07/10 onwards : various - Guadalhorce and Bald Ibis/Human

07/12 : The annual BirdLife International birdy weekend took place with the dedicated members of SEO-Málaga showing off birds and ringing (always very popular thanks to the ringers) and, as usual it was well attended by non birding humans and their off-spring.

wader pool and salicornia colours

Mediterranean Gulls (2 ads, 1 2nd winter)

European Nightjar

I strolled around with Federico, stopping at several points, admiring the colours of the salicornia (above) which has really taken over at the wader pool, and seeing Reed Warbler, the German ringed Osprey which has visited us for the third consecutive winter and a single Marsh Harrier. The best birding was along the río Viejo where was had a nice selection of waders, some 8 species, including a pair of the always elegant Greenshanks and one of their noiser relations, a Redshank. It was nice to see a pair of Common Terns and a pair of Little Terns, these and Sandwich Terns have been very scarce this autumn. There were plenty of Blackcaps in evidence and the first Robins were singing their autumn songs. Down on the laguna Grande a nice little group of Mediterranean Gulls (2nd winter and adults) showed well as did a couple of Audouin's.
The ringers had their usual gawking crowd oohing and aahing at seeing such little beauties as a lovely little male Bluethroat, the spectacle of a Kingfisher and a surprise European Nightjar, and lots of the aforesaid Blackcaps.

10/10 : The number of Blackcaps seen on Sunday reflected itself in my garden when no leass than 4 were present at once.

16/10 : My sister is out from the UK for the first time in years and this morning we had a gentle walk around the Guadalhorce. There was a nice selection of waders including 2 Redshank and a Greenshank, 5 Dunlin, a Curlew Sandpiper, some Snipe, a Sanderling and some Little Ringed Plovers. Birds of prey were few with singles of Booted Eagle and Kestrel, 3 young Marsh Harriers and 2 Sparrowhawks.
I finished off this afternoon with a migrant Spotted Flycatcher in the garden at home. We're going to La Janda tomorrow, so we shall see what we shall see.

Who is imprinted on who?

And finally, the photograph which was taken in early October 'somewhere in Andalucía'. The human in person was hand feeding the Bald Ibis but note should be taken of his headwear. Which leads me to the question : Is he trying not to imprint himself on the Bald Ibis as a human, or is he imprinted and thinks he's a Bald Ibis? Just think about it. The photo is courtesy of my old friend Peter Dunn.