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Friday 27 November 2015

Hacho and Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

Out and about on the local patch again.

Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).
Spent a very nice couple of hours sat on the lip of the car boot in the woods on the Northern side of the small mountain called Hacho just to the North of Loja. During this time I waited to see what came to me as I had done a couple of days ago in Refugio de Juana.
Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).
It worked quite well again as I saw several species including Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Coal Tits (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Song (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Mistle Thrushes (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), 1x Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Rock (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Cirl Buntings (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Chaffinches (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cyanus) and a single very smart Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus).
Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).
Later I dropped down on to the fields and checked the usual fields near the town and found the 50 or so Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) on their new favourite field and around 250 Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) just across the road.
Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) female.
On along ditches on the far side of the site I could not find any sign of the Jack Snipe (Agachadiza Chica / Lymnocriptes minimus) that have wintered there for the last few winters but I did have 6+ Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), 3 Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and another very late or wintering Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix) which flushed up from the Lucerne field along side the ditch.
Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis).
Back by the pool I recorded Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), 20 or so Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), a very nice male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), 25 + Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) which were following a tractor on the far fields.
Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).
Other species included Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtails (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).
On the way back towards the house I had the regular Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on a roadside ruin and several Siskins (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) in a mixed finch flock which flew up off weeds in the barranco just below the house.
Female Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).
Male Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Male Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Tuesday 24 November 2015

Huétor Fields, Huétor Tajar, Granada Province.

A walk back from the town.

After dropping the car off for some work I walked back home via the fields around Huétor, I stayed on the main road and took the road up to the house. I walked with out stopping except once to count the 52 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) on a cut Lucerne field. During the rest of the walk I saw 100s of Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Monday 23 November 2015

Refugio de Juana and El Faro, Malaga Province.

A few hours in the hills and then down on the beach.

Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus).
Jayne spent a morning shopping in the large centre down on the coast so I went up to the woodlands at Refugio de Juana where I basically sat on the edge of the boot of the car and waited to see what came by and straight away I picked up Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).
Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus).
As I dropped back down to the coast I stopped again and added Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).
Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater).
I picked Jayne up and we went along the coast towards Fuengirola where Jayne again went in to the shopping centre and I popped back to the hide on the coast and had a look at what was out to sea but there was not a great deal, in fact I was just a single Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), a few Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii).  
Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus).
Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus).
On the rocks below the hide I also saw a single Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima), as well as a Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta). Other birds were Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).
Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus).
Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima).
Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima).
Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) x3, Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) x2, Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) x1 and Purple Sandpiper (Correlimos Oscuro / Calidris maritima) x1.
Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).
Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).
Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).
Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).
Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).