Cacín Valley, Granada Province.

Turning Steve to the dark side and took him birding, a change from the Dragons (well almost).

White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes).

Lynn, Steve and I headed out past Moraleda and on to the fields where we were had views of Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and Thekla Larks (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), a fine Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and most amazing a flock of over 150 Turtle Doves (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) feeding on a stubble field.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) female.

Our next stop was down in the Valley near the Contra-embalse de Bermejalis where we did dip back in to the Dragons for a short while and found Western Willow Spreadwing (Lestres viridis) x1M, Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) x2M-1F, White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes) x5, Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) x1F, Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) x5M-2F, Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x10 and a single male Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum).

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) female.

In the same area we had a Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Small White (Artogeia rapae), Crested  (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus) and Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala). 

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) female.

A little further down the road we stopped at the Contra-embalse de Cacìn and scanned the water seeing Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) x7, European Bee-eater  (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), immature Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor / Hieraetus faciatus), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Barn Swallow, House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi).

Moving further on we stopped at the gorge seeing nothing new so we headed back up the valley and called in at Balsa del Rigedor cecking the pool for dragons adding Egyptian Grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium), Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x2M-1F, Red-veined Darter x50+, Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) x4M-1F, Small Red-eyed (Erythromma viridulum) 2M, Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) x5M, Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x3M, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Mallard and Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus).

Black-tailed Skimmers (Orthetrum cancellatum) mating pair.

Our last stop of the day was at a small rather smelly pool on the arroyo Vilano near the house. Here we had good numbers of  Scarlet Darters x8M, Red-veined Darter x10, Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii) x5, Epaulet Skimmer x1M and a single White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Egyptian Grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium).