North to Molinaseca in El Bierzo, Castile and León, Spain.

A dip on the way further North.

Ebird List for Lagunas de Villafáfila.

Ebird List for La Bañeza.

 

We didn't light the candle in the car.

We were up and out after a very good nights sleep and made our way to Lagunas de Villafáfila where I was hoping to see a Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Playerito Canela / Calidris subruficollis), on the way we found Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a flyover Great Bustard (Avutarda Euroasiática / Otis tarda).

Walk along the side of the sewage Lagoon.

We parked at a man made sewage water pool to the north of Laguna Salina Grande, here we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Common Buzzard, Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Small White (Pieris rapae), Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Lesser (Anax parthenope) and Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea).

At the far end of these pools I scanned the small pool which was all that was left of the main Laguna where I picked up Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Green (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola), Ruff (Combatiente / Calidris pugnax),Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Spanish (Yellow) (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus).

Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus).

I scanned the pool for a while but I could not locate the target as the birds were always distant and mostly into the Sun, so we walked back to the car and headed off North again, our next stop was in the town of La Bañeza, where we soon found the first of many Rooks (Graja / Corvus frugilegus) which were sitting in some of the Poplar trees around the Hospital making quiet a lot of noise.

Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus).

Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus).

Other species here were Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and a ♀ European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).

We again continued on North but at Astorga we went across country through several pueblo's but made a short stop in El Acebo de San Miguel before making our way to Molinaseca, where we had something in the bar before checking into the Hostal el Palacio where we were staying for the next 5 nights.

Later we went for a walk around town and had a birthday tinto de verano in a riverside bar, as we walked we recorded Western House Martin, Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

I had received a message from the hotel a week or so before we arrived telling us that there was a fiesta in the town for 3 nights of our stay which could have proved to be a noisy problem but when we asked in the bar they told us it was back in August and I had miss read the message which I was pleased about, so we had a good nights sleep.

Travelling North to the Salamanca area.

The first day of our birthdays trip to the North with a Spanish lifer at Laguna del Cristo.

Ebird List for Laguna del Cristo. 

Dawn.

We set off early for a few days in the North as both Paqui and myself have birthdays over the next few days, we first headed out West to Sevilla picking up Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), a Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Heading North from Sevilla.

One of the Osborne bulls seen on the way north.

We had some breakfast just north of Sevilla and then continued on along the Autovía Ruta de la Plata as far as Plasencia where we had some Lunch, during this section of the journey we saw Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Cinereous  / Eurasian Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus), Red (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) and Black Kite, Common Buzzard, Short-toed Snake (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax) and Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki).

Laguna del Cristo.

After lunch we continued on seeing Griffon Vulture, Red Kite and Booted Eagle again before we arrived at Laguna del Cristo where I was hoping to see a long staying Smew (Serreta Chica / Mergellus albellus), after a while searching through the many birds on the water I found the redhead feeding on the far shore and diving regularly.

Smew (Serreta Chica / Mergellus albellus).

Smew (Serreta Chica / Mergellus albellus).

Other species seen Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), lots of Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Little (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) and Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Western Bonelli's (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Spotless Starling, Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotted (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) and European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Whilst there we also had Rhodometra sacaria (The Vestal), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) and False Meadow Saffron (Colchicum montanum).

Rhodometra sacaria (The Vestal).

False Meadow Saffron (Colchicum montanum).

It was getting warm so we returned to the car and found a hotel nearby which turned out to be a good choice in La Fuente de San Esteban, the Hostal-SPA Mare Nostrum was outstanding.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Morning and evening visits to the Fields.

Ebird List for the Fields 1.

Ebird List for the Fields 2.

A few of the many Common Woodpigeons (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

I met Paqui at the Walnut Trees and we walked out to the gates as usual and back again, as we walked we saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops).

I spent the rest of the day packing ready for tomorrows trip to the North but late in the evening I met Paqui back down on the fields and we sat on the road for a while, whilst there we saw 3x Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), lots more Eurasian Stone Curlews and a couple of flyover Black-crowned Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

Presa y Meandros del Genil, Granada Province, Spain.

Another look at the Owls.

Ebird List for the Presa.

 

2 of 4 Eurasian Eagle Owls (Búho Real / Bubo bubo).

I met Paqui down in Huétor and we went out to the spot near the Presa and set up the chairs again and watched the crags Until after dark.

Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) digi-scoped by Paqui.

Whilst on site we saw and heard Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) x4, Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and other species before heading back to Huétor.

Laguna Dulce, Near Campillos, Laguna Dulce, Laguna Salada, Laguna de Capacete and Cerro del Búho in Malaga Province, Spain.

Out in Malaga Province with Paqui, Derek Etherton and Andy Paterson.

Ebird List for Laguna Dulce 1.

Ebird List for Laguna Dulce 2.

Ebird List for Salada.

Ebird List for Laguna Capacete.

Ebird List for Cerro del Búho.

Laguna Dulce.

Paqui and I headed out early to meet up with Derek and Andy at a spot near Campillos, we were there early so had a look from the hide at Laguna Dulce where we saw Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus),  

Paqui in the hide.

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), a cracking Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) which was hoovering on the far side of the Laguna, Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).

Long-eared Owl (Búho Chico / Asio otus).

Long-eared Owl (Búho Chico / Asio otus).

We met Derek and Andy near Campillos where we had amazing views of 4 Long-eared Owls (Búho Chico / Asio otus), they were great to get good views of but what made it better was that the locals at the site were soon out and checking on us, once they realised we meant not harm to the birds they chatted with us about them.

Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops).

Immature Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

Immature Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

Immature Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) with a grasshopper and some grass.

Immature Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

The next stop was breakfast and then we took the back track around Laguna Dulce which was productive, we saw 64 species along the track and around at the hide in total, new species for the day were Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus), Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Short-toed Snake (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Booted (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas) and an immature Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti), Western Marsh (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and a couple of immature Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian Grey (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis) and Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Calandra (Calandria Común / Melanocorypha calandra), Crested (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) x2, Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Checking Laguna del Lóbon.

Immature Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) ♀.

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).

Along the back track we did a short detour and checked Laguna del Lóbon where we found Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Common Snipe, Wood (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola) and Green Sandpiper, Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Greater Flamingo and lots of Spanish Sparrows (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis).

Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

We also had better views of the Black-winged Kite, Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella).

From the hide new species included Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Ferruginous (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) and White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Common (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) and Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Our next stop was at Laguna Salada where we counted nearly 350 Greater Flamingo's but only added 3 Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) as a new species for the day.

Around at Laguna Capacete we found Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) which were new for the day before heading around to the Vulture feeding station.

Cinereous  / Eurasian Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).

Cinereous  / Eurasian Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).

Cinereous  / Eurasian Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).

We drove up as there were a small number of birds in the air which to our amazement included 3 Cinereous  / Eurasian Black Vultures (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus), a stunning adult Egyptian (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus) and several of the more expected Griffon Vultures and a single immature Montagu's Harrier which was sitting in a stubble field on the way up.

Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Immature Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

Back down at the bottom of the hill Paqui and I said our goodbyes to Derek and Andy after a cracking days birding and headed back to Paqui's for a later lunch.