Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A couple of hours down on the fields picking up a couple of year tick raptors.

Ebird List for Huétor Fields.

 

Mustard with Sierra de Loja in the background.

I headed down to the fields early on and did a walk from the Walnuts to the Old dam point in the Arroyo Vilano, on the way out to this point I found the ♂ Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which was calling and holding territory but I couldn't find any of the 6 ♀ today.

♂ Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Also seen were the 2 Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), lots of Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and a few Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), House (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).    

Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

I reached the point where the Arroyo used to be dammed, illegally I suspect which stopped the flow further down the stream, I spent a while sat here and watched some raptors move along the ridge and up the Valley north or east along the ridge towards Granada, these included a distant Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) which is not a common species here, so I was pleased to get some rubbish record shots before it drifted off, a pair of Bonelli's (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) and a single Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).

I also picked up Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), a single Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) which went east with 2 Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), 2x Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), 2x Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus). 

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

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

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

After a while I started to walk back to the car, on the way I saw my first Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) of the year when a stunning ♂ flew in and started to hunt.

As I did the walk I also saw Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x2, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1, Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica), Mallow-leaved Convolvulus (Convolvulus althaeoides), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), White Wallrocket (Diplotaxis erucoides), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum) and Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis).

The early sun reflecting off the snow up Sierra Nevada.

I returned to the car and went down to Sanchez Arcos cars where I had the new motor from as I was not happy that the Fuel gauge was working correctly as I had done 600km and it was still showing full, one of the low pressure warning lights on the tyres kept coming on even though they all looked fine, anyway they soon sorted the tyre problem out when they found a dirty great nail in the one which got repaired straight away, it's got to go in on Monday for the fuel gauge to be sorted.

After getting this sorted I went home and did some more painting in the Bedroom which is starting to progress, hopefully got a builder coming this week to give me a price for the roof repairs, not looking forward to hearing how much that's going to cost 😬😬😬😬😬

Huétor Fields, Rio Genil East and Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

Out on the Patch, checking 3 local spots.

Ebird List for Huétor Fields.

Ebird List for the Rio Genil East.

 

The Arroyo Vilano looking nice with some water still flowing, don't know how long it will last.

As I am not wanting to waste fuel at almost €1.90 a Litre I stayed local again today but still managed some nice species, down on the fields I started with Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) x7, Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) x2, Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Spanish (Yellow) (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

The Lucerne Fields below a nice blue sky for a change.

The ♂ Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) with 1 of the 6 ♀♀ still on the fields.

I reached the gate and checked the Arroyo from there flushing 3x Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and also saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) before walking back to the car adding Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x2, Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum) and Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule).  

Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).

I got back to the car and then went down to the Rio Genil on the eastern side of the bridge and spent a while checking the group of dead looking trees, as soon as I arrived I could hear a calling Eurasian Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla) and as I listened to this bird I could hear a second bird a little further away.

Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki).

In the same area I also saw and heard Grey Heron, Iberian Magpie, Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes) and 2 more Grey Wagtails.

Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea).

Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea).

Eruca (Eruca sativa).

Bellis microcephala.

I went back up through town and on past the house up to Cerro Hacho where I parked near the start of the track and checked the grassy area amongst the Almonds and the slope above there where I found a few smaller wildflowers which included Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea), Eruca (Eruca sativa), Bellis microcephala, Cymbalaria-leaved Speedwell (Veronica cymbalaria), Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna), Veronica arvensis, Round leaved Crane's-Bill (Geranium rotundifolium), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis) and Field Madder (Sherardia arvensis).

Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina).

In the same area I also found 20 odd spikes of Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina), Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus) and Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata).

Veronica arvensis.

Cymbalaria-leaved Speedwell (Veronica cymbalaria).

Round leaved Crane's-Bill (Geranium rotundifolium).

Cleavers species.

Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna).

Field Madder (Sherardia arvensis).

As I walked this area I also saw Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x3, Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus) x12+ and Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri) x3.

Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus).

Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus).

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).

I returned to the car and went up the hill to the puddle car park and did a walk around the top end of the loop and the cut back across to the car along the top edge of the Quarry, as I did this I saw more Provence Hairstreaks, Snake's Head Fritillary (Fritillaria  lusitanica), Conical (Neotinea conica), Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina), Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis), Giant (Himanthoglossum Robertiana), Somber Bee (Ophrys lupercalis) and Sawfly Orchids (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus).

Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus).

Snake's Head Fritillary (Fritillaria  lusitanica).

Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica).

Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica).

Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Bird wise I saw and heard Common Woodpigeon, Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Robin, Sardinian Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Eurasian Blue and Great Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Eurasian Wren, Cirl (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus) and Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Common Chaffinch, Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), European Serin and Corn Bunting.

Later I popped down town and had a 0-0 beer and a bit of tapas.

 

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 15th March 2026.

15W Actinic on the terrace, +4.

1 Moths of 1 Species.

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

Licence from Junta de Andalucia.

 

8328 Nebula Ibericata x1.

Contraembalse de Bermejalis, Rio Genil West and the Lucerne Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Birding down the Cacín Valley and then back on the patch.

Ebird List for Contra Embalse de Bermejalis.

Ebird List for GR-4304, Cacín Valley.

Ebird List for Río Genil West.

Ebird List for Huétor Fields.

 

Some more weather coming down the Valley, it did brighten up later.

I drove down to the Contraembalse de Bermejalis getting some coffee and breakfast at bar El Cruce in Loreto near Moraleda, I parked at 08:30 and spent almost 4 hours around the area and saw 58 species during the walk.

Looking across the reed beds looking North.

Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis).

Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis).

Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis).

Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis).

I started at the parking spot which looks over the dry lake seeing several Western Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), a couple of Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) x3, an immature Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), plenty of White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and a single Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) ♀.

Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) ♂.

I walked down the road towards Cacín a short way and picked up a singing Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus ibericus) which was a year tick, a very smart Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), a ♂ Merlin (Esmerejón / Falco columbarius) which passed through the site like a bullet heading North, Western House Martins (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum) and Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus).

Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus ibericus).

Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus ibericus).

Other species seen included Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x2, Small White (Pieris rapae) x1, Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis), Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris), Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), Eruca (Eruca sativa), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule), Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), Moricandia moricandioides and White Wallrocket (Diplotaxis erucoides).

Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus).

Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).

I walked back to the car where dropped a layer of clothing as it was starting to get slightly warmer before walking North to the bridge over the Rio Cacín, on the way I picked up Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Short-toed Snake (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), a Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) which was sat in the back of a cave, Mistle (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Large (Pieris brassicae) x1 and Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri) x2, Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) and Ramping Fumitory (Fumaria capreolata).

Immature Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti).

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

From the bridge I followed the road for a while adding an immature Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra),    and then on my way back walked through the Pine woods finding 4 very nice spikes of Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana) and many spikes of both Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera) and Somber Bee.

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

I walked back up to the car and had the last hour or so there, as I scanned the lake and surroundings I found Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei) and Just as I was about to leave I picked up a bird coming in from the North which turned out to be a Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) but when it saw that the lake was empty I guess it decided to head back off North again.

Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).

I headed back to the North as well but made a quick stop near an old substation in amongst the Pines where I added a couple of Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and another Short-toed Snake Eagle before continuing onto Huétor where I did a short walk along the Rio Genil to the West of the Bridge, the only new species seen here was a calling ♂ Eurasian Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) which took some finding amongst the newly opening leaves on the White Poplar (Populus alba) trees.

Mustard growing along the Arroyo Vilano.

From here I went up through town and out to the Lucerne Fields where I did a walk from the Walnut Trees to the Gate and back again adding Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina) as well as Clouded Yellow x8, Small White x1, Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica) and Nonea vesicaria.

Sierra Nevada off to the East.