Monday 28 June, Rio Guadiaro - Colmenar 4pm - 6pm

A lovely warm afternoon walk along this pretty stretch of the river. We drove into Colmenar and turned left just before the railway track. After about 100m we turned right and followed a dirt track to the river-side and then after about another 500m we stopped at a weir. The birds on and around the river included Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Cetti's Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Grey Heron and lots of Green, Gold and Chaffinches coming to drink with Serins.

We walked back towards the village passing a row of tall eucalyptus on the river bank and mature cork oaks in the scrub on our left. We found many species there but had great views of a Wryneck which we found in a cork oak which then moved down into the scrub and showed well. We also saw a Hawfinch in the same cork oak as well as a Great Spotted Woodpecker (4), Eurasian Nuthatch, Iberian Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler and plenty of Blue Tits. At the river near the tall eucalyptus we watched several Golden Orioles flying to and fro across the river, a couple of Ravens flew by and a Cetti's Warbler showed extremely well in a dead bush in the middle of the river!

During the drive to and from Colmenar from Gaucin we noted Short-toed and Booted Eagles, not a bad afternoon's excursion, we made a promise to return during an early morning.