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Friday 28 October 2016

Zapata, Malaga Province.

A couple of hours on the Rio Guadalhorce, in Malaga Province.

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).
Jayne had a walk around Torremolinas whilst I had a look along the river at Zapata. On the way in around the disused buildings I had brief views of a smart male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) as well as several Common Stonechats (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).
On my way out to the ford I added Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).
On the ford and around the river pool just up stream I had views of Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) x4, Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) x7, White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) x15+, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) x2, Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia) x1, Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).
White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
I also saw Large (Pieris brassicae) and Small Whites (Pieris rapae), a nice male Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger), Blue / Common Emperors (Anax imperator) x3M, Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x2M, Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) x1 and Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) x2M.
Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).
White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).





Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Thursday 27 October 2016

Balsa de Rigedor, Huétor and Moraleda Fields, Cacín Valley and La Malaha, Granada Province.

A days birding with Sandeep from Edinbourgh in Scotland.

I met Sandeep up in Granada and we headed back along the A92 to Balsa de Rigedor where we started a day of ups and downs with the species. On the water we soon found good numbers of Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) 20+, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) 25+, Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata) 50+, Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) 2F, Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and around the margins a single Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and 2 Greens (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus). In the trees we found a rather late Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) as well as lots of newly arrived Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Song Thrushes (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos). 
In the same area we also picked up Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
Our next stop was on the local patch at Huétor Tajar or more precisely on the fields to the North, on the Mesia side of the area we started with a walk along the ditches and amongst  the reeds. Species seen included Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and several quick moving Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) as they flew over us. 
We moved around to the Arroyo Vilano and soon found several Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), a cracking Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) which flew along the track in front of us and down along the rio we added Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus). We made our way around the Huétor side of the fields looking for but dipping on the Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) however we did find good numbers of Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a little further up the road a very smart Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) which was sat on the roof of a roadside ruin. 
We next drove across the A92 to the fields near to the town of Moraleda where we had our second dip of the day when we missed the Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) but whilst we searched we did find a stunning male Merlin (Esmerejón / Falco columbarius) which was on a field plucking a smaller bird. We also had a male Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis) fly through, several Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), a Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and a couple of Ocellated Lizards (Lacerta lepida).
We dropped down to El Turro where we picked up our lunch before going down to the bridge over the Cacín and whilst we sat and ate our sandwich we recorded Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), a distant flying Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) which went South quickly as well as a male Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta).
We moved just up the road to the lake and found that the water was still low and the flock of 16 Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus) were still present along with several more Green Sandpipers, 3 Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), a calling but hidden Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), 3x Water Pipits (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), another Iberian Grey Shrike and a couple of butterfly species including Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Small White (Pieris rapae), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and a stunning Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore).
From the lake we went up on to the ridge above Cacín and then through to Granada again, on the way we did not see a great deal but still added Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) before I dropped Sandeep back to his hotel in the city.

Wednesday 26 October 2016

Home near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A lunch time visitor on its way South West.

Whilst having lunch Jayne spotted this very smart Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) as it drifted away South West.
Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).

Tuesday 25 October 2016

La Malaha, Cacín Valley, Moraleda and Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

A day in the field with Barb and Eric from Canada.

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
I met Barb and Eric at their hotel in Granada City and then we headed out along the motorway towards Motril and the off West heading for La Malaha which was a change of plan forced by the motorway being blocked heading North. Before we go to La Malaha we turned off on to a dirt farm track where we checked a flock of Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and found that there were approx equal numbers of Spotted and Common Starlings (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulg aris), on the fields on either side of the track we found lots of White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), along with a few Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and in the air a group of Jackdaws (Grajilla / Corvus monedula). 
European Nightjar (Chotacabras Europeo / Caprimulgus europaeus).
Up over the ridge we stopped again and added Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and three fly over Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).
Slightly further down the track we checked the area around a ruined Finca and soon found a flock of 30+ Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), a female Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and on the way off the site a Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and a couple of Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia).
After a quick coffee and loo stop in La Malaha we went out on to the fields but just out of the village we made a stop when we saw a female Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) flick up in to a small pine tree, in the same spot we had a short walk and found the similar Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).
European Nightjar (Chotacabras Europeo / Caprimulgus europaeus).
We continued on along the same road and then out on to the fields again and by the time we exited on the Ventas de Huelma road we had seen Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), a very smart Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and a slightly unfortunate European Nightjar (Chotacabras Europeo / Caprimulgus europaeus) which was hanging dead from a chain link fence.
On the road between Hulema and Cacín we heard and saw Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).
We called in at the bar in Cacín where we had another coffee and collected our sandwiches for lunch which we took with us, on the way out to the gorge we stopped at the bridge just out of the town where we checked the rocks and willows and found Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and a Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) which called loadly but remained out of sight.
Down the valley above the gorge we found Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia) and a Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) which flew along the far cliff top upsetting all the Crag Martins on his way south. 
Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis).
After finishing out lunch we moved back up the valley to the Contra-embalse de Bermejalis, the water level was very low which meant that there were a few waders on the mud including a good number of Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Green (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and Common Sandpipers (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and a single Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba). On the water we had Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).
Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis).
On the margins and mud bars we also had 5+ Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) x3, a single immature Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and know that the sun had come out a touch we started to see a few butterfly species including Bath (Blanqiverdosa / Pontia daplidice) and Small White (Pieris rapae), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) and 2x Desert Orange-tips (Colotis evagore).
Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).
Our next stop was in the bar at El Turro for a coffee and Loo stop before going up the road on to the fields where we had good views of 16 Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) before we headed off to our final spot of the day on the fields near Huétor Tajar for our last target species. On a filed just out side the town we had 100+ Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), 30+ Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), several Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and a Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) which dropped in to distant fileds.
we took a drive along the Rio Vilano and finished the days list with Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and loads of the stunning Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) x50+, which were in all the trees around us and on the flieds and mobbing a Common Buzzard
We finished off and headed back up into the City where I dropped Barb and Eric off at their hotel before heading home. Thanks to Barb and Eric for their company on this days birding.