Caleta de Velez and Guadalhorce Pools, Malaga Province.

Some bad and some good Gull watching on the Malaga Coast.

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) with plastic around legs.

Jayne and I went down to Torre del Mar on the Cross country route via Viñuela to collect a couple of bits and then down to the coast, on the way we had Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) x2, Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and as we walked around in Torre we had lots of noisy Monk Parakeets (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus).

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) with fishing line around legs.

Once we had visited all the places we wanted to go there I had half an hour checking through the Gulls at Caleta beach which was a bit sad as at least two of the Gulls were tangled up in plastic or fishing line which is so unnecessary and unpleasant.

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) adult summer.

I found a single Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), 3x Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), several Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) as well as a few of both Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and a single Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

Our next stop was at the shopping centre and just as we were leaving there I got a message from Andy Paterson that the Bonaparte's Gull (Gaviota de Bonaparte / Chroicocephalus philadelphia) which had been seen at Guadalhorce pools had reappeared so we headed straight there.

Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Jayne spent an hour and a half reading near the beach Chiringuito Servando whilst I walked on to the reserve along the beach, on the way to the hide over looking Laguna Grande I saw Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

I reached the hide and met Marcus a birder from Torremolinos who told me the Gull had flown off to the North / Left about 45 minutes earlier so I sat down and scanned the roosting Gull flocks just in case it had slipped back in undetected but with out any luck. 

Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).

However I did see Sandwich and Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and a Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

After a while I decided to have a walk in the direction that the Gull had been seen going and a couple of minutes later I was watching it on the shallow scrape just a couple of hundred meters away with a couple of Black-heads and several Black-winged Stilts. The bird was quite distant but I got good views through the scope and a few OKish shots.

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

After a while and having good views I walked back to the hide and then back to Jayne in the car seeing 3x Gull-billed Terns on the way.

Bonaparte's Gull (Gaviota de Bonaparte / Chroicocephalus philadelphia).

Bonaparte's Gull (Gaviota de Bonaparte / Chroicocephalus philadelphia).

Home near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Greater Flamingo's over the house.

Jayne was out on the yard at about 21:00 when she heard a small group of Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) passing over head but by the time she found me and I got out there I could only hear some distant calls. I could not guess at a number but Jayne said she thought it was a flock of half a dozen or so.

Huétor Fields, Moraleda Fields, Cacín Valley and La Malaha Fields, Granada Province.

Birding on the regular patch with Olaf where we found two new species for my Cacín Valley list.

Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

I left the house and spent a few minutes sat along side the Rio Vilano and started my day list off with Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and a newly arrived pair of Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius).

Female Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca).

A little later I met Olaf from Berlin at Ventanueva as he got off the bus from Granada and we headed straight out on to the nearby fields Where we checked the eastern end of the Rio Vilano where we started off with more Little Ringed Plovers, White Wagtails, Spotless Starlings, House Sparrow, Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), a brief view of a female Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) which popped up on to some reeds and then disappeared in to them, several flyby Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), a noisy singing Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Corn Bunting, 27+ Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) which were feeding out on a flooded Lucern field, Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Woodpigeon,  some distant Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) amongst the Egrets, Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Blackbird, Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), a pair of Mallards (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Serins (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Collared Doves, Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and a couple of Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) amongest the finches.

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

We moved around to the Mesia road and checked the reed-beds but only found Zitting Cisticola and a couple of Red-legged Partridge.

We headed through the town and checked the poplar plantations on the Genil side where we had much better views of several Iberian Magpies and I picked up a pair of Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), as well as a singing Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) and just as we were leaving a fly over Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Once we crossed the motorway we took to the tracks and out on to the fields near Moraleda where we soon found the first of a few Thekla Larks (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), a very fine Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), a single Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) which soon shot from view through the Olives, a Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) which we only heard even though we searched in the rain for it, a Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) also only heard and out on the fields nearby Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and a small flock of Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia).

Golden Eagles (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).

We came down off the fields and just before we reached the village of El Turro we had a female Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus) fly across the road and land in some scrub where we again had views as it flew off down the valley.

We our next stop in the Pines adding Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) and a Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla).

Further along we stopped by the River bridge but only saw lots of Blackcaps and a singing Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

We stopped at the Northern end of the Contra Embalse where we walked out to the pylon view point and scanned the ducks below and found a single female Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), several Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and down at the southern end Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) x1, Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) x8, Little Ringed Plover x 5, Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) x2 and the second new species for the valley a single Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

Golden Eagles (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).

In the same area we also had a pair of Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and as we drove further along the valley a Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) which was being mobbed by a female Marsh Harrier.

At the far end of the gorge we parked and scanned the sky's and eventually had distant views of the male Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) as it flew North along with lots of Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula).

We drove back to Cacín where we collected a sandwich for lunch and then went up to the ridge and as we ate them 3 Golden Eagles (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) came into view down the road so we drove down and had good views as they tussled in the air.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Our last stop was out on the fields of La Malaha where we almost straight away picked up our first male Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) later we saw several more including a couple of males chasing a female over the fields. In the same area we had cracking views of several Great Spotted Cuckoo's as well as calling Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), calling Stone Curlews, Calandra Larks, Iberian Grey Shrike and as we were leaving the site a female Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) came up from the side of the track leaving it still just about alive Woodpigeon meal.

We made our way back to the city where I dropped Olaf off near the post office and then ade my way home just adding a couple of soaring Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

La Malaha and the Cacín Valley, Granada Province.

A day out on the patch with Bob and Christine.

Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni).

I met Bob and Christine up in Granada and we headed out to the south and then to the west to a spot where we started the list off with good views of several Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni) and in the same are Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), calling Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and as we were leaving the site a couple of Hoopoes (Abubilla / Upupa epops) flew in and one sat for a picture.

Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni).

Our next stop was on the fields near to the village of La Malaha, on the way through we saw the first of many Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Collared Doves (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).

Out on the fields we soon started to hear the first Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) of the day along with both Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and a couple of fine male Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), later we also had a female which was being chased down by aother fine looking male.

Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

On one of the Almonds we had a smart looking Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and several more calling Corn Buntings, Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), a male Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) and a fine looking female Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) which came up out of a weedy fallow field.

Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

We moved up on to the top fields adding Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and an immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) which Christine picked up as it flew across the fields.

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

We cut through to the fields near Morleda and out to the Cortijo and soon found the resident Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), a Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) which was sat under a tree eating lunch and in the olive plantations large numbers of Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina),  Serins, Goldfinches, Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and a few Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia).

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

We dropped down in to the Cacín Valley we saw a fine male Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and down in the Pines where we soon had a male Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) at the top of a pine tree along with a few other birds including Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Great Tits (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Chaffinch and a couple of Orchids including Ophrys fusca / foresteri and Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera subsp tenthredinifera).

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Down by the Rio a little further along the valley a calling Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), a fly over Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Just up the road we stopped again by the Contra Embalse de Bermejalis and scanned the water and margins picking up good numbers of Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) and duck of the day were a group of 21 Garganey (Cerceta Carretona / Anas querquedula) which were the first of the year but right at the far end of the lake.

On the margins there were several Common Moorhens (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), a Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) and further out lots of Eurasian Coots (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), a single Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and several White Wagtails.

Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra).

Other species seen during this stop included Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Marsh Harrier, Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Barn Swallow.

Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra).

Further down the valley we checked the cliffs and turned up a male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and a couple of Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus).

Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis).

We started to make our way back towards Granada via the road road from Cacín to La Malaha where we only added a couple of Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) to the list.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

I dropped Bob and Christine back into the City and I made my way back home.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera subsp tenthredinifera).

Laguna Dulce, Fuente de Piedra, Travelling to La Rambla and back home via Ecija, Malaga, Sevilla and Cordoba Provinces.

A mornings birding, a bit of ceramic shopping and a nice visit to Ecija for lunch and a wander around the town.

Female Little Crake (Polluela Bastarda / Zapornia parva).

Jayne and I were up and out earlish and made our first stop of the morning at Laguna Dulce near Campillos where almost straight away I had the target species in the bins, the female Little Crake (Polluela Bastarda / Zapornia parva) had been around for a few days and I had already missed it once so I was very happy to get good views.

Female Little Crake (Polluela Bastarda / Zapornia parva).

After standing by the last post of the shielding fence for a while the bird wandered into view and I managed to get a few shots but the light was not great. A little later I had good views in a slightly better light.

Female Little Crake (Polluela Bastarda / Zapornia parva).

Out on the lake I also recorded Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), 2x Eurasian Curlew (Zaoaito Real / Numenius arquata), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

We moved on and made our way to Fuente de Piedra visitor's Centre, on the drive in there were several more Greater Flamingo's on the pool on the left along with Eurasian Coot, Common Moorhen, Black-winged Stilt, Snipe and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

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

I scanned the main lake from the mirador seeing huge numbers of Greater Flamingo's, Northern Shovelers, Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), a single Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica) which flew out over the lake, Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Black-headed Gulls.

Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).

Around the back on the fresh water pools I added Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Red-crested and Common Pochards, Gadwall, Mallard, White-headed Duck, Little and Black-necked Grebe, Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Cetti's Warbler.

Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).

I walked down to the board walk where I bumped into several Spanish birders who were watching at least 3 Spotted Crakes (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana) which I had good views of and got some distant shots of and just a few meters away a Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) was singing from deep in a Tamarisk bush but I did manage a brief view as it flew from one to another.

I returned to the car and we drove off up to the town seeing a couple of White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) on the pool by the road and a pair of Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) on the field near the main road.

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

We had a coffee and toast in the town before heading North towards La Rambla via Puente Genil adding Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), a Marsh Harrier and by the Rio de Cabra a big surprise as there were around 300 Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) some of which were bathing down in the River whilst loads were passing over much higher. Down on the Rio there was a single White Stork, a dozen or so Black-winged Stilts, a single Redshank, 8 Avocets and a pair of Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).

Once we arrived in La Rambla we found everything we wanted surprisingly quickly so after a coffee we headed to the town of Ecija, a place a friend had recently recommended as a good place to visit and he was spot on. 

We had a very nice lunch sat out in the sun at Bar Canarias before wandering around the streets looking at the Churches and plaza'sand after a cracking afternoon we headed back home.

Laguna Dulce, Malaga Province.

A dip on a Little Crake but another couple for the year list.

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

On our way back from the coast we called in at Laguna Dulce where a female Little Crake ( Polluela Bastarda / Porzana parva) had been seen for a few days but I did not see it, even so I did pick up Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) for the year list.

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

Other species included Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), 2x Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).
In the parking area there were several Vagrant Emperors (Anax ephippiger) whizzing around but not settling.

Caleta de Velez Port Beach, Malaga Province.

Some Ringed Gulls on the beach at Caleta.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

I made a very quick visit to the beach at the port and took some shots of the ringed Gulls there which were mainly Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) but there were also a few Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) in the roost as well along with a few Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).