Vega de Granada and Embalse de Cubillas, Granada Province, Spain.

Birding solo to start but later with good friend Juan Perez.

Ebird List for Vega de Granada.

Ebird List for Embalse de Cubillas (woods).

Ebird List for Embalse de Cubillas (woods with Juan).

Ebird List for the Embalse.

 

The tree and Stubble fields.

After getting some information from Juan I headed to a spot in the Vega de Granada looking for Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) as it would put me on 348, just 2 short of my 350 species for the year target.

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

I arrived on site and after putting on a couple more layers as it was piggin freezing I went for a walk along a nearby track and checked out a couple of trees and stubble fields where Juan had sent me a pin for.

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

As I searched I found Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), 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 in the top of the tree at least 2 possibly 4 stunning Brambling, thanks to Juan I am now just 2 short of 350.

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

My next stop was at the wood yard where I picked up a load of logs and then headed for Embalse de Cubillas where I parked on the roadside and scanned the bushes and trees adding Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra). 

After a while I walked along the road and bumped into Juan a bit earlier than I had expected, we did a walk into the Pine Woodlands and followed the Rio Cubillas to a spot where Javier Gómez González had seen up to 3 Goldcrest (Reyezuelo Sencillo / Regulus regulus) a week or so earlier, as we walked out we saw many of the species I had already recorded but added Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Eurasian Siskin (Jilguero Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) and a couple of calling Goldcrest which were difficult to see up in the tops of the pines but we did get good enough views of them through the bin's for an Id. 

We returned to the cars and went just up the road to a spot where we could see the Embalse well and spent a while scanning the water and the margins, along the shore we saw Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) domestic, a very nice female Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Mareca penelope) which is a species I have not seen in the province for a long time, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) and Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba),

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea). 

Further out on the water we saw more Common Pochard, a couple of Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and loads / 100s of Eurasian Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

After we had checked the place out well we headed off to our homes, by the time I got back home it was raining, so I got a tad damp unloading the logs.

Balsa de Regidor, Moraleda, Granada Province, Spain.

A visit to check the Egret / Heron Roost.

Ebird List for the Balsa.

 

Looking to the Southern shore.

After doing nothing much all day, I decided I need to get out for an hour or so I headed over to Balsa de Regidor to see how many Egrets were coming in to roost, when I arrived there were already 67 Western Cattle (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and 2 Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) were in the trees and reeds at the Southern end of the pool.

The Roost.

As the evening went on more than half of the Western Cattle Egrets left and headed off North toward the Genil Valley, the Egrets that stayed were joined by a single Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Some dark clouds over Sierra Loja.

Other species recorded whilst I was there included 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), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago),  Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada),  Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

The Rio Genil East, Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk before the rain.

Ebird List for the Rio Genil. 

 

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) which was being mobbed by a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

I had a bit better night but took a bit of time to get going, so I was down town in time to got to Mercodona and then Super cash El Tercio Huetor before going for a walk along the eastern side of the Rio Genil to the South of Huétor.

As I walked I saw Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) domestic, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) domestic, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), a Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) which was being mobbed by a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), 2 Monk Parakeets (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) which I guess are the ones I see in Parque del Estanque normally and a Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis)  which is not a common species locally.

Whilst I was sat at the spot where I saw the Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) a few days ago I ran the Merlin app and on three different recordings it picked up Moustached Warbler (Carricerin Real / Acrocephalus melanopogon) which I couldn't hear or see, so I am guessing it was a glitch and it was probably hearing something else. 

Later I got on with a few jobs inside as it rained for a while during the afternoon and evening.

Embalse de Cubillas, Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A ride up to Granada for some logs, with some birding on the way.

Ebird List for Cubillas.

 

Unfortunately I had the first awful nights sleep I have had for a long time, so when the 07:00 alarm went off I just wanted to roll over, but I had an early appointment down in Loja hospital, which I just made and then headed up to Embalse de Cubillas for an or so Birding hoping for a Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) for the year list.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

After parking, I walked the lane near Estación de Calicasas in the woodlands to the NE of the Embalse, here I recorded Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) flying along the Rio Cubillas over the woods, Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Iberian (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) domestic.

I returned to the car and then drove down to the spot which overlooks the bay where the Rio Cubillas runs into the Embalse, here I saw good numbers of new species including the flock of Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) domestic, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), at least 5 Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Little (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) and Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba) and 30 odd Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).

Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba).

Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta).

Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta) x3.

Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta) x4 and a Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca).

I returned home and unloaded the logs before popping down to Combustables Gómez to give the car a clean, on the way back I added Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus),Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and a single Small White (Pieris rapae) x1.

Arroyo Marin, Laguna Dulce, Pena Rubia, Vulture Feeding Station, Laguna de Capacete, Laguna de Fuente de Piedra in Malaga Province, Spain.

Back out birding with Brian.

Ebird List for Hoz de Marín.

Ebird List for Laguna Dulce.

Ebird List for Cerro del Búho.

Ebird List for roadside stop. 

Ebird List for Laguna de Capacete. 

Ebird List for Fuente de Piedra.

 

I did the same as yesterday with breakfast at Venta del Piña before Brian and I headed out west to the Arroyo Marin where we first checked the Quarry at the start of the track finding male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) and Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura).

We drove a short way along the track and then parked again, as we walked we picked up Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), a couple of Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla) which Brian wanted to see (he had better views next day with Derek as the light was better), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), lots of Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

I walked back to the car and picked Brian up on the way up to the chain where we again parked and walked further along the valley finding Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Long-tailed (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), European Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus) and Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) heard and European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris). 

A cloudy wet Laguna Dulce.

We returned to the car and made our way back to Archidona, then onto the motorway and onwards to Laguna Dulce where we spent quite a while in the hide dodging several showers and finding Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) which was another of Brian's target species, Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), a flock of over a 100 Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) tucked in on the far shore, Green (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropusa) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), several Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), a Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) which had several clashes with a female Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Eurasian Hoopoe, European Robin, Great Tit, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chaffinch, a single female Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina) and several Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Low cloud at Pena Rubia.

On our way to Pena Rubia we had a stunning Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) hovering at the side of the road and whilst there, we saw Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Small White (Pieris rapae) x1, Mandrake (Mandragora autumnalis), Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia) and Autumn Buttercup (Ranunculus bullatus).

Mandrake (Mandragora autumnalis).

Mandrake (Mandragora autumnalis).

Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia).

Autumn Buttercup (Ranunculus bullatus).

After a while we started to head back towards Campillos and the turned off to check out the Vulture feeding station in the area, we decided not to bother driving up to the site but scanned the fields finding 6 Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) which were sitting on the ground drying out.

Just a little further along the road we stopped again and had some very nice views of an Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Sardinian Warbler, Common Chaffinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra). 

We continued on along the minor roads around to Laguna Capacete, we went up onto the rock which overlooks the pool where through the scope we saw Mallard, Gadwall, Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler, White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Little Grebe, 3x Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Greater Flamingo, Crested Lark, a minimum of 75 Eurasian Crag Martins, Cetti's Warbler, European Robin, European Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Spotless Starling, White Wagtail, Common Chaffinch, European Serin and Corn Bunting. 

Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis).

We returned to the car and made our way across to Fuente de Pierda seeing some more Common Crane and a Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), once there we decided to have a coffee as it was raining when we arrived, later we drove to the main car park and then checked out the roadside pool, back track and boardwalk where we saw Northern Shoveler, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Robin, European Stonechat, Common Blackbird, Common Chiffchaff, Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Crested Lark, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), European Goldfinch and European Serin.

From the end of the boardwalk we walked the Tamarisks and then up to the Mirador, on the way we saw Common Snipe, Eurasian Hoopoe, Cetti's Warbler, Common Chaffinch and Corn Bunting.

From the Mirador we scanned the main Laguna, finding over a 100 Common Shelducks (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Common Ringed Plover, Greater Flamingo's, Black-headed and masses of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula). 

Red-crested Pochards (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

Next we went around to check the two hides overlooking the two freshwater pools, from the Observatorio El Laguneto we had views of Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Common and 10 Red-crested Pochards (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Eurasian Teal, White-headed Duck, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Grey Heron, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Crag Martin, Eurasian Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler, European Robin, European Stonechat, Spotless Starling, White Wagtail, European Serin and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus). 

At the Observatorio de las Palomas Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Linnet and European Greenfinch.

We walked back to the car via the view point at the far end of El Laguneto but only heard a Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), we then drove back to Loja where I dropped Brian off at the Bus station for his trip down to Malaga and I went off home.