
Most of the usual birds were there today including Ringed, Little Ringed and Kentish Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Little & Cattle Egrets, Grey Heron, Sanderling, Water Pipit, Cettis, Zits, Robin, Monks blah blah, yes you know them all. But! what was this beauty I stumbled upon as I crept round the reedbed? Wow, a stunning Garganey. This has to be the most beautiful Duck. Not gaudy but perfect symmetry with wonderfully textured and patterned plumage. Superb.


After a good lunch at the bar in Ventas de Zafarraya we took the circular route to Alcaucin via the picnic sites along the mountain track. The highlight of this section was the single Stone Curlew that Elena spotted close to the road as I drove by. Unfortunately by the time I stopped & backed up it has gone, but I did manage a shot of a Mistle Thrush in a nearby tree. This was to be the end of todays birding as the picnic site above Alcaucin was heaving with homo-sapiens, a species of no interest to us. | I can´t resist another look at the bird of the day though, the delightful Garganey, a spectacular and uncommon duck. |