Zapata, Malaga Province, Spain.

An early morning looking for Nightjars.

Deb and Ian, Day Thirty Nine.

Ebird List for Zapata.

 

After a good nights sleep we were up at 04.50 and out at Zapata before 05:30 and quickly found the first of at least 5 Red-necked Nightjars (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) which were sitting out on the track but were extremely Skittish and were off and away quickly.

As we drove around the site we also had Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) before it was light.

Black-crowned Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) returning to roost.

Once it started to get light we had Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris). Over the ford we checked a large flood culvert were we found Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) as well as Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa), Iberian Brown Hare (Liebre ibérica / Lepus granatensis) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Along the track which followed the main reed filled channel we added Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and on the drive off the site Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla) x2 and Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops).

Our next stop was at Restaurante El Tardón where we had a very nice Bacon and Egg roll and Coffee which went down nicely before we returned to see Barbara again and load some stuff into the car and headed home. 

One of two racks.

We spent the rest of the day getting a few jobs done and some packing ready for our next adventure, Deb baked some very very nice Ginger Biscuits which didn't last as long as they should have.

Almuñécar and Cerro Gordo in Granada Province, Malaga and Alhaurín de la Torre in Malaga Province, Spain.

Some Shopping mixed in with a tad of birding along the coast and a nice evening with Barbara and Derek Etherton.

Deb and Ian, Day Thirty Eight. 

Ebird List for Cerro Gordo.

 

We started the day with a drive down to the flea market in Almuñécar where we had a look through the stalls which took longer than I had expected and Deb bought a few bits which I definitely didn't expect.

A distant male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius).

Immature Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus).

After a quick scan around Aldi we headed just up the road to Cerro Gordo via a quick coffee in La Herradura, once we reached the Restaurante Mirador de Cerro Gordo we parked and walked out to the Torre where we saw several Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and a couple of the larger Alpine Swifts (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) as well as Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Long-tailed (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), European Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus) and Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius).

Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius).

Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius).

Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius).

In the same area we also recorded Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini) x2, Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra) x1, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x2, Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) x1, Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x2 and Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius) x3 at least.

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini).

We returned to the car and headed on along the coast to Malaga where we visited Leroy Merlin and Bauhaus and later Guzman Garden Center in Alhaurín de la Torre before spending a very pleasant evening with friends Barbara and Derek.