Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany.

Back down to Celle Market and town.

As Alan was working Jayne and I headed back down to the town of Celle where we had had a nice evening back on Friday. We did the Market again and spent some time around the shops in this very picturesque town.

Near the Hotel and Bergen / Belson POW / Concentration Camp, Germany.

A day of mixed feelings.

I started the day with a short walk from the hotel through a small wooded area where I picked up Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes).

Later we picked up Al and headed just down the road to the Bergen / Belsen Monument where we walked around the grounds, woodlands and remains of the POW / Concentration Camp, this was a couple of hours of mixed emotions. After the grounds we spent another three hours in the documentation center, this was a place that really opened your eyes to how bad the human race can be.

In the grounds and woodlands I recorded several very nice species including an immature White-tailed Eagle (Pigargo Europeo /Haliaeetus albicilla), Black Woodpecker (Picamaderos Negro / Dryocopus martius), Great Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Norteño / Lanius excubitor), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris), Goldcrest (Reyezuelo Sencillo / Regulus regulus), Marsh Tit (Carbonero Palustre / Poecile palustris), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Eurasian Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Bremen, Germany.

The second Christmas market of the trip and a Carol service in the city Cathedral.

Around the Market.

We picked Alan up from Belsen and the weaved our way through the minor roads to the motorway to the city, we arrived and parked near the centre. We soon found the market and had a very nice couple of hours walking around the stalls before going in to the Cathedral where we listened to a small Choir singing carols for several hundred people.

Art in the town.

Later we again went around the market had some food and drinks before making our way back to Belsen by a slightly round about way as we went up the motorway in totally the wrong way and eventually reaching the North sea coast before turning back. During the day I saw Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Common (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) and Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Christmas Decorations.

Town Center.

Stained glass window.

Church Door.

The Cathedral.

Bergen / Munster area in Germany.

A run around the local area and another meal with Alan.

Day Two.

War Cemetery.

Alan was working so Jayne and I headed in to Bergen the nearest town and did the shops and as we walked around we visited Church, War Memorial and the War Cemetery. In the cemetery I saw a single Treecreeper (Agateador Norteño / Certhia familiaris), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Great Tits (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Local Church and War Mermorial.

During the afternoon we went for a drive out and about and ended up in Munster, not the big Munster but a smaller town to the North of Bergen. During the drive I saw a single female Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulg aris), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

Entrance post at Cemetery.

Later we met Alan and we drove down to a small town called Celle and experienced our first German Christmas market and a great experience it was. Jayne and Alan had a Gluhwein and later we all went and had a very nice Indian meal before heading back.

Jayne and Alan in Celle.

Jayne with a glass of Gluhwein.

Stall in the Market.

Travelling from Home to Bergen/ Belsen in Germany.

Travelling out to see Alan in Germany.

Day One.

FIRST THE MOAN.

We made a 02:15 silly O'clock start down to Malaga airport and caught a flight out to Cologne in Germany which all went well until we arrived and had to rely on instructions given by EASYCAR.COM. From the start things went totally wrong, directions said wait in arrivals for their representative. Half an hour later we moved to step two and called the phone number and got a does not exists message, we thought this may have been our Spanish phones not working in Germany but a very kind German gentleman rang the number three times with the same response so by now we were wondering if we had been stitched by some scam. I next tried to find an information desk but before I managed that I asked for direction at an airlines desk and was told that the company I was looking for actually have a desk in the airport. So armed with new direction I found the car hire company and was told by the guy there that they have told EASYCAR dozens of times that all the information they give out is a load of garbage. Any way then came the second shock, the car was ready and the chap agreed that I had paid in full and had taken out the extra insurance to cover my excesses but would still have to pay them a €1000 deposit for excesses as the insurance was with EASYCAR and nothing to do with them and if I lost the €1000 to them I would have to try and claim it back from EASYCAR when we get home. I did not have the time or will to argue so I paid and went on our way. OK the car was very nice and served us well for the week but we were both well stressed and had waisted over two hours sorting it out. All in all booking through EASYCAR was a nightmare and I would not recommend any one to use this bunch of incompetent pillocks.

The Hotel.

Once we were on the way the printed direction we had down loaded from Google earth worked a treat and we were soon out of the airport and on the motorways heading for our hotel in Offen near to where Alan is working. On the way I recorded a few species from the car including Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and two Great White Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).

The back entrance from our room.

Mid afternoon and we arrived at our hotel which was on the edge of a very small village called Offen, we checked into the Michaelishoff and sorted out out stuff as we were going to be here for five nights. Later we met up with Alan and went for a nice Greek meal in Bergen.

Above Rosario, Malaga Province.

A few hours at a cracking new site.

Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).

I dropped Jayne and Bev off at their Christmas meal with the rest of the Crafty ladies on the out skirts of Villanueva del Rosario and then I headed up in to the hills near by on a track Bev had shown us earlier on the way to the meal. I drove for a few KM and then parked and checked out an area of Hawthorn Bushes and soon had Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Mistle (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Song Thrushes (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla). 

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

I continued on up the hill and parked at the upper view point and checked an area of rocks and scree where I added Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

I dropped back down to a track off to the left of the main track where I was checking some high sheer cliffs very optomistic checking them for a wintering Wallcreeper but I only managed a nice Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and a Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) on a small stream.

Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis).

From here I dropped back down the hill and went to the hotel where I was picking Jayne up from, in the parking area I added Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Huetor and Moraleda Fields and the Cacin Valley, Granada Province.

A days birding with Lorraine and Mel on the local Patch and in the Cacín Valley.

Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis).

I met Lorraine and Mel at the Cortijo de Tajar Hotel just off the A92 near Huétor Tajar, once we had sorted the kit out we headed off out on to the fields where we checked the fields to the West of the town for the flock of Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which winter there. We arrived and started the list off with a couple of hundred Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), a dozen Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaria), a single Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), lots of White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), a few Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and then we picked up the Bustard flock in the deeper Lucerne field. We scanned the field and counted about 50 birds in total but we did not get great views as they were deep in the vegetation. In the area we also added Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

We eventually moved on and had a look along the Arroyo Vilano, on the margins we had views of a couple of Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and several Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) in the far Pomegranate trees.

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

We moved a little further down the site to a track side ditch where we soon had views of Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulg aris), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), 20+ Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and some flight views of one of the two Jack Snipe (Agachadiza Chica / Lymnocriptes minimus) that have been wintering in the area.

Our next stop was on the other side of the A92 on the fields near Moraleda but this site did not live up to expectations as it was quieter than I have ever known it, after a drive around the site we had only seen Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus).

Lorraine and Mel watching two Golden Eagles.

We moved on and dropped down into the Cacín Valleyto the bridge where we started by checking out the bridge and then down the track, we had views of Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla). We then had a look at the Embalse just up the road where the day list got a boost with Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei). 

Our last stop of the day was along the road between Cacín and Ventas de Huelma, on the way we had some very good views of 3 different Golden Eagles (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), a single Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and a Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia). From here we headed back to the hotel and Lorraine and Mel headed back down to the coast.

Guadalhorce, Malaga Province.

Well yesterday was almost the last day of the tour.

Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus).

On the way down to Malaga we called in at Guadalhorce for a final few hours birding at the beach and on the reserve. We walked to the sea watch point and scanned the sea but it was quite quiet, however we did see Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) x2, Common Scoter (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra) x7, Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) x2,

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus).

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus) x2, Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala),  Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala).

We drove to and parked outside the school and walked into the reserve and out to the main hide where we added Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

From the second hide we added Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis).

From here we made our way back to the car and then to the airport.

The Alhambra, Granada Province.

Last day and the tour ends with some Culture and just the odd bird or two.

We spent the morning in the City of Granada and then the afternoon and evening in the fantastic Alhambra. During the day we did see Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Laguna Herrera, Fuente de Piedra, Teba Groge and Laguna Dulce, Malaga Province.

Day three of the trip but a bit closer to home.

Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

We started the day in the Laguna Herrera area where we checked the lower track and soon located a decent sized flock of 69 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) feeding on a freshly sown cereal field along with Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).
We moved on around the site to where there has in the passed been a lake but all we found was a small puddle in a ploughed field and it only held a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and in the reeds and fields we saw Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).

Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

Our second stop was at Fuente de Piedra, on the way in we checked the small pool on the road side and picked up Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).
We parked and made our way out to the Mirador at the front of the center where we were hoping for but dipped on the Lesser Flamingo's (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor), however we did see good numbers of their larger reletives Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), hundreds of Lesser Black-backed Gulls as well as a few Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

We moved on around to the two hides around the back of the center but they were generally quite quiet but we did add Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Black Redstart, Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti). 

We made our way back around to the Mirador and checked through the Smaller birds in the bushes below us where we found a couple of male Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos). We dropped down on to the lower track and had views of Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) before we reached the car.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

We drove around the western side of the lake and stopped off at the Mirador on the way but as usual most birds were to far away but we did see Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) both of which were new for the day.

Lunch came next in a bar just opposite the BP garage on the way into Campillos and then on down to the Raptor watch point on the side of the road to Teba which looks up to Sierra de Penarrubia's crags. As soon as we stopped we picked up 6 Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), a pair of Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila-azor / Hieraetus faciatus) and an unexpected late November adult Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) along with Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Bath (Pontia daplidice), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Small Whites (Artogeia rapae), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Broad leaved Iris (lirio de invierno / Iris planifolia), Friar's Cowl (Arisarum vulgare), Field marigold (Calendula arvensis) and Autumn Buttercup (Ranunculus bullatus). 

Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).

We moved just down the road and walked most of the way along the gorge of the Rio de la Venta hich runs in to the nearby Emabalse de Guadalteba where we had nice views of or heard Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) as well as Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta). 

We called in again at the Cliffs and had a soaring Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), more Griffon Vultures and the male Bonelli's Eagle which was display flying. 

Our last stop of the day was at Laguna Dulce but we were surprised how quiet the lake was with just a small flock of the usual hundreds of Eurasian Coots being seen, the only new species for the day were Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), other species were Marsh Harrier, Snipe, Eurasian Teal, Little Grebe, Northern Shoveler and Northern Lapwing.