Moraleda area, Granada Province.

Winter Bird Atlas.

Flooded River Genil.

I started the day to the south of Moraleda in Olive country, the first seven of todays fifteen itineraries were in the agricultural area between the Alhama road and El Turro. The final eight were nearer to Moraleda and the A92, again mainly in agricultural areas but here there were mainly Almond trees and open fields.

The commonest species were again the small finches including Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis). Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) were also common amongst the smaller passerines.  

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulga / Falco tinnunculus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and Common Magpies (Urraca / Pica pica) were the commonest larger species seen. Best birds of the day were 5x Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) and a couple of Stone-curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and singing male Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) were probably the best birds seen whilst recording. 

Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis).

On the way home I quickly called at the small lake along side the A92, at first glance it was very quiet but then a single male Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) was seen in the rushes along with two female type birds, probably House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus). Whilst I was watching these birds another small bird flew into view and sat flicking it's tail on a branch just to the side of the male sparrow, this was a male

-->Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) a good end to the morning.