Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.

Thursday, 10 September 2026

Huétor Fields and Presa y Meandros del Genil, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning on the Fields and another visit to the Owls.

Ebird List for the Fields.

Ebird List for the Dam.

Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

I met Paqui down at the fields and we walked out as far as the gate, on the newly cut Lucerne fields we found a single Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which got flushed when the tractors arrived to collect the cut Lucerne.

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Other species seen were Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), a fly over Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), a flock of 17 Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Willow (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Spanish (Yellow) (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and the star birds were a couple of immature Ortolan Bunting (Escribano Hortolano / Emberiza hortulana) feeding with other Finches and Buntings.

Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

Later in the day we went back out to see if the Eurasian Eagle Owls (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) were still hanging around, we didn't see any but heard a bird calling off down the valley.

Whilst there we also added Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Willow Warbler, Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla) and Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos).

Wednesday, 9 September 2026

Riofrio and Presa y Meandros del Genil, Granada Province, Spain.

Lunch in Riofrio Back to check in on the Owls.

Ebird List.

Paqui and I popped down to Riofrio for some lunch but it turned out to be extremely disappointing, later we spent a while down at the river where Paqui had a paddle, whist there we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

Losing the Sun.

Later in the day we spent another hour with the Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo), however we only managed to hear a single bird which was calling further along the valley but this was not surprising as there was quite a bit of noise from people in a nearby building and from a farmer nearby who was pumping water from the river.

As we sat scanning the area we picked up a few more interesting species including Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) x3, Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Tuesday, 8 September 2026

Contra-embalse de Bermejalis and near Moraleda, Granada Province, Spain.

Down the Cacín Valley with Paqui.

Eird List for the Embalse.

Sunrise down the Fields.

Paqui and I met early down at the Fields but after a short walk we went for a coffee and then headed down the Cacín Valley to the Contra-embalse de Bermejalis, just before we got there we had the first of several Short-toed Snake Eagles (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and a pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).

We parked at the Embalse and we scanned the water using the scope finding Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Around the margins and above the water there were Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Eurasian Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) ♀.

We moved back up the Cacín Valley back to the A92 but as we went back towards Huétor we came off at the Villanueva Mesía exit and spent a short while trying to get shots of the Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) butterflies x8.

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) ♂.

Other species included Small White (Pieris rapae), Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) and a ♂ Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi).

Monday, 7 September 2026

Huétor Fields, Balsa de Regidor, Huétor Fields and Presa y Meandros del Genil, Granada Province, Spain.

A couple of visits to the Fields, Balsa in between and back to the Owls to finish off the day.

Ebird List for the Balsa.

Ebird List for the fields.

Ebird List for the Presa.

Sunrise down on the fields.

I met Paqui down on the fields and we did a short walk as she had to be at an appointment, during this walk we saw Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala).

The Lucerne fields.

Paqui headed off and I moved on to the Balsa de Regidor, after parking I walked out to the concrete pier and scanned the pool from there finding Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin, Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus ibericus) heard and seen, Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin), Sardinian Warbler, Spotless Starling, Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Balsa de Regidor.

Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

Also seen in the area were a few dragonfly species including Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) and Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata).

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♂.

10535 Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella).

I also added Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa), Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis) and Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella).

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) ♂.

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) ♀.

I moved on and headed back towards the fields again but called in at a spot along the motorway where I checked several Wild Caper (Capparis spinosa) plants and found several Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) butterflies x8♂ x1♀ as well as Small White (Pieris rapae) x1 and Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x3♂.

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) ♂.

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) ♀.

Back on the fields I walked out to the gate adding European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Hoopoe, European Bee-eater, Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Common Whitethroat, Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster).

Later in the Evening Paqui and I again headed out to a spot near the Presa y Meandros del Genil where we again had good views of a couple of stunning Eurasian Eagle Owls (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) and Paqui managed to get some photo's through my scope which are heavily cropped.

Eurasian Eagle Owls (Búho Real / Bubo bubo).

Other species seen included Green Sandpiper, a calling Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei) and Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for 6th September 2026.

15W Actinic on the terrace, +21

57 Moths of 23 Species.

Any corrections, PLEASE send me a comment on the post, thanks.

Licence from Junta de Andalucía.

2169 Scythris limbella.

2169 x1, 3029 Dysspastus fallax x3, 5144 Cydia pomonella (Codling Moth) x1, 5578 Lamoria anella x11, 5624 Bostra obsoletali x3, 5742 Etiella zinckenella x1, 5830 x3, 6001 Euzophera lunulella x1, 6118 x3, Anarpia incertalis6690a Palpita vitrealis x9, 6700 x1, 6702 Dolicharthria bruguieralis x1, 7533 Stegania trimaculata (Dorset Cream Wave) x1, 8211 Rhodometra sacaria (The Vestal) x1, 8801 Cryphia algae/pallida agg x1, 8899 Clytie illunaris (Trent Double-stripe) x2, 9100 Acontia lucida (Pale Shoulder) x1, 9106 9142 Eublemma parva (Small Marbled) x4 and 9460 Spodoptera exigua (Small Mottled Willow) x3 and 10016 Leucania punctosa x1.