Laguna near Daimiel, Ciudad Real and Travelling to and at Sierra de Morena, Jaen Province.

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.

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.

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 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.

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).

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. 

Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus).

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.

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 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 (Satyrium esculi), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Small White (Pieris rapae), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathsheba).

A view over the fields en-route.

We then started the drive down to the Rio Juandula just north 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 Greater 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).

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus).

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  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), 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).
We then went to the hotel in Marmolejo and then went out in the town where we had a meal before turning in.