Granada Wildlifes Tour of Eastern Andalucia and beyond.
Day Eight of Eleven, A morning around a new wetland near Daimiel and later travelling down to Sierra Morena and birding along the river.
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Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) male. |
We left the hotel in Daimiel and went a short distance North to another wetland which a guy in a bar yesterday had told us about, we arrived and we surprised to see a cracking looking spot with several hides over looking a pool full of birds including
Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus),
Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), the all important
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and
Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina),
Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera),
Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna),
Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata),
White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala),
Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra),
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus),
Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus),
Black-necked (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and
Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis),
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus),
Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta) and a smart
Black Tern (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger) which Mike H picked up on a rock on the far side of the pool, later it gave us good views in flight.
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Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra). |
We walked along the road to another hide which over looked a smaller pool on the opposite side of the road, on the way we had good views of a male
Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) collecting nest material from the bullrush heads, heard a singing
Savi's Warbler (Buscarla Unicolor / Locustella luscinoides) and from the hide watched an adult
Bog Hen or
Purple / Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) with a
Boglet in tow, a male
Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus),
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and
Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) and
Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) dragonflies.
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Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser). |
In the same area and over the road looking at the main pool we saw or heard
Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and
Great Reed Warblers (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus),
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis),
Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and
Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus),
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo),
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta),
European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster),
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica),
Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus),
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops),
Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and lots of croaking
Perez's Frogs (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).
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Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) carry a Rabbit and being mobbed by a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus). |
Next we went North to the far side of the wetlands and drove along a road between them and a mountain ridge behind us, at the first stop raptors were the main group seen. We started with a male
Marsh Harrier, then came both
Griffon (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and
European Black Vultures (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus),
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and finally the first
Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) of the day which was a fine adult which came off the ridge and drifted over us quite high.
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Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) carry a Rabbit and being mobbed by a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus). |
In the same area and at another spot along the road we added
Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni),
Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo),
Iberian / Southern Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis),
Marsh Harrier,
Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina),
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),
Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and
Great Tits (Carbonera Común / Parus major),
Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula),
Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata),
Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus),
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) as well as
False Ilex Hairstreak (Querquera / Satyrium esculi),
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla),
Small White (
Pieris rapae),
Clouded Yellow (Colias Común / Colias corcea),
Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and
Spanish Gatekeeper (Lobito listado / Pyronia bathsheba).
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Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus). |
We then started the drive down to the Rio Juandula just notrth of Andujar, on the way we called in at a couple of quite unproductive sites but we did have a second
Spanish Imperial Eagle which was carrying a Rabbit and being mobbed by a
Common Kestrel. In the same area we also saw
Marsh Harrier,
Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) a fine male which came up from the track in front of the van, several
Hoopoes,
Corn Bunting,
Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus),
Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and
Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla),
Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica),
Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and
Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).
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A view over the fields en-route. |
Once we were at the Rio we checked the woodlands and the river from the bridge near the dam wall during our time in the area we saw
Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus),
Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla),
Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos),
Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and
White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba),
Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos),
Iberian / Azure-winged Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cyanus),
Subalpine (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans) and
Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala),
Griffon Vulture,
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) along with
Blue-eye (Erythromma lindenii),
Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus),
Meadow Brown,
False Ilex Hairstreak,
Small White and
Large White (Pieris brassicae).
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Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus). |
We then went to the hotel in Marmolejo and then went out in the town where we had a meal before turning in.
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