Trip Report: The Rio Guadalhorce, Malaga

Located just outside Malaga, the mouth of the Rio Guadalhorce may at first seem an unlikely site for birdwatching. However, the complex of ponds and scrubland that sits between the two arms of the river – widened and engineered to avoid flooding upstream – is a key stretch of wetland habitat within Andalucia, and with [...]

 
Iberian Green Woodpeckers...March in the mountains above Lanjaron

A bright, sunny start to the day had Kiersten and I heading up into the mountains recently…only to be met by rolling, foggy clouds that brought our birdwatching day to a cold, wet and rather miserable end. Still, we managed to cobble together a day-list before the weather closed in around us, and there were [...]

 
Trip Report: the Griffon Vultures of El Torcal

Situated about 30km north of Malaga near the town of Antequera, the stunning limestone crags of El Torcal are only a short drive from Fuente de Piedra, and provide a wonderful contrast to the flat,  open spaces of the wetland reserve. The highly eroded rock formations have a wonderful, almost other-worldly feel  – many thanks [...]

 
Trip Report: the first days of spring at the Laguna de Fuente de Piedra

It’s the first day of March, and with a couple of birdwatching friends birdwatchalpujarras is off to visit the saltwater lagoon of Fuente de Piedra. This fascinating stretch of wetland habitat can be productive at almost any time of year, and with the spring passage upon us the first of the season’s migrants may just [...]

 
The Black Redstart - a striking favourite for January day-lists

The male Black Redstart Phoenicuros ochruros is without a doubt one of the more striking winter visitors to the village, and the species continues to show well in our gardens and orchards as the new year unfolds… It’s rusty, red tail is unfortunately obscured in the latest of Kiersten’s shots, but that grey cap and [...]

 
Nuthatch, Firecrests and a Southern Grey Shrike...December on the hillsides of Lanjaron

With a flight booked for Christmas in the UK, I’ve still had time for one last trip up the mountain before the break, and we headed off last week on familiar tracks for Puente Palo. The hillsides had a bleak, exposed feel to them that day… and it has to be said as we wound [...]

 
Warblers, Rock Bunting and Black Redstarts - the gardens of Lanjaron in November

The gardens and other patches of broken, open land around the village hold a surprising range of species at this time of year, and it’s a great time to take a seasonal look at what can be seen – and heard – on our local patch if you step out of the door… House Sparrows, [...]

 
The Black Redstart - back in good numbers for another winter season!

Like other “winter visitors” to the region the Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros has a year-long presence in southern Spain, but our local, resident population is boosted every year with a seasonal influx of migratory birds from more northerly parts of its European range… Through the summer we usually have to travel just a little higher [...]

 
Trip Report: Wheatears, Shrikes and Golden Eagles!

We had guests on board today as we once again headed off up the mountain, to get a good, end-of-the-month look at what the local hillsides have to offer at this changeable, busy time of the year. We ended up having a thoroughly good time today, and managed to put some interesting local favourites on [...]

 
Trip Report: Birding around Bubion - late summer raptors in the Alpujarras

After last Friday’s scouting mission to the white villages we returned to Bubion again today, to meet a family keen to explore the local area and hoping to learn more about some of the local bird species they might encounter during their stay here… With the midday heat a bit too much to bear we [...]