Sierra de Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

Dartford Warbler. (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata).

A pair of sunning birds that performed beautifully.

 

Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) the stunning male.

I had spent a few hours up on the far side of the Sierra, on my way down I stopped off at a spot where I was hoping to find Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) and Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and both were in thae area but they did not approach unlike the pair of Dartford Warblers (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata).

Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) singing male.

These two birds were acting as if it was already spring or at least the male was, he spent long periods singing from different Hawthorn bushes, sometimes coming quite close.

Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) the male again.

The female kept her distance a little more but followed the male all the time I was there, I had a fantastic couple of hours with these stunning birds.

Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) the female.

Realenga de Agicampe, Granada Province, Spain.

A quick wash and scrub up.

 

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

I set the hide up for a short while but it was quiet and the only thing of interest was this Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) which bathed and then sat in the Almond tree and preened for about half an hour.

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Realenga de Agicampe, Granada Wildlife, Spain.

Moth Count.

6531 Udea ferrugalis (Rusty Dot Pearl).

Dry but cloudy night with a low of +8, I did set it up on the Terrace just in case it did rain.

6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer).

There were 6 moths of 5 species which were 6531 Udea ferrugalis (Rusty Dot Pearl), 6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) x1, 8328 Nebula ibericata x1 a better marked individual than last nights worn one, 9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut) x2, 10096 Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing) x1.

8328 Nebula ibericata.

9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).

9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).

10096 Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

An even more soggy mornings walk but slightly brighter later for the afternoon stroll.

 

Low cloud over Sierra de Loja.

I did not bother to take my camera out for the walk during the morning as it looked like I would get a soaking but I did manage a short walk around the Lucerne fields but did not see anything special so I headed down to the suoermarket and then back home until it stopped raining later in the afternoon.

An out of focus Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

Later I went for another walk but risked crossing the Arroyo and parking in my usual spot and apart from getting the car muddy all went well with the crossing so I started the walk.

Again there were no species I do not see on most of the walks until I reached the Poplar Plantation where I picked up my first Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) of the winter.

Realenga de Agicampe, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Count.

9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).

I ran the trap again last night but due to the weather I put it out under cover on the terrace and again due to the weather there was not a lot in it this morning, just 2 moth of 2 species.

9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut) x 1 and 8328 Nebula ibericata x1.

8328 Nebula ibericata.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A damp morning walk along the Arroyo.

 

Sierra de Loja, above and below the clouds.

Not as damp as yesterday but still a damp start after a very wet night which meant when I came down to do the walk I could not cross to the far back of the Arroyo as it was flowing nicely if not a tad muddy for the first time since my return to Spain.

The Arroyo with some water at last.

I drove to the Eastern end of the Arroyo near the Mesia road where I parked and walked back towards the road seeing Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and a wintering Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla) in the Juncus field.

More rain on it's way in.

Also along the Arroyo I found White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and a nice male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) which popped up onto a reed stem for a few seconds before dropping back into cover.

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

I returned to the car and then went and parked by the Lucerne fields where I walked back towards the spot where I normally park, the first obvious thing was that there were no Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), they must not have like last nights weather either. 

However I did find Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), a single Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), lots of Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and White Wagtails, 2 pairs of Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) flew over, several Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) which seem to be here in really good numers this winter but guess they may move out once we start to get the colder nights.

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Down on the sides of the Arroyothere were good numbers of Goldfinches (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinches (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) as well as a local patch rarity when 5 Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) did a flyby.

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

As I walked back towards the car I had Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).

Mallards (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

I walked passed the car and out to the Poplar plantation through the Asparagus fields where I had  Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Black Redstart, Blackcap, Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and a Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

I walked just passed the plantation when a large flock of Sparrows flew up into a tree in a garden next to the road which I scanned through and I was suprised to see that most were Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) and by the time they flushed up again I had reached 79 Trees anoungst the House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus). 

This was by far the largest flock of Tree Sparrows I had seen on the patch, this was to be followed a few minutes later by the biggest flock of Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) to date as well, I watched as 287 magpies flew out of the plantation and into the Olives.
Before I got back to the car I also recorded Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Realenga de Agicampe, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Count.

 

9569 Agrochola lota (Red-line Quaker) new for the recent trapping run.

6496 Evergestis isatidalis x1, 6690 Palpita vitrealis, 6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) x1, 7725 Menophora japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber), 9206 Cucullia calendulae x5, 9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut) x1 and 9569 Agrochola lota (Red-line Quaker) x1.

9206 Cucullia calendulae.

6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer).

6690 Palpita vitrealis.

7725 Menophora japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A slower walk than normal along the Arroyo.

 

Asparagus smoke over Huétor.

Having tweeked my back a few days ago I took a slow walk along the Arroyo passing the Lucerne fields where there were still good numbers Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and loads of White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) having a drink in a puddle along the Arroyo.

On the way I also saw Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and loads of the common finches as usual.

Small White (Pieris rapae).

Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous).

In amongst the Olives and Asparagus there were lots of Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) as well as several Small Whites (Pieris rapae) and a single Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous).

Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

By a puddle formed by a leaking irrigation channel I saw Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and around the poplar plantation Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus).

On my way back I Added Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Later I had a quick look at the pines finding Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).

Realenga de Agicampe, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Count.

9206 Cucullia calendulae.

I ran the Actinic trap but did not expect there to be much in the egg boxes as the over night low was down to +0.5 and I was not wrong as there were just 5 moths of 4 species.

9206 Cucullia calendulae.

6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) x1, 9206 Cucullia calendulae x2, 9454 Hoplodrina ambigua (Vine's Rustic) x1 and 9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut) x1.

9454 Hoplodrina ambigua (Vine's Rustic).

9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).

Huétor Fields and the Garden Pool, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk along the Arroyo and then in the garden hide.

 

A frost on the car roof with a nice blue sky beyond.

After a day of resting my back which has been annoying me for a few days I decided to go for a walk this morning and parked in the usual before heading around the Lucerne fields.

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Straight away it was obvoius there were better numbers of Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) around, up from the 20 or so from a couple of days ago to 487 today by the time I had counted all the Lucerne fields.

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Also in better numbers were Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) with around 50 in one desent sized flock and other smaller groups, Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) with over a 100 birds flying up with big numbers of White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), as well as 15+ Hoopoes (Abubilla / Upupa epops), a Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and 5 Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) which flew passed me and landed down in an Asparagus field which was being cut which means we can expect to be smocked out for a week or two when they burn it all off.

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

On the opposite side of the track down in the Arroyo there were big numers of finches including masses of Goldfinches (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Serins (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) as well as lesser numers of both Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Greenfinches (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Also seen along the field stretch were Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and masses of Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

Between the Lucerne fields and the Poplar Plantation I searched the Asparagus fields finding a couple of Dartford (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) male.

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) female.

Later I went into the garden and spent a couple of hours in the hide where I had a couple of new species for the day including Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos),  Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) male.

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) female.