Guadalhorce

Reported by Luke.

We met a friend of ours Marc Anderson at Leroy Merlin store at 7:30am. We headed off to the bridge where I heard a Robin and we saw two Spoonbills in the distance and a couple of Mallards floating in the water. Then we headed into the reserve and we got to the first hide were there was another Spoonbill and also a few Black-winged Stilts also two Little Grebes. We looked in the distance at the Osprey tree were we saw a bird that was in a shape of a Falcon, so Marc got his spotting scope and confirmed that it was a Male Peregrine Falcon, so we all looked at him and got very good views of the Peregrine sitting very calmly in the tree.

We headed off to the second hide and there were 6 White headed Ducks on the pond. Carrying on to the next hide we saw a beautiful view of a Juvenile Woodchat Shrike and then Marc spotted something in the bush and it was a Yellow and Black bird and he confirmed later it was a Black-headed Weaver bird. So continuing, we saw a Beautiful Female Kestrel sitting peacefully and then about 2 minutes later a Female Sparrowhawk flew about 3 meters away.

We got to the next hide and there wasn't much on the pong just a Juvenile Black-winged Stilt and a Coot. So again carrying on to the next hide we saw Kentish, Little ringed and Ringed Plovers, also Curlew Sandpiper and Stilts also Common Sandpiper with a really good shot of a Kingfisher perched and Little Egrets in the pond. We looked at the Osprey tree again and the sun was facing the other way and the Peregrine was still sitting there and we looked through the scope and got some amazing views of this bird of prey as it was hunting along the field and perching again, we were all watching him for about 15 minutes and then he flew up river.
And so we walked back to the car and as we were on the motorway going over the bridge when we saw the Booted Eagle flying over the river. Amazing day all together. 25 Species all together.

Bird List: Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Spoonbill, Mallard, Black winged Stilts, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, White headed Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Woodchat Shrike, Common Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Egret, Kentish Plover, Little ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Kingfisher, Booted Eagle, Monk Parakeets, Black-headed Weaver.