Huétor Fields, Rio Genil in Huétor Tajar and Rio Genil in Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk with Paqui and then some birding with Juan Perez.

Ebird List for the Rio Genil Huétor Tajar.

Ebird List for the Rio Genil Loja.

 

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

I started the day by heading down to the Fields for an early walk, I was very pleased to see friend Paqui already walking back towards her car but was very happy when she turned around and walked back out to the Gate and back again.

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

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

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

As we walked and talked we saw several Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

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

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♂.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♂.

We also saw Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides) ♀, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Small White (Pieris rapae) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides) ♀.

Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides) ♀.

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Once we got back to the cars we said goodbye and I headed down town to Mercodona and then went out to the Rio Genil where I parked and started to check the trees in the area, almost straight away I could hear 2 Eurasian Wrynecks (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla) and then one showed well, these were followed by a ♀ Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) which showed first but I then had briefly views of the ♂ before it flew of to the East.

Eurasian Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla).

Eurasian Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla).

Eurasian Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla).

Before Juan arrived I also picked up an unexpected Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes) and Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos).

♀ Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor).

♀ Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor).

♂ Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor).

♂ Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor).

♂ Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor).

Juan then arrived and we spent a while here looking for the Woodpeckers but we didn't see them again, so we decided to head to another spot nearby but again we didn't see anything new so we moved off to the Genil on the edge of Loja where we walked from Near the Sports Stadium under the Puente Gran Capitán and then the under the A-4154 before we turned around and back to the car.

The Riverside Track.

The Riverside Track.

Part of the walk was along a riverside track which was being worked on so we could only go part of the way before we turned around and then followed the river, species seen during the walk included Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and 8x European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster) which were 2 year ticks.

Neapolitan Garlic (Allium neapolitanum).

Other new species were Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Neapolitan Garlic (Allium neapolitanum), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and a small flock of Eurasian Siskin (Jilguero Lúgano / Carduelis spinus).

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♂.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♂.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

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

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

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

We got back to the car and I dropped Juan back to his at Huétor and he headed home, I went back up to the fields where I spent a while sat near the weed patch and photographed Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), European Stonechat and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 24th March 26.

15W Actinic on the terrace, +7.

1 Moth of 1 Species.

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

Licence from Junta de Andalucia.

Just a single 10343 Agrotis puta (Shuttle Shaped Dart) x1 but not surprising as it was still cool.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk back from the Mechanics and then a look at the Lucerne fields later. 

Ebird List for the walk back.

Ebird List for the Fields. 

 

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

I had to drop the car down to the garage as there is a problem with the Fuel Gauge which hadn't moved even though I had done 600kms, after leaving it with Paco I started the walk back up to the house across the fields and up the road which was now starting to be knocked back into shape by a couple of large diggers.

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

Species seen during the walk included ♂ Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) x6, Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), the ♂ Merlin (Esmerejón / Falco columbarius), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), a singing Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), a ♂ Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

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

I got back to the house and did some more painting and finished the one half of the room, tomorrow I will be moving all the stuff in there and start on the other side.

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

At 16:30 Carole my neighbour dropped me down to get the car, I then went for a short walk along the Western side of the Genil but didn't see anything of interest, so I went up to the Lucerne fields where I parked halfway along the road and watched displaying Montagu's Harriers from the car, when I later checked the photos I found that one of the ♂ birds was colour ringed with a blank blue ring on the right leg and a white ring with the black markings K2C.

Colour ringed bird with a blank blue and metal ring on the right leg and a white ring with the black markings K2C on the left leg.

Other species seen whilst I sat there were Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Little Bustard, 4x Montagu's Harriers, Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Hoopoe, Woodchat Shrike, Iberian Magpie, Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Barn and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Sardinian and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Corn Bunting.

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

I also saw several Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Small (Pieris rapae) x2 and Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri) x2, Clouded Yellows (Colias croceus) x5, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1. 

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

 

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 22nd March 26.

15W Actinic on the terrace, +8.

3 Moths of 3 Species.

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

Licence from Junta de Andalucia.

 

0706 Monopis nigricantella.

0706 Monopis nigricantella x1, 6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) x1 and 8256 Xanthorhoe fluctuata (Garden Carpet) x1.

6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer).

8256 Xanthorhoe fluctuata (Garden Carpet).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

An early walk along the Fields meeting Paqui first and the Juan, Beatriz and Chica.

Ebird List for the Fields.

 

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

I was down on the fields at 08:00, today I parked at the gate as the Walnut Tree parking was full of Asparagus pickers, before I started to I walked back towards the Walnuts I stood by the gates where I picked up a couple of Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) one of which stayed to feed in the Lucerne whilst the other flew out to the west, I also had the ♂ Merlin (Esmerejón / Falco columbarius) fly in from the south with prey, it landed briefly before continuing on into the Olives.

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

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

As I walked I added the first of at least 7 Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), the ♂ Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), the 2 regular Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), 3x Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (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), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and ♂♂ of Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) which were both year ticks.

♂ Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Just before I reached the Walnut trees I was very pleased to bump into Paqui who was just starting to walk out towards me.

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

I turned around and walked with her back towards my car chatting directly and via our phone translators, I really wish my Spanish was better. As we walked we watched the Montagu's, the Little Bustard, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x5.

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

Just after the fig tree Paqui had to turn around and head off, I spent a while scanning the fields from this point before I spotted Juan arriving, so I followed Paqui back to the Walnut trees where I was pleased to see it wasn't just Juan as Beatriz and Chika were also there.

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

We again walked back up towards my car but spent quite a while watching the Montagu's display flying which was just brilliant, as we walked we also added Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

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

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

We reached my car where we said goodbye and I headed home to get on with some jobs up in the bedroom, after reattaching some skirting boards and filling some more cracks I chilled for the rest of the day.