RAM and Charca de Suarez, Granada Province.

Fran Espinosa Alemany, Juan Pérez Contreras and I do some birding on the Granada Coast.

Sun Rise from Cabo Sacratif.

I met Juan outside his place and once we put all my kit into his 4X4 we set off down to Peñón de Jolúcar on the eastern side of Torrenueva near Motril where we carried out the monthly sea bird count, half way through the count we were Joined by Fran. During out time at the site we recorded 187 Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus), a single Great Skua (Págalo Grande / Stercorarius skua), good numbers of Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Lesser Black-backed  (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis). Also seen out at sea was quite a desent sized pod of what looked like Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) numbering around 15 amimals.

Ophrys forestieri.

Other species seen included Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Moustached Warbler (Carricerin Real / Acrocephalus melanopogon).

Once the count was over we moved on to Charca but took the steep track down to the cars to check the bank for Orchids and before long we had found a dozen or more flowering spikes of the local member of the Fusca group Ophrys forestieri.

Moustached Warbler (Carricerin Real / Acrocephalus melanopogon).

Once we were at charca we headed for the small hide which is the first one you come to on a clock-wise loop as a wintering Moustached Warbler (Carricerin Real / Acrocephalus melanopogon) had been recorded from here and soon Juan spotted it moving along the bottom of the reeds just above the water. From this hide we also recorded Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and dozens of Common Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus).

From here we made our way back towards the entrance and to the first anti-clockwise hide seeing Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) on the way, the hide was quiet and we only added one of the reintroduction Red-knobbed Coots (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata). We walked further around the reserve to the next hide where I met Dave Jefferson and his wife and we had a good chat whilst photographing a very smart Water Rail in the reeds.

Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata).

We also saw three more of the Red-knobbed Coots, Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago). Again we continued on and called in at the main hide, on the way I had a couple of Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria) and Small White (Artogeia rapae) all appearing now it was warming up a bit. As I approched the hide I could hear a couple of Stripe-less Tree Frogs (Hyla meridionalis) and in the hide we saw several Stripe-necked Terrapins (Mauremys leprosa). Birds from here included most of the species we had already seen, we did add the female Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) and at least one of the Common Pochard Hybrid she had produced last year. Juan checked through the Great Cormorants on the island and found two ringed birds, one from Romainia.

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Again we continued on, Juan and Fran went to the left at the junction between the main hide and the new pool and I went right and had good but brief views of a Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla) before it dropped in to cover. I continued on and met the others by the pool where we picked up a Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) and a Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) which was the first Dragon of the year. 

We made our way back to the first hide but did not add anything except for a Yellow-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) which was floating amongst the reeds.

Once back to the cars we all headed back towards Granada, Juna and I did a short detour around the backs of the factory units and had a look at the fields there but only added Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops). We made our way back to Juan's where I collected my motor and headed home, on the way I saw Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Guadalhorce and near Fuengirola, Malaga Province.

Another trip along the Malaga Coast with a few nice year ticks.

Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima).

Jayne and I headed off down to Malaga City for some shopping, on the way we saw Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and a single Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) which was soaring above the motorway.

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

I dropped Jayne off at the Lario's Centre and made my way out to Guadalhorce. I parked next to the school and then walked on to the reserve calling at the hide over Laguna Grande first, on the way there I saw several Black Redstarts (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Stonechats (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

On the small pool just before the hide I found a small group of female looking White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and a couple of winter plumaged Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis). 

The laguna was quiet except for hordes of Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), several Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), lots of Common Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a single pale phase Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas) and nothing else.

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

I moved around to next hide and things did not get much better, new species for the day from here included House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris). From here I walked around to the raised bank over looking the next lagoon, whilst I was scanning the almost empty pools I had a small group of Penduline Tits (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) fly into the reeds below me and from this point in the visit I was almost constantly hearing Pendulines all the way round the reserve.

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

I again moved on around the bank to the hide on the far side of the laguna picking up a Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and several Small Whites (Artogeia rapae) on the way. The hide produce just a single female Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina). I continued to the Wader hide and the moved on down to the beach seeing a single Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), 2x Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), 4x Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), 4x Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) on the way only to find four lads who had cycled past me a while earlier urinating in the sea watch point.

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

Making a comment and getting a gob full of Spanish abuse from the four Gents I moved on down to the beach and walked west picking up several Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), a single Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) and several Crested Larks (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) before taking the track to the main hide again but little had change and it was still Quiet. 

Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima).

I next walked back to the exit bridge, on the way I saw a Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), 2x Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), a pair of Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and a Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula). On the bridge I met a couple of Birders from the UK and we had a chat before I headed to the car, just before I dropped down off the bank I scanned the reeds and trees seeing a couple of Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) in flight and a distant Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) sat in the trees on the far side of Laguna Grande.

Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima).

I got back to the car, picked Jayne up and went for some lunch before continuing the shopping. Late in the afternoon we headed a little further down the coast to Fuengirola where I had a look at the beach by the hide at El Faro. On the rocks just in front of the hide I found two Purple Sandpipers (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima), 13x Ruddy Turnstones (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) and a single Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba). Out to sea I saw some of the species seen from the beach at Guadalhorce but picked up singles of both Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and Audouin's Gulla (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) before again picking Jayne up and heading home.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

A few hours on the local patch picking off a few year ticks.

Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).

Jayne and I headed in to Loja where we sorted a few things out before Jayne dropped me at the Cortijo de Tajar hotel just off the A92 before heading over to Trabuco for the Ladies group meeting and later craft group. I started the walk back to the house which took me around three hours as I took a roundabout sort of route over the fields, in total I covered just over 10KM at birding pace.

Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).

The first species seen on the way into Ventanueva included Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and on the end of a large factory building I found a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) sunning it's self.

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

On my way around the town and along the river I did not see much but just after I went back out on to the fields I started to pick up new species including Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), 3x Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), 5x Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) which was sat on wires out on the fields.

Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Along the track I passed a large Poplar plantation and had nice views of a couple of Short-toed Treecreepers (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), a flock of Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus). Once I was passed the woods I followed the lower stretch of the Arroyo Vilano and soon had good views of a pair of Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), a Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta),  masses of Common Chiffchaffs, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus). 

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).

I checked some track side ditches and soon flushed up the first of 5 Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and eventually after almost an hour of searching I found one of the two Jack Snipe (Agachadiza Chica / Lymnocriptes minimus) that were wintering in the area but on a different stretch of water to usual. In an area of reeds and Bullrush I had views of three Reed Buntings (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus) which was a new species for my local patch, two males and a probable female. In the same area I had two male Bluethroats (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

From here I crossed the railway line and took a track out across the fields to a different stretch of the Arroyo Vilano and straight away I had a group of three very smart male Bramblings (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) feeding under some poplar trees with large numbers Common Chaffinches, a Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) which came up off the river and several Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulg aris) which were mixed in with a large flock of Spotless. 

I continued on along the river and headed back along the road up to the house, on the way I added Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia) and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) before I reached home.

Home near Huétor Tajar to Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk with good friend Lesley Brisco and then a few beers when Allan and Jayne joined us in Loja.

During the morning I went for a short walk with Sam whilst Sue and Jayne got the car packed ready for Sue and Sam's return drive over to Grazalema. Just before 14:00 they set off home we had all had a nice few days over New Year. A little later Lesley and I set off from the house to walk down to El Cerro bar in Loja where we were meeting up with Allan and Jayne for a beer.

During the walk I recorded Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

We also recorded four species of butterfly, Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Small White (Artogeia rapae), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

There were also some early wildflowers including lots of Broad leaved Iris (lirio de invierno / Iris planifolia), Field marigold (Calendula arvensis), Friar's Cowl (Arisarum vulgare), Gorse (Ulex europaeus), Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) and Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca).
We arrived at the bar and had a couple of beers before moving on to a bar in Huétor and then back to Lesley and Allan's for the evening.

Thanks to Sue and Sam for coming over, we enjoyed your stay and are looking forward to coming over your way.

Thanks also to Lesley and Allan for a great afternoon and evening. Looking forward to March.

No photo's for this post as camera had a fit and not managed to recover them yet.