Last weeks trip to Nerja and Guadix area...

[Oriolus]

Just got back from our holiday last week and thought I would let you know how it went.

We arrived on Sat 20th at the villa in Nerja and noticed that the Red Rumped Swallows had begun nesting under the arches of the villa again ( 5th year running now) and had some really close up views which were lovely. Over the course of the week we saw the following around the villa and the rough ground surrounding it. Cattle Egret, C. Kestrel, Booted Eagle, Pallid and Common Swift, E. Bee eater, Turtle and Collard Dove, Barn and R.R Swallow, House and Crag Martin, Little Owl, Woodchat Shrike, Sardinian and Cetti’s Warbler, Whitethroat, Z.Cisticola, Nightingale, Robin, Blackbird, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Crossbill, (Lots of falling Cypress cones lol)  H.Sparrow, S.Starling.

On the Thurs of that week we set off on our trip to the Guadix area as planned, our first stop being just outside Herman Valle. Just as we parked up a couple of G.S.Cuckoo flew over so we drove off in the general direction that they had headed. We drove along a very quiet road from Herman in the direction of Alcudia de Guadix. On this road we stopped off about a dozen or so times and were rewarded with great views of the G.S.Cuckoos about 5 or 6 in total (noisy things), Stone Curlew, Calandra (singing it’s heart out) Thekla and Crested Lark, Common Wheatear, Common Magpie, Jackdaw, Red Billed Chough, Raven and a Hoopoe that we almost had in the car with us. After that we travelled up to via Gorafe and stopped off for lunch with great views of Alpine Swift, Golden Eagle and Griffon Vulture. We then set off down a very dodgy road (the hire car only just managed it) we didn’t see a great deal until we could drive no further so we turned around and my other half said ‘What it that in that tree’ (it was a Carrion Crow) but under the tree were a small flock of ‘’something’’ that I could not identify so I got out of the car to access the tripod for the scope and they took off and flew even further away. I hoped at the time that they were B.B Sandgrouse as they were one of the star attractions that I was hoping top see, however as they were so far away (and I had never seen them before) I could not be sure. I memorised what they looked like and their behaviour and have looked on Youtube and other sites for video footage and photos and was thrilled to discover that they were. Next time I hope to get a better view though as it was very fleeting and distant. No sign of L.Bustard or Roller though but there is always next time…..
A few days later we went for a quick walk near to the villa and saw lots more Hoopoe, Bee Eater, Stonechat and Black Wheatear.

Looking forward to getting back there in a few weeks and do a trip to Rhonda area and possibly Cabo de Gata with any luck…and I would like to thank everyone on here that helped out with all the info…