🇪🇸 When Dazza and I flew out from Malaga on January 2nd 2020 having spent Christmas and New Year at my friends' villa in Mijas, we had no idea it would be 18 months before either of us could return. During that period the world has once more become a different place. For us, even a move to another nation and lifestyle change has occurred during this period! So it was a lovely feeling when I emerged from Malaga airport on Sunday afternoon from my flight from Aberdeen after such a long enforced absence.
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| A stunning morning view of a Juvenile Booted Eagle |
The first few days were spent simply catching up and generally hanging out at the villa, which in itself can be a superb 'watch point'. On Monday evening we were treated to some amazing views of one of the local
Eagle Owls perched atop the electric pylon just below the villa, sadly too dark for any good images. Then the following morning while enjoying breakfast on the terrace a young
Booted Eagle had the good grace to perch close up for a while.
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| A Bee-eater (on this occasion a group of 18) flies close to the villa and out towards the sea |
There was plenty of visible migration in the early week,
Black Kites,
Short-toed Eagle,
Honey Buzzards and lots of
Common Swifts but the highlight has to be the constant passage of
Bee-eaters over the villa, which you hear first as their unmistakable calls echo around the mountains.
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| Sardinian Warbler ~ Patience is a prerequisite to photographing one of these! |
The surrounding scrub and woodland have also been a hive of activity with
Red-legged Partridge,
Little Owl,
Tawny Owl, skulking
Sardinian Warblers and the odd
Turtle Dove. The
Wild Boar which have been devasting Dave's garden recently have been curtailed (it would seem) by the addition of a new electric fence. I think this is Dave's ultimate solution!
GUADALHORCE ~ (Paraje Natural Desembocadura del Guadalhorce) is situated on a naturally formed island just where the Guadalhorce river flows into the Mediterranean. See
HERE for site details.
A couple of visits over the period, early morning and late afternoon, the latter when the sun is better positioned to view the Laguna Grande.
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| Mediterranean Gull over Guadalhorce |
The birding was good but not as prolific as it can be and I'm relating this to the time of year. The lack of Gulls resting up meant that I failed to achieve any decent views of
Audouin's Gull or
Slender-billed Gull, two species I regularly encounter here. That said, I managed a few shots of some fly-by
Mediterranean Gulls.
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| Kentish Plover |
There was the usual selection of Waders with
Turnstone,
Little-ringed,
Ringed and
Kentish Plover,
Green Sandpiper,
Common Sandpiper plus resting
Sanderling and both
Greenshank and
Redshank.
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| Wood Sandpiper |
Little Stint and
Wood Sandpiper were the best of the bunch, viewable from the Rio Viejo, along with
Dunlin but no sign of any
Curlew Sandpiper on both visits. By far the largest numbers belonged to the
Black-winged Stilts, once again it looks like another excellent breeding year. Two groups of
Greater Flamingo including juveniles with a total of eighteen birds, plus a single
Spoonbill was noted but as per usual the bird was fast asleep during my visit!
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| White-headed Duck |
I could only locate a single
White-headed Duck during both visits, which is a concern as I'm usually into double figures. Also noted were five
Northern Shovelers a single Drake
Pochard and four
Black-necked Grebes, this included three juveniles. Flyovers included two
Great Egrets, three
Cattle Egrets and the usual marauding
Monk Parakeets!
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| Honey Buzzard |
During my morning visit, there was also a large passage of
Honey Buzzards, very high up and quite difficult to see in the bright morning sun.
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| Zitting cisticola (Fantail Warbler) |
Passerines were thin on the ground with
Sardinian Warbler,
Zitting Cisticola (Fantail Warbler),
Cetti's Warbler,
Reed Warbler and
Chiffchaff. Plus in addition to
Common Swift, a full set of hirundines
Red-rumped Swallow,
Barn Swallow,
Sand Martin and
House Martin all noted. A
Blue-headed Wagtail (Motacilla flava iberiae) also dropped onto Laguna Grande for a short period.
More Images of early-week...
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| Iberian Scarce Swallowtail |
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| Lots of these White-banded Digger Bees around the terrace |
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| Black Kite low over the villa at sunset |
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| European Paper Wasp |
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| Cockatiel fly past at Guadalhorce ~ Not sure of these escapee's breeding status in Spain! |
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| Pallid Swift over the villa |
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| Little Stint |
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| Greenshank |
