Moraleda and Cacín Valley, Granada Province.

A good days birding with a group from southern England.

Fluffy Seeds of the Poplars.

Sylvia, Dennis, Andrew and I set off from their accommodation at Casa Jazmin in Realenga and we made our way down on to the fields near Huétor where we started the days list off with Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cyanus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor). We pushed on through Mesia and across the A92 to an agricultural area near Moraleda where we took to the dirt tracks. 

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

On the way we saw Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and once we were out side the urbanization we picked up both Common (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).
Out on the fields we immediately we located a stunning Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus) which showed very well in the nearby Almond trees along with Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Bath  (Pontia daplidice), Small (Artogeia rapae), Large (Pieris brassicae) and a tatty Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).
On a small area of uncultivated grassland we had a few interesting plants including Blue Hounds-tongue (Cynoglossum creticum), Common Asphodel (Asphodelus albus), Ground-pine Germander (Teucrium pseudochamaepitys), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Navel-wort (Omphalodes commutata), Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum), Tassel Hyacinth (Muscari comosum), Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis) and Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum) and a single teneral male Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Dennis, Andrew and Sylvia.

We continued on around the site and had flight views of a couple of Great Spotted Cuckoos (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) before dropping down into the valley and along to the bridge over the Rio Cacín. We parked and had a walk towards the dam and heard or saw Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla), Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus). Dennis, Andrew and I continued on past the car and had a walk in the Eucalyptus woods further along the river whilst Sylvia got some sun sat by the car,along this track we found Bee (Ophrys apifera), Dense-flowered (Neotinea maculata) and Yellow Bee Orchids (Ophrys lutea), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) and Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Our next stop was at the Contra Embalse de Bermejalis where we had a scan over the water and had views of Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and a couple of male Red-veined Darters. 

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera).

We continued on along the valley and along the top of the gorge and the back to the Roman bridge, during this time we had excellent views of Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus), Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), a second Golden Oriole and a singing Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes).

We retraced our way back along the valley to Cacín and then went up over the top road to Ventas and then back to the house via Moraleda again, on the drive we had Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) and Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni) before getting back.

Thanks to Sylvia, Dennis and Andrew for a great day and for their company.