Guadalhorce today

Hurray, hurray, I went birding to the Guadalhorce today! Not very poetic, is it? But I risked my right knee as I was suffering severe withdrawal symptoms and if I had not got out there may have been some violence done within the family circle (not the dog, she's alright). So, off I trotted. It was very pleasant even though there was only Paco Rivera of the regular domingueros. He had already had some luck and photographed a Penduline Tit (left) and we walked round together in the warm sunshine, far too warm really as there are very few ducks around.

A Kestrel which was bumped off its perch by a Booted Eagle gave the eagle hell for several minutes, quite amusing and I'm certain the eagle got the full extent of the kestrel's insults. It rather looks as though a rather splendid Southern Grey Shrike has settled down in the area leading to the seabird watch point /mirador. There were plenty of Chiffs around and a superb male Serin which refused to be photographed, unlike the obliging female Black Redstart shown here (left, mine; right by Paco).

At the big pond there were a few Shoveler, odd Mallards and the female Common Scoter that had been found by Bob Wright & co. earlier this week, which was very obliging and gave good views at less than 70m as opposed to the more normal ones of birds bobbing up and down and diving as distant blots upon the sea.

We saw a small green snake, species unknown, which slithered across our path, and Paco showed me the photo which is reproduced here of a rather large and very striking caterpillar which he had photographed last week. It is the caterpillar stage of the Spurge Hawk Moth. We found one last December too and is something to be looked out for.