Padul Wetlands, Granada Province.

Another morning with Juan Pérez Contreras and the Padul ringing group.

Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

I headed off to Padul where I was going to meet up with Juan at the ringing shelter, I arrived a bit early and was very pleased to see a Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis) before it was released, this bird was a new species for my Granada and year list. Juan turned up a bit later and we spent several hours with the bird ringers before checking out the canal where yesterday I had seen a couple of Sedge Warblers (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus). 

Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

During the mornings ringing I was very pleased to see a couple of Bluethroats (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) an immature Male and an adult Female, several Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Willow Warblers (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) in the hand.

Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis).

In the are we also recorded Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).

As things began to wind up Juan and I headed around to the canal on the far side of the reserve, on the way we saw Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) and a couple more Common Kestrels. 

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

On the canal we saw a single Sedge Warbler, Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) along with more Reed and Cetti's Warblers and Common Moorhens.

Taking the wing length of the Bluethroat.

I had to start to make my way back home so I left Juan watching the channel and walked back towards the car, as I was standing right at the end of the channel a pale phase Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) rushed in and took a Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia) off a nearby roof and then dropped down into a crop field behind the nearby reed beds but out of view.