Along the Rio Cacín, Granada Province.

Eleonora's Falcon, a new bird for the Granada List.

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

I meet Rolf, Ann-Mari and Elsa Segerstedt at their Hotel in Granada and after a bit of a delay we headed out to the Cacín Valley. 

As soon as we pulled off the A92 Autovia we picked up a group of 6x Short-toed Snake Eagles (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) that were soaring away west.
As we left the built-up sprawl of Moraleda several Thekla Larks (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a pair of Black Wheatears (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) were all seen.
Further down the valley we took a track out to an area of agricultural fields where 39+ Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) put on a good aerial display when they were flushed buy one of the farmer’s tractors.

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

We dipped on the expected Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) and Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) but picked up Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and Crested Larks (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Campestris / Anthus campestris), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis).

As we were leaving the site, a small flock of Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) were seen perched in some Almonds trees and down on the field.
We then moved on to the Embalse de Cacín, a feeder lake for the local irrigation system. Here there were large numbers of Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Azulón Europeo / Anas platyhynchos), Common Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus) and 3x Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anus crecca).
Also out on the water were 20+ Little (Zapullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and a single immature Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

Little Grebe (Zapullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Three Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and a single Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) were on the reedy fringes along with Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Common Reed Warblers (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).
Other birds seen here included Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), a single Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido / Apus pallidus), Western House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Eurasian Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Common Magpies (Urraca / Pica pica), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) was heard, Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Doves (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).
Later we headed a little further along the valley and into the gorge, just as it started to rain we stopped at a site to look for Blue Rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) and to get better views of Eurasian Crag Martin both of which we got.

Blue Rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius).

As we climbed out of the car a grey looking falcon lifted from the crag below us and the immediate thought was it was a Peregrine but as soon as it banked around against the cliff it became apparent that it was an adult intermediate phase Eleonora's Falcon (Halcón de Eleonora / Falco eleonorae) a new species for me in the Province. 

The bird flew towards the opposite cliff up the face and headed off south. I have seen many of the falcons on Mallorca but it's very nice to catch up with one locally.
A little later we started to make our way back along the valley when Rolf picked up another falcon sitting in an Almond tree about 50 meters back from the road, this time it was a cracking male Merlin (Esmerejón / Falco columbarius). 

We then continued on back to Granada and to the Hotel.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Recorded.

Poplar Kitten (Furcula bifida).

Again I used the 15 Watt Actinic trap and attracted 2 more species to the garden, they were Scarce Silver-lines (Bena bicolorana) and Poplar Kitten (Furcula bifida).

Scarce Silver-lines (Bena bicolorana).

Other species caught included 2x Ethmia bipunctella, 12+ Cymbalophora pudica, 5+ Egyptian Bollworm (Earias insulana), Agrotis lata, Pale Shoulder (Acontia lucida), The Vestal (Rhodometra sacraria) and several Palpita unionalis.

Ethmia bipunctella.