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Friday 9 December 2016

El Faro and Rio Fuengirola Mouth, Malaga Province.

A quick look at the remains of the beaches near Fuengirola.

Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).
I dropped a the Miramar shopping center and went for a look at the beaches near the sea watching hide at El Faro. The beaches were covered in the mess and rubbish washed down the rivers out to sea and the back up on to the beaches after the heavy rains. 
Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).
The mess was being cleaned up which meant there were very few birds about but I did however see Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis),  Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) and Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba). 
Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).
As well as some birds that were not on the beach including Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and a late / early Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) flying west.
Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).
Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).
Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

Thursday 8 December 2016

Near Armilla, Granada, Granada Province.

A unseasonal find by friend Juan.

Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).
After getting a phone call from Juan Pérez Contreras on Tuesday evening to say he had a Flycatcher species on his local patch, I went up just on first light to see what it was.
Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).
I had not got to bed until 04:00 following a night listening to some superb music in Santa Fe, so had slightly blurry eyes when I arrived but soon found Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), a single Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla), several Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and lots of Goldfinches (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).
Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).
Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).
About 15 minutes later Juan Pérez Contreras arrived with two more Granada birders José María González Cachinero and Agustín García Martínez and we continued to search the row of trees where he had seen the bird but only found Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).
Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).
Juan and the others went to check a couple of trees at the far end of a nearby Asparagus field whilst I checked the fences and trees in a small holding along side the track, on my around this spot I saw several Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and as I round the furthest corner of the fence the Flycatcher which as soon as I got on it looked like a female type Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) later corrected to 1st Winter Male (Thanks Ed MacKrill for the correction on the sex) but due to the amount of eastern species being found I wanted to make sure so I took a few bad shots of it before I went to fetch the others.
Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).
Once we had all had good views we all came to the same conclusion that it was most likely a Pied but I wanted to check the shots before I was sure but as suspected it was a Pied Flycatcher. Juan and friends headed off whilst I took a few more shots before heading home.
Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).






Monday 5 December 2016

Santa Fe, Granada Province.

Inland Winter Booted Eagle.

Jayne and I travelled up in to Granada to visit the new Nevada shopping centre but on the way had a dark phase Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) which flew over us as we were heading out of Santa Fe towards the city. On the way up we also saw Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).