Padul, Rio Guadalfeo, Charca Suarez and Moraleda Fields, Granada Province.

Back to Kate and Jims trip after their second rest day.

Kate and Jim McCusker, Day Eight.

Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).

Our first stop was back at a spot on the Padul Wetlands where we had watched a cracking Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana) a week earlier, this time we were hoping that both Jim and Kate get shots as Jim was in the wrong spot last time and the bird showed just briefly. This time they were both in the right spot and the shutter was soon rattling as the bird came into view and fed right in front of us and the only person in the wrong place was me and that did not matter.

Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).

In the same area we also saw Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Cetti's Warblers (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) as well as Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and Small White (Pieris rapae).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

We dropped down towards the coast and paid a visit to the banks of the Rio Guadalfeo where we watched a pair of Dippers (Mirlo Acuático / Cinclus cinclus) whizzing up and down the river along with White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Large White (Pieris brassicae) and several Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

We moved down to the area to the rear of the Charca Suarez nature reserve where we quickly found a very tolerant Monarch (Danaus plexippus) which sat very nicely on the wildflowers along with a Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), an African Grass Blue (Nina esmaltada / Zizeeia knysna), Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

We made our way back North and then out on to the fields near Moraleda, on the way we had a very well behaved Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) which after a good yawn posed nicely for us.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Once we were out on the fields we went to the ruined Cortijo and tried but struggled to photograph the good numbers of butterflies which included Bath (Blanqiverdosa / Pontia daplidice) and Green-Striped Whites (Euchloe belemia), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) and Swallowtail (Papilio machaon). Birds included Short-toed (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and European Bee-eaters (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster). 

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

We moved across to the far side of the site where we checked some areas of Almond trees and found Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina), Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenodes), Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum), Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina) and a flock 12+ Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis), they were flighty but Kate and Jim managed some distant shots before we headed back to the hotel.

European Bee-eaters (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).