Bird Watching Spain :
Some of the Wonderful Places to Watch Birds in and around Malaga.

Bird Watching Spain, an informative article about the variety of species to be found in the Spanish province of Màlaga.

When one thinks of Málaga province and the Costa del Sol in general,

one thinks of warms seas, unlimited sunshine and beaches full of alcoholic tourists turning a bright red and nary a bird to be seen. Right? No, wrong.

Bird watching in Spain can be a very rewarding experience.Something over 350 species of birds have been recorded in the province over the years, some of extreme rarity such as Allen’s Gallinule, Magnificent Frigatebird or various species of North American gulls and waders and passerines such as the Moussier’s Redstart or Red-breasted Flycatcher.

The jewel in the Málaga birding crown is generally reckoned to be the emblematic seasonal lake (laguna) at Fuente de Piedra, just off the A-92 motorway going towards Seville and about 40 minutes from Málaga itself. Here there is the enormous colony of Greater Flamingos where, in a good year, up to 15,000 pairs of adults make their home. Breeding is strictly related to the amount of water in the lake at the end of February. If there is at least 30 cms, they breed - if not, they don't. In addition there is often a very good variety of waders at any season, ranging from the many migrants to be found, such as Garganey and a wide variety of waders, to the ubiquitous and scandalous breeding Black-winged Stilts, the Gull-billed Terns and one of the most southerly colonies of Black-headed Gulls. In the winter there are fair numbers of Stone Curlew and also wintering Little Stints, with Cranes and the likelihood of the Southern Gray Shrike. Early in the morning, this is one of the most beautiful and tranquil places that I know of.

Not far away, about 15 minutes by car, there is another seasonal lake, the Laguna Dulce - the Sweet Lake – just outside Campillos which is highly recommended for those who wish to see White-headed Duck, large numbers of Black-necked Grebe and Red-crested Pochard in the spring when there is sufficient water. There is also the possibility of Purple Gallinule (I refuse to call it a swamp-hen!) and in the fields to the right of Little Bustard and harriers, species to be selected according to season, although Marsh can be seen in most months.

For those who prefer to take to the hills and mountains – the sierras,for their bird watching in Spain there is plenty of choice too. Just outside Málaga there is the reserve the Montes de Málaga, much visited by the inhabitants of that city at weekends and much more tranquil during the week, which has a variety of raptors and passerines, including Hawfinch and Crested Tit, which will interest many. A bit further afield, between San Pedro and the very pleasant city of Ronda (apart from the smelly stream but where one stands a good chance of eyeball views of Peregrine and Blue Rock Thrush and possibly Rock Sparrow) there is the reserve of Sierra de las Nieves. This is a superb area where there are raptors such as Bonelli’s and Golden Eagle, plus the usual more frequent species as Peregrine. Starting from Los Quejigales, there is a wide variety of passerines from woodland species such as Western Bonelli’s Warbler at low levels, to nesting Skylark on the tops and a good chance of catching both Blue Rock Thrush and the less common Rock Thrush at levels over 1,500m. In autumn the woods may abound with grounded migrants when the weather has been less than favourable and it is a favoured site for Ring Ousel. Other good sites for mountain species and some raptors include El Chorro and El Torcal. The Sierra de Camarolo, to the north of Málaga off the road to Granada, is an interesting site and easily visited in a morning. Raptors such as Golden Eagle and Bonelli’s Eagle apart, it is a good site for both Cirl and Rock Bunting as well as Rock Sparrow, and in the autumn there are often large congregations of Ring Ousels.

One of the favoured sites of Málaga birders and of myself is the mouth and ponds of the Río (river) Guadalhorce, just to the west of Málaga city and just off the main motorway which makes it highly accessible, entering where it is signed for San Julian and Guadalmar. To get there, currently one must go into the urbanisation, heading towards the coast and then cross the river where it is dammed and where it also breaks regularly when the river floods, access then being impossible. A bridge further inland is planned but God knows when it will occur!

In the past year birders entering have often been treated not only to the sight of Audouin’s Gulls (April- September) but also a hybrid Western Reef Heron x Little Egret of which up to four different birds have been present. Once inside anything may be seen at any time of year, ranging from the very rare such as Terek Sandpiper or Lesser Yellowlegs and Marsh Sandpiper in recent years, to the introduced in the form of weavers, waxbills with the noisy presence of the Monk Parakeet. There are wintering ducks and the virtually annual presence of White-headed Duck, with breeding Gadwall and Pochard and large numbers of wintering Grey Herons and Cormorants. Species such as the Marbled and Ferruginous Ducks are much less common and the attractive Garganey occurs sparingly each spring. The area is remarkably good for egrets and herons in general, with a few each of Squacco and Little Bittern each year, migrant Purple Herons at the appropriate seasons and, of course, Little and Cattle Egret. The situation for waders is, unfortunately, at the moment less favourable but there are often goodly numbers of various species of gulls, Audouin’s apart. For the passerines, virtually anything can occur during the migration season.

For the seabirders like myself, off-shore there are variable numbers of Balearic Shearwaters and, in the summer, plenty of Cory’s, but the Mediterranean Shearwater is extremely scarce. There are skuas, mainly Arctic with few records of Great and Pomarine and only one so far of Long-tailed. Terns are mainly Sandwich although Little and Common occur on migration and there a few records each of Roseate, Caspian and Royal while the Lesser-crested is a scarce but annual autumn visitor. The majority of gulls are Yellow-legged, Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed, with a good contingent of Mediterranean during the migration periods and the winter, while Slender-billed is unusual and any Nearctic gull, of which there have been several, a total bonus. Auks, usually Razorbills, are fairly scarce winter visitors and if one sees a diver, the three common species having been recorded, it is definitely a red-letter day! Seawatching can be done from either the mouth of the Río Guadalhorce or from the seawalls at the marinas at Benalmádena or Fuengirola, although I am fortunate enough to be able to do it fairly well from my own apartment.

In spite of all this, do not despise the gardens of an apartment or hotel room as a good location for bird watching in Spain. In the winter there are plenty of Black Redstarts around and the skies fill with Crag Martins. Raptors overfly at times and Peregrine is reasonably frequent, which is more than can be said for the two Egyptian Vultures one afternoon. Warblers can be seen during migration times and my own garden warbler records include Subalpine, Orphean, Melodious and Western Bonelli’s, with other such attractive species as Pied, Collared and Red-breasted Flycatcher (I flipped at that one!). Overhead ‘flybys’ I have seen include raptors and such unexpected species such as Black Stork, Night Heron and, by the streetlights of all things, a low-flying Glossy Ibis! I have also seen in spring all European breeding swifts in less than two hours one March afternoon during a mass arrival, and yes, they included both Little Swift and White-rumped.

There are the birds, all one has to do is get out and look!
For books on bird watching in Spain visit amazon.com

Note: All sites mentioned in this article, plus many more, are in Andy Paterson and Ernest Garcia's book "Where to watch birds in Southern and Western Spain"

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