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Friday 14 October 2016

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).

Tuesday 11 October 2016

El Faro, Fuengirola, Malaga Province.

A bit of beach and sea watching.

A quick walk from the parking spot on the side of the main road and I was in the hide, on the way I saw a few of both Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) as well as a male Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), a female type Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and several migrating Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica). Out to sea fighting against the wind I saw 150+ Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) most of which were Juv birds, Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris diomedea), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Monday 10 October 2016

Moraleda and the Cacín Valley, Granada Province.

Out birding with the quiz master and Co.

Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis).
I drove down to the Contra-Embalse de Bermejalis on the way down to pick up Bob, Jane, Dot and Ernie but as we were having a relaxed start at 10.00 I spent an hour or so above the Embalse. As soon as I arrived I had a nice male Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) fly along the nearby ridge quickly followed by a male Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) both of which headed off south being mobbed by a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and several Common Magpies (Urraca / Pica pica).
Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis).
On the water there were several groups of wildfowl made up mainly of Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) as well as smaller numbers of Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) x8 and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) plus Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and a calling Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus).
Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis).
In the scrub and broom bushes on the field side of the road there was a good sized flock of Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) passing by with a single Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) tagging along at the rear. Other birds on the fields included Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis).
Over the water and on the margins I added Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Cetti's Warblers (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and a calling Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).
Just a short way down the road I stopped again by the reed beds and spent the rest of my time there and soon picked up a flying Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Jay.
Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).
I drove down the valley towards Cacín, on the way seeing Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and by the bridge near the town White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).
Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).
I met Bob and Co at his house and then we headed back down to the Rio Cacín just out of the town and had a walk. Along the river we saw lots of Blackcaps, Woodpgeons, Mistle Thrushes, Cetti's Warbler, Robin, Jay, Grey Wagtail, Blackbird and a calling Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla). We also saw some butterfly species including Small White (Pieris rapae), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea) and False Mallow / Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus / alceae).
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).
Our next stop was down the valley above the Cacín Gorge where we had super views down to the river and added Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), another Common Buzzard and as we were leaving and heading up towards the Roman Bridge a Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis) flew along side us and then dropped down into the gorge.
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).
At the bridge we did not see any thing new but on the way there we had a male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) sat on a large rock in fields with several more Common Stonechats
Up at the Embalse we saw many of the species I had already had earlier including Eurasian Teal, Common Pochard, Northern Shoveler, Little Grebe, Cetti's Warbler, Jay and good numbers of migrating Barn Swallows but we did added a male Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Bath White (Pontia daplidice) and a male Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) which flew passed us and away north up the pool.
The group on the Roman Bridge in the Cacín.
Our next stop was for lunch in El Turro (thanks Bob) and then we went up above the town on to the fields where we were as usual looking for the resident Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) and after see Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) we found three female and one male Sandgrouse in the shade of one of the track side almond trees and the showed brilliantly giving me the chance to crack of one or two shots. As we drove around the site we also saw Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), several more Rock Sparrows, an  Iberian Grey Shrike, Common Stonechat and then as we were starting to drive out the next village we picked up Dots main target bird a Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) in fact by the time we went on we had had great views of 4 different birds.
At the Raptor watch point.
We made our way out on the lanes to the road above Cacín and then had a look from the Cortijo bend but added just a few Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia) and a Large White (Pieris brassicae). We headed back down in to the village where I dropped Bob and the others off and then headed back to the house.