DAY 7 - 10 DAYS IN ANDALUCIA

ROAD TO RONDA - ENCINAS BORRACHAS TRAIL - TEBA GORGE - CAMPILLOS LAGUNA DULCE - LAGUNA FUENTE DE PIEDRAS.

What a cold day! Although we had bright sunshine in a cloudless sky it was very cold!!! Christine and John joined us for their second day out, we collected them on the outskirts of the village and set off north towards Ronda. We stopped twice in the mountains where we found Rock Sparrow, Linnets, Red-legged Partridge, Red-billed Chough, Blue Rock Thrush and a Great Tit. At the open valley where the Encinas Borraches trail bewgins we found several Thekla Larks and had great views of a Southern grey Shrike.

We then stopped just passed the Teba Gorge to scan the mountains for eagles. There were many Jackdaws and Red-billed Chough and we did find a distant Bonelli's Eagle perched high up on the rock face. The bird refused to budge so we had to make do with a half-a-bird sighting. Passerines found there included Hawfinch, Sardinian Warbler and a few Blackcaps were singing from the scrub.

At Laguna Dulce we drove around the back of the pool to search the flat, open fields for larks, plovers and Little Bustards. As we entered the open fields we saw Crested larks, Red-legged Partridges and Meadow Pipits, but we also found a huge flock of Common Cranes, they took off as we drove along the track, at least 200 birds, a great sight. Further down the track we scanned the fields finding many Calandra Larks, Corn Buntings, Stonechats and thousands of hirundines were hawking over the lake. On our way back to the car we saw a Raven and a Bonelli's Eagle flying high above us we also picked out Common Pochard and Black-necked Grebe on the water.

At the hide on the south side of the laguna we sat and ate our picnic lunch in nice sunshine sheltered from the cold breeze. From there we watched Lapwing, Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Greater Flamingo, White-headed Duck (45), Red-crested Pochard and a nice surprise: Tufted Duck (3). In the scrub along the edge of the laguna we watched Chiffchaff, Goldfinch and House Sparrows.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the Laguna Fuente de Piedras where, apart from seeing 10,000 Greater Flamingos we had a great time watching several species of wader. there were many Avocets, a flock of some 20+ Ruff, also Kentish Plover (6), Redshank (1), Common Snipe (5), Black-tailed Godwit (3 in summer plummage), Black-winged Stilt, Dunlin (5), Little Stint (22) and lots of Lapwing. We also saw a couple of Common Buzzards, Marsh Harrier and Common Kestrel.

On the return journey we stopped to look for more Bonelli's Eagle, but failed to find one. The long drive back was uneventful but we were content with a good day out around the lagunas.