IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE BLOG ON A PHONE PLEASE CHANGE TO WEB VIEW AT BOTTOM OF PAGE AS IT WILL LOOK BETTER, THANKS MICK.

Friday 26 December 2014

Malaga and Granada Province coast line, Padul and Ventas de Huelma area, Granada Province.

On the coast and in the hills.

Jayne and I headed down to the coast to change a couple of thing we had bought by mistake and decided that we would make a day of it and have a walk along the beach. On the way down to the coast I saw Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).
We did the shopping bit at Torre del Mar and then continued on along the coast to Almunecar where we had some lunch and a walk along the prom where I saw Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and 20+ Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) sat on some rocks with a few Ruddy Turnstones (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) and singles of  Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).
On our way back up the motorway towards Granada we called in at Padul but just to check the feeding station near the reserve where we I saw two male Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) which were the target species for the year list. Along with these two beauties I had a single Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Blue  (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Great Tits (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and several Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).
From here we went on towards Granada before turning towards Ventas de Huelma and checking a spot where in past colder winters there has been a raptor roost but the only one seen was a female Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) which flew over the road several KM short of the site. I parked up and scanned the much reduced area of over grown fields, several areas had been ploughed since my last visit, I did see several new species for the day including Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) and dozens of White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
From here we headed home adding a small flock of 8 or so Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) which were leaving there day time roost near Huétor Tajar.

No comments: