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Saturday 1 October 2016

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

New species for the garden and some winter visitors already !!!

I spent the morning in the garden catching up with a few bits of tidying up and a bit of wildlife watching. I have now come to the conclusion that butterflies have a sense of humor, I have spent a bit of time this year looking for Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) and have had some success finding it in 5 or six spots but today I had one flying around the garden !! I also had a couple of male Orange-winged Dropwings (Trithemis kirbyi), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea) and a Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).
The bird species are also changing, most of the summer visitors have gone, I did however have a couple of Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), several House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), some passage Alpine Swifts (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) going over quite high and both Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) and Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) in the Olives.
Resident birds seen included the locally common Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).
The first signs of winter were also seen, apart from 1490KM of logs that were delivered and stacked I also saw the first Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) and Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) in the Barranco running along the back of the garden.

Wednesday 28 September 2016

Rio Guadalhorce near Zapata, Malaga Province.

A return to Zapata.

Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).
Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).
Going back to yesterdays original plan Jayne and I headed off down to Malaga where Jayne had a look around the Larios centre whilst I revisited the ford area along the Rio Guadalhorce near Zapata. On the track along the entrance canal I checked some reed patches and soon had a stunning male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) sat high up on a reed head with a male Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and a Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus). 
Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).
In the same area I had good views of the first of at least four Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Cetti's Warblers (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).
I moved on to the ford where I soon had a Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) shooting the rapids and a couple of Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) further up stream by the next concrete bar.
Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).
I looked for the Grasshopper Warbler (Buscarla Pintoja / Locustella naevia) that I had seen yesterday but could not find it but I had views of Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperors (Anax parthenope), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) and Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria). 
Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius).
Further upstream near the concrete bar I had a look at the main pool and added Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Green (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and Common Sandpipers (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and a distant soaring Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) which never came to my side of the motorway bridge. 
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
On the mud near the concrete bar I found a single Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and in the marginal vegetation a scolding Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and a second Bluethroat. 
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).
The last birds of the visit were a noisy group of Monk Parakeets (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) as the flew across the ford. 
I then drove back in to the city and met Jayne for some lunch and then continued the shopping.

Tuesday 27 September 2016

Rio Guadalhorce near Zapata, Malaga Province.

Another meeting with Steve, Elena and Bob.

Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius).
I headed off down to Zapata to meet up with Steve, Elena and Bob on the Rio Guadalhorce to look for Dragonflies but also to collect my tablet which like a muppet I had left in Steve's car last week. Anyway due to a change of plan I headed of slightly earlier than planned with out Jayne so I went straight to the spot and arrived around 15 minutes before the others. 
During that 15 minutes I parked at the ford and soon started the day list with Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), a singing Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) which seem to have been noticably common this autumn, Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) and then on the edge of a small pool in a gap in the reeds I saw a small bird feeding. 
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).
I fully expecting it to be a Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) which are come here, so when I got the bins on it I was surprised and very pleased to see only my second ever Grasshopper Warbler (Buscarla Pintoja / Locustella naevia) in Spain. 
I watched the bird for a few moments and then a delivery van came at speed, throwing up loads of water flushing the bird and flooding the inside of my car as I did not get the window shut quickly enough. 
After drying the car dash off a bit (missed most of the wind screen as Jayne pointed the following morning) I relocated the car into a spot and waited to see if the warbler would reappear but it remained elusive. 
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).
Steve, Elena and Bob arrived a few minutes later so we spent a while searching the area and soon added Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), several Sand Martins (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), a single Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and around the rapids below the ford Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta), Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperors (Anax parthenope) as well as several spraints from what looks like a good Otter (Nutria / Lutra lutra) population. 
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).
We walked futher up stream and had a chat with some more birders already there and picked up a few new species for the list including two very smart Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and in the reeds whilst I was photographing a Lesser Emperor I had a couple of Iberian Blue-tails (Ischnura graellsii), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and on the rocks several Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).
Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope).
Later back at the ford we saw a male Red-eared Terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Monday 26 September 2016

Exit 206 of the A92 and near Huétor Tajar, Western Granada Province.

A couple of quick visits to sites on the local patch.

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore).
I started the day by removing the grapes from the vines at the front of the house to get rid of the many wasps, whilst doing this the local Feral Pigeons (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia) and Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) took flight and calling when a large female type Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis) rattled through them taking one of the white Pigeons off to a nearby pylon where she started to pluck it, after a few minutes she flew off through the olivers. 
Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore).
During the morning I also had Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore).
Later after visiting a nearby garden centres we stopped at a spot where a few days ago I and Steve and Elena Powell and Bob Wright saw several Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) butterflies but failed to get shots. 
Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma).
It took a little while and a bit of patience on Jayne's behalf but eventually I found a very smart insect nectering on some track side plants which sat for the camera. 
Mediterranean Mantis (Iris oratoria).
In the same area I also had a very smart Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Small White (Pieris rapae), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), Clouded Yellow (Colias Común / Colias corcea), Cardinal Fritillary (Pandora / Argynnis pandora) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui). I also had female Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma), a male Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi), Mediterranean Mantis (Iris oratoria), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).
Mediterranean Mantis (Iris oratoria).
On the way back home we called in at the Hotel Cortijo de Tajar for a drink, whilst there I popped across the road to check another area of Capper plants and soon found another 6+ Desert Orange-tips, a Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).