Birding on the Costa del Sol (Malaga) (2 Viewers)

Luis Alberto BIRDAYTRIP said:

and thousands of Mediterranean Gulls arrived from inland, where they go eating olives, to roost on the water in huge flocks.

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That's a fascinating nugget of information Luis! I've never heard of that, or of any gulls eating olives. I have seen Black-headed Gulls on Fig Trees here though.

Birding at El Chorro and the Laguna de Fuente de Piedra (2018.03.16)

We had a fantastic walk to the cliffs of El Chorro, the farmlands and the Fuente Piedra Lake which will be in perfect conditions for the Greater Flamingos breeding after the rains.

Click here for more pictures and the complete list of 71 species observed: http://www.birdaytrip.es/blog/item/...costa-del-sol-malaga-andalucia-southern-spain

We were lucky to come back from the cliffs of El Chorro before it rained again! We could spot most of the gems here like Common Crossbill, Alpine Swift, Peregrine Falcon, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, Chough, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle and Golden Eagle.

We spotted our first Montagu’s Harriers and Woodchat Shrikes of the season in the farmlands.

The Fuente Piedra Lake is looking great. Apart from great observations of Greater Flamingos, we enjoyed Whiskered Tern, Wryneck, Red-rumped Swallow, White-headed Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Mediterranean Gull and Lesser Flamingo.

"Birdwalking" at the Hoz de Marin (2018.04.15)

We were eager to enjoy nature and spring weather after so much rain!

Have a look at more pictures and the complete list of 49 species observed: http://www.birdaytrip.es/blog/item/...costa-del-sol-malaga-andalucia-southern-spain

As the main trail into the Hoz (gorge) de Marin (Malaga Northeast District) was closed after the big fire in 2016, today we decided to walk the Gran Senda de Malaga from Archidona to the river.

The sounds coming from the valley were fantastic, including the powerful songs of Nightingales, calls from Hoopoes and Cetti’s Warblers, and the drumming of the woodpeckers.

We spotted lots of interesting birds like Wryneck, Blue Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear, Azure-winged Magpie, Hawfinch, Bonelli’s Warbler, Rock and Cirl Buntings, and the first Golden Oriole of the season.

We also had great views of a male Sparrowhawk sunbathing on his perch and many Nightingales singing from the lush river forest.

Birding at El Torcal and Fuente de Piedra Lake (2018.04.30)

Mixing a stunning mountain environment like El Torcal with one of the most important Greater Flamingo breeding colonies of the Mediterranean is the best way to get a perfect birding day...

Click here for many more pictures and the complete list of 83 species observed: http://www.birdaytrip.es/blog/item/...ol-malaga-andalucia-southern-spain-2018-04-30

We missed very few species among those that can be observed at El Torcal at this time of year but let’s be positive and mention the ones we could enjoy (among others!): W. Orphean, Subalpine, Sardinian, Melodious and W. Bonelli’s Warblers, Nightingale, Northern and Black-eared Wheatears, Rock Sparrow, Blue Rock Thrush, Griffon Vulture, Chough, Rock and Cirl Buntings, Thekla Lark, Honey Buzzards on passage...

Montagu’s Harriers, Little Bustard, Lesser Kestrel, Gull-billed Tern, Crested Lark and the songs of the Quail and the Calandra Lark at the farmlands...

The Lake is again the vignette of its best seasons: a pink shade of Flamingos everywhere. Plus Lesser Flamingo, Lesser Kestrel, Red-crested Pochard, White-headed Duck, Curlew Sandpiper, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt...

Looking for the Golden Eagle in Malaga province (2018.05.23)

Julie and Ian are back in Malaga and they wanted to spot the Golden Eagle this time...

The route in search of the Golden Eagle went around what is geologically called Malaga Central Limestone Arc, north of the Axarquia District and south of Northeast and Antequera ones, in The Route of 100 Birds.

We had a wonderful day enjoying stunning landscape and many birds. Did we find the Golden Eagle? Yes! Where? It doesn’t matter, but it was close enough to make our day and for a decent record picture and the best possible satisfaction!

Birding at the Fuente de Piedra Lake and Guadalteba Farmlands 2018.07.12

Interesting bird watching morning with the first signs of migratory movements...

Click here for the complete list of 51 species observed: http://www.birdaytrip.es/blog/item/...ol-malaga-andalucia-southern-spain-2018-07-12

The highlights of the day were five juveniles of Montagu’s Harriers in the surroundings of Campillos, Stone Curlew, a few Alpine Swifts in flight over the farmlands, nice views of a pair of light and dark morph Booted Eagles, and relatively very close views of two Lesser Flamingos next to the Visitors Centre.

The signs of migratory movement were a little flock of Shovelers, a Teal and some Lesser Black-backed Gulls at the Laguneto.

The funny point was the presence of two Egyptian Geese next to the Laguna Dulce in Campillos... Where will they come from?

Birding at the Mouth and Valley of the Guadalhorce and El Chorro (2018.07.31)

Janice and I wanted to make some good pictures of birds so we decided to visit the Mouth and Valley of the Guadalhorce and El Chorro. Needless to say she took much better pictures than mine!

Pacific Golden Plover at the Mouth of the Guadalhorce (2018.08.12)

A few days ago, Armando Molina published the picture of a “weird” Golden Plover at the Mouth of the Guadalhorce Nature Reserve...

Some colleagues saw different races of common Golden Plover in the photograph but Eduardo Alba stood his ground that it was a Pacific Golden Plover. After checking some more pictures and videos taken by other birders and an interesting discussion about the features of the bird, the Committee of Wise Men finally agreed we are being visited by a Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva).

Click here to see the video: https://youtu.be/TPzBQwvWNNI

Birding at El Chorro (2018.10.13)

Have a look at some pictures of a very windy morning at El Chorro.

Bird watching at the Fuente the Piedra Lake from the Guadalhorce River Valley (2018.1

My dear Friends Barbara and Derek and I had a wonderful Christmas outing visiting the Valley of the Guadalhorce, Guadalteba farmlands and Fuente de Piedra Lake for a good record of 83 species.

Click here for the complete list of birds observed: https://www.birdaytrip.es/blog/item...piedra-lake-from-the-guadalhorce-river-valley

The highlight at the Valley were the Great White Egrets and the big amount of Common Buzzards in the area this year.

We have very much enjoyed a big amount of Griffon Vultures at Cerro del Búho.

Later, in the flooded lands before arriving to Campillos, some Glossy Ibis, a couple of Spotted Redshanks and some Little Stints that are not very common out of the passage period.

There was a pair of pintails, a female Garganey and plenty of Great Crested Grebes and White-headed Ducks at Laguna Dulce.

In the farmlands, It was nice to watch some Golden Plovers, Black-winged Kite, an Osprey that soon flew away to the south, possibly heading to the reservoirs, and a flock of Little Bustards flushed by a nice male Marsh Harrier.

The number of Greater Flamingos well exceeds the average at this time of year. We could spot many Cranes around the lake as well, and Bluethroat, Iberian Grey Shrike, Dartford Warbler and Spanish Sparrow in the surroundings of the Visitors Centre.

The return of the Lesser Kestrels

The Lesser Kestrels are returning to their wonderful colony in Alora, at the Guadalhorce Valley. Enjoy some pictures of these beautiful raptors.

Bird watching around the Axarquia and Slavonian Grebe (2019.03.04)

Morning at the Axarquia and evening at the Guadalhorce… Enjoying one of the most diverse regions of Europe!

Click here for many more pictures: https://www.birdaytrip.es/blog/item...d-the-axarquia-and-slavonian-grebe-2019-03-04

The plan was reaching the Boquete the Zafarraya and have a look around the polje in Granada province with my friend Quirri, and then move back to Malaga and search for the new rarity in the region, a Slavonian Grebe that has just arrived to the pools at the Mouth of the Guadalhorce Nature Reserve.

We could not find the Bonelli’s Eagles on the way to Zafarraya though we enjoyed a lot of interesting typical birds like Rock Bunting, Blue Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear, Rock Sparrow and Sardinian Warbler.

Our tour around the Zafarraya polje was very disappointing. There is a nice population of Tree Sparrows, that are almost extinct in Malaga province, and chances are high for Bramblings in the farmlands there, but farmers have considered the hedges where they like to live are not convenient anymore and have mercilessly got rid of them. I will not visit that region for a long, long time again and I will keep on showing how irrational and barbarian agricultural practises are behind the dramatic loss of biodiverse all over the world.

Our second call to the Bonelli’s Eagles cliff finally gave us a short majestic flight of this gem among Malaga birds.

We visited the Rio Velez before coming back to Malaga, where I could see my first Yellow Wagtails of the season together with a big number of Water Pipits and Green Sandpipers.

After a quick lunch, I headed to the Mouth of the Guadalhorce in search for the Slavonian Grebe. It was with the group of Black-necked ones, swimming away from the hide from where some colleagues had just had the opportunity to take some very close pictures of the bird.

After a while, the Slavonian was swimming and diving on its own while the flock of Black-necked was moving towards another corner of the pool. They do not seem to get on perfectly well though a squad of three Black-necked came back to the Slavonian. They were trying to convince it to join the group again when sun came down to put the end of a fantastic birding day in Malaga.

Searching for crakes at Campillos and Fuente de Piedra lakes (2019.03.11)

The glorious Andalucia Bird Society Malaga Team met once again to try the Little and Spotted Crakes recently recorded in The Route of 100 Birds.

Click here to see the video: https://youtu.be/jhfWdaWyj2k

A Little Crake, a very rare species in Malaga province, has recently been recorded at the Laguna Dulce, near Campillos, in the Guadalteba Farmlands. And there we went as early birders. I had never seen so many enthusiastic birders on a Monday morning, but this small rarity is worth the trip and getting up at the crack of dawn.

It was fabulous how the crake “paraded”, as Derek put it, though it moves very quickly and makes taking good pictures very difficult.

Once it disappeared in the reeds and the tamarisks, we paid attention to the beautiful Great Crested and Black-necked Grebes, White-headed Ducks and Cetti’s Warblers around us as well.

We then moved on to Fuente de Piedra, where we met Ricky and Sonia, in search for some Spotted Crakes that had also been recorded around the Visitors Centre. You may not get your target, as it was the case, but coming to this lake is always worthwhile and we had great views of Stone Curlews, Greater Flamingos, a beautiful male Garganey (another “special” species in Malaga), a Squacco Heron at the Laguneto and a big flock of Glossy Ibis in flight over the area.

The day ended at the Mouth of the Guadalhorce, another gem in The Route of 100 Birds, where we wanted to repeat my wonderful views of the Short-eared Owls last week though, this time, they decided to show up, if they have not departed to the north yet!, after dusk.

Nevertheless, we had nice views of Mediterranean and Slender-billed Gulls, and Booted Eagles among many other birds at the reserve.

Great birding day, after which Barbara had recorded 82 species, in the best possible company.

Birding around Archidona (2019.03.30)

We have recorded our first Cuckoo, Woodchat Shrike and Nightingale of the season near Archidona today!

Bonaparte's Gull: a new rarity at the Mouth of the Guadalhorce (2019.04.02)

Our visit in search for the Bonaparte’s Gull gave us excellent views of White-headed Ducks, Slender-billed Gulls, Kentish Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Glossy Ibis and many more birds…

Photo: Bonaperte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)

Click here for many more pictures: https://www.birdaytrip.es/blog/item...ty-at-the-mouth-of-the-guadalhorce-2019-04-02