📖 Rain, Reeds and a Flash of Blue

Friday, March 6th 2026: It was a bit of a "moody" day here in Mijas—definitely cooler than yesterday at 12°C with some heavy showers rolling through. 

Since the weather wasn't playing fair, I opted for a bit of "comfort birding," sticking to shorter walks and using the car as a mobile hide. I managed to squeeze in two of my regular locations before meeting friends for lunch in Malaga: Cantera Los Arenales (Mijas Quarry) and the unique habitat at Zapata. 

 Mijas Quarry: A Resilience Check. 

The fire of 2022 at its peak

My regular readers will remember the devastating wildfire in July 2022 that tore through the landscape above the quarry. I always breathe a sigh of relief when I pull into the car park; the rocky outcrops and shrubs there luckily escaped the flames. It’s usually my reliable 'go-to' for Black Wheatear and Dartford Warbler, but after 45 minutes of scanning my usual hotspots, I'm sad to report they were nowhere to be found today. I've pencilled in a revisit of the whole site when I'm back here in May.

However, the pines and scrub still offered up some high-quality regulars: Crested Tit,  Short-toed Treecreeper, Sardinian Warbler and Common Crossbill. 

Sardinian Warbler 

Zapata: The Airport’s Wild Side.

I headed over to Zapata. For those who haven't visited, this extraordinary stretch of land runs along the Rio Guadalhorce on the north-west fringe of Malaga Airport (essentially the "other side" of the Guadalhorce reserve). It’s a brilliant mix of reedbeds and scrubland. 

Today I focused my efforts on the reeds along the river. Despite the grey skies, the area was buzzing with activity. On the airport perimeter fencing, Stonechats and Corn Buntings were perched prominently, while Barn Swallows and House Martins were busy overhead. 

Notable sightings included: Cetti's Warbler (loud as ever!) Zitting Cisticola (Fantailed Warbler) with a pair actively carrying nesting material—a lovely sign of the season. Crested Lark,  Chiffchaff, Serin, and Greenfinch.

Bird of the Day: The absolute highlight, however, was a Bluethroat. It briefly popped out into a small gap in the reeds to take a quick drink before vanishing back into the shadows.

Bluethroat - Taken in 2024 in almost the same spot!