Huétor Fields in Granada Province, Malaga Airport to Malpartida de la Serena in Bajajoz, Spain.

A walk with Paqui before headed down to Malaga to collect friend's Karen and Rob.

Karen and Rob, Day One.

 

I met Paqui for a walk around the fields, we went out to the gate and back again seeing Small White (Pieris rapae), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

We got back to the cars and then went down town for some breakfast, then I said goodbye for what will be a long 10 / 11 days but it was a trip looking for butterflies I was looking forward to.

I headed down to Malaga where Karen and Rob were soon though security so we were soon on our way north to our overnight stop to the north of Córdoba to break the trip up to our first stop at Finca La Sayuela in the Gredos.

On the way we recorded Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Common Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Barn Swallow, Western House Martin, Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and European Goldfinch.

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

We arrived at the hotel and after checking in and chilling for a while we went and had some food, near the bar there was a nice nest full of 4 young White Storks.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning walk around the Lucerne fields with Paqui before I head North tomorrow.

Ebird List for the Fields.

 

I met Paqui down at the fields at 08:00 and we walked out as far as the gate and back to the cars during the walk more interesting species were Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra). 

Above Hoya de la Mora and the Old Road to Güéjar Sierra, Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

A day in the High mountains looking for butterflies with Paqui.

Ebird List for Sierra Nevada.

 

Above Hoya de la Mora.

We set off at 08:00 and were fairly quickly up at 2500m in the Hoya de la Mora car park after coffee and a Tostarda at Hostal Restaurante El Desvio where Paqui picked up a pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

Heading up to the main site.

Paqui on the way up getting battered by the wind.

After getting our kit sorted we walked up the road towards the area we want to visit, it was very windy and I was not sure if it would be worth the effort but we still pressed on, as we walked we saw and heard Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), Bath White (Pontia daplidice) x2, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x25+, Pyrausta limbopunctalis, Hormathophylla spinosa, Eryngium glaciale, Carduus carlinoides ssp hispanicus, Silene boryi, Sideritis glacialis, Euphrasia willommii, Plantago nivalis and Common Kidney-Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria). 

Paqui still fighting against the high wind.

We reached the area we were aiming for but it was still windy, we started to find a few blues which were mostly Nevada (Polyommatus golgus) x35+ and Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) x3.

Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus) ♀.

Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus) ♂.

Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus) ♂.

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) ♂.

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) ♂.

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) ♂.

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) ♀.

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) ♀ slight aberrations with a few extra spots.

A bit further along the road and in a bit of a sheltered area we found a few Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis) x8+ and a good show of their food plant Erodium cheilanthifolium and Mountain Stone Grasshopper (Eumigus monticola).

Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).

Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).

Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).

After a good while we decided to start to make our way down the hill as the wind wasn't getting any better, on the way we added Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x3, Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x2, Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe) x1, Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) x4, Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x2, Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris), Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor). 

Mountain Stone Grasshopper (Eumigus monticola).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

We made a stop at the Virgen de las Nieves for a photo and just before we got to the car we had a nice ♂ Common Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis) by the military building.

Virgen de las Nieves (2600 m).

By now we were getting hungry so we dropped back down to the same bar as earlier and got some food.

Once we had eaten we made a final stop at a spot a little way down the old road to Güéjar Sierra where we checked the more open areas amongst the woodlands, here we found Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii), Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Small White (Pieris rapae), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Holly (Celastrina argiolus) and Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus), Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Painted Lady, False Ilex (Satyrium esculi) and Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini), Dusky Heath (Coenonympha dorus) and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina).

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).

False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi).

False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi).

False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi).

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini).

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).

Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto).

It was starting to get quite warm so we returned to the car and then went back up to the main road down the hill and made our way back to Huétor.

Presa y Meandros del Genil, Granada Province, Spain.

Another morning visit to the Rio Genil.

Ebird List.

 

Paqui and I headed out to the Presa before it got too hot and checked the area for birds finding Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) x2, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Fuente de Piedra, Laguna Dulce and Campillos, Malaga Province, Spain.

Birding with Paqui, Derek and Barbara over in Malaga Province.

Ebird List for Fuente de Piedra.

Ebird List for Laguna Dulce.

Ebird List for Campillos.

 

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

Paqui and I were off at 06:30 to meet Barbara and Derek Etherton in the Car park at Fuente by 07:30 as it was going to be too hot to be out for too long. 

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

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

After we all met up we walked back out of the car park to check what remained of the roadside pool which wasn't a lot however we still found European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

At the far end of the pool we went along the back track to the gate and then came back a short way and crossed the boardwalk, during this time we added Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), heard Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Small Fleabane (Pulicaria vulgaris), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Common Chicory (Cichorium intybus), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) x1♂, Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x2♂1♀, Small White (Pieris rapae) x3, Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica).

Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica).

Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica).

Once we had crossed the Boardwalk we followed the tamarisks around the ditch before going up to the Mirador, species seen included Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Western Olivaceous Warblers (Zarcero bereber / Iduna opaca) with 4 adults and 2 juv's being seen.

Western Olivaceous Warbler (Zarcero bereber / Iduna opaca).

From the Mirador we added Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

Around at the two back hides Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) were all added before we made our way back to the cars and around to Laguna Dulce.

At the Laguna there were clouds of Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x200+, Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) which were new for the day as well as many of the species seen earlier at Fuente.

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

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

By now it was getting hot so we made our final stop near to Campillos were we went to look for and found a stunning Long-eared Owl (Búho Chico / Asio otus) which is a regular bird in the site and a species Paqui had never seen so she was very pleased.

We did go for a quick check on the Vulture feeding station, it was quiet so as it was by now very warm so we all headed off home. 

Presa y Meandros del Genil, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning visit to the Presa whilst it was still cool.

Ebird List.

I met Paqui down in Huétor, we then headed over to the Presa, on the way in we had a very nice Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) flying over us, not a common species at this time of the year locally.

After parking we sat by the river Genil for a while and then did a walk back along the track, whilst there we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).