the pool we added just a single Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and 4  Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) before we headed off.

On our way around the lake heading for Campillos we saw a stunning pair of Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) sat on a Pylon.

On the SW end of the lake we took the track which cuts across the fields to Laguna Dulce, we didn't see much on the way until we had almost reached the Laguna when we came across a group of soaring birds which included a pair of Northern Ravens (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), a pair of Common Buzzards and singles of both Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) and Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus).

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

Just as we reached the Laguna we had 20 odd Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus) and around at the Laguna hide around a 100 more.

From the hide we also had 4 more Black-winged Stilts, Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x1.

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Our next stop was at Laguna Salada but all we saw were a couple of hundred or so Greater Flamingo's before we went on along the road to Laguna Redonda and the flooded field on the opposite side of the road, on the Laguna we found a good number of Red-crested Pochard including some cracking males, Mallard, Gadwall, Eurasian Coot, Black-headed Gull and Eurasian Coot.

Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

The view from the hide at Laguna Redonda.

On the other side of the road we saw several Black-tailed Godwits (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Calandra Lark (Calandria Común / Melanocorypha calandra), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and a female European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

We headed down towards Laguna Capacete, on the way we had 4 Common Cranes on the field near the road and lots more further out on a nearby hillside.

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

We parked and went to a high spot which looked out over the Laguna where we found a single Egyptian Goose (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca), Northern Shovelers, Mallard, Gadwall, 50 odd Greater Flamingo's, Little Grebe and a pair of Ring-necked Ducks (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris) which had been around for a few days.

Ring-necked Ducks (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris).

Male Ring-necked Duck (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris).

Ring-necked Ducks (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris).

After a while we checked another couple of flooded areas a bit further along the road but found nothing new so we headed back to the house. 

Laguna Capacete from our view point.