Huétor Tajar Fields, Granada Province.

Out on the local fields for a couple of hours.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

I started by going to the main Bustard fields where I had seen a few Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) as Jayne and I drove past a few days earlier on our way into Loja.  

When I arrived I could only see 5 birds in amongst the Lucern along with several Hoopoes (Abubilla / Upupa epops), 20+ Yellow Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), along with equal numbers of Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) which were the first of the winter on the patch, Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

The next stop was along the Arroyo Vilano, I first went up stream first and picked up Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), there were a couple of Common Starlings (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulg aris) mixed in with a good size flock of Spotless, Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

I crossed the Arroyo and took the track up to the railway line, the first section was dry and very quiet but the second section which was full of reeds and had some water was much more interesting. 

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

First of all we had a small flock of Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), a calling Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), several passing Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and by a small area of open water where I parked there were at least three Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and two Sedge Warblers (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus).

I finished the visit with a look along the Mesia track where I checked the ditches and pools adding Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), two male Bluethroats (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) and as I drove back to the house I had 7 Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) drop into on of the cut Lucerne fields.

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).