Fuengirola Break

 I've just returned from a week's break in Spain with my wife Sandra where we were celebrating her birthday. It was by no means a birding trip though I went for a walk every day and on my strolls managed to see a few things of interest. Visitors to the Costa del Sol will know that green space is at a premium amongst all the development but Fuengirola does have a few areas worth visiting.

Blue Rock Thrush and Black Redstart

The castle at the western end of the town is surrounded by a park and this is where most of my walks took me. The pines on the slopes of the castle mound attracted Crested Tits on three separate occasions while the slopes themselves hosted at least three Black Redstarts, others were seen elsewhere along the river. A juvenile Blue Rock Thrush paid the briefest of visits to the castle walls before being moved on by numerous visitors filing past. Other species noted included Sardinian Warbler, Serin, Short-toed Treecreeper, Monk Parrakeets and Crag Martins.

Crag Martin and Spotless Starling

The Fuengirola River has for the most part dried up but the tidal section held fishing parties of both Cormorants and Little Egrets with the odd Grey Heron joining them on occasion. Several Kingfishers helped to make this an even more dangerous place for the unfortunate fish! A juvenile Night Heron was seen on two occasions at the last part of the river proper which still contains some water. The river mouth suffers from plenty of human disturbance but when the sunny weather gave way to rain for the last two days visitor numbers slackened and I noted a single juvenile Ringed Plover and eight Turnstones. The beach is also prone to disturbance but early mornings saw loafing gulls resting and these included a good number of Mediterranean as well as the numerous Yellow-leggeds. Both Gannets and Sandwich Terns were seen flying past though I couldn't find any shearwaters, I have seen them from here before.

Monk Parrakeet and Kingfisher

Other wildlife was in short supply, I saw a single Painted Lady at the castle while a few Monarchs were noted flitting along the seafront. All in all it was a good break which even a massive queue at Malaga Airport passport control before our return flight could not sour. Now its back to work and rain, wonder how long it takes to forget that I ever got away?

Ringed Plover, Turnstone and Med Gulls