Spanish Birding 3 - Guadahorce

Or to give them their full name Les Desembocaduras de Guadahorce (please excuse my spelling) which is the glorious title for a small but excellent reserve on the western edge of Malaga. I took the train to the station at Plaza Mayor and from there had a bit of a trek to the site.

Cormorant against stormy skies and rubbish picture of White-headed Duck.

Not much to report on the outward journey, it was the night after some dreadful thunderstorms and the light quality was rather gloomy and poor. Birding picked up at the reserve where the expected White-headed Ducks were on view, rather fewer than usual but most could have been out of sight. A small group of Pochards contained a sleeping female Red Crested while amongst the dabblers there was a Pintail joining the more usual Gadwalls, Teals and Shovellers. From here I walked to the Laguna Grande where an adult Greater Flammingo was as elegant as ever. This lake was otherwise rather bird free with a large group of Cormorants the most noteworthy feature amongst the others though patient searching found both Black-winged Stilts and Little Ringed Plover.

Black-winged Stilt and Greater Flamingos.

After this slightly disappointing stop I took a walk down towards the sea hoping for a change of fortune. The first hide with only Coots and Dabchicks showing on the water seemed unlikely to raise spirits but a scan of the background bushes revealed a Booted Eagle. This site is home to a small number of wintering birds so it was a welcome find rather than a surprise one.

Raptor royalty, Booted Eagle and Osprey.

From the next hide a large flock of stilts were dwarfed by a flock of eleven Greater Flamingos feeding. Most of the birds were the less than attractive immatures though there was one adult baby sitting them. A ringing tew tew call announced the arrival of a Greenshank which for once seemed rather short in this company.

Redshank and Ruff.

The tidal creek was host to a good number of waders with Dunlins being the commonest though their numbers were nearly matched by Ringed Plovers. The Ringeds were joined by a few of their Kentish cousins and there were also a small number of Sanderlings, most of which were sleeping, and an adult Little Stint. Singles of both Ruff and Redshank were feeding in the deeper water of the channel and they were joined here by more stilts. A single Osprey was found sitting in some bushes at the back.

Little Stint with Dunlin and Kentish Plovers. 

A quick peek at the sea revealed some Sandwich Terns and also something else but I will leave that for the last section of my report. Having decided it was time to head back for a late lunch with my wife I hiked backed to the train station picking up views of two more Booteds and also a Marsh Harrier on the way.

Little Ringed Plover and another shot of Booted Eagle.