Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

An couple of hours on the patch whilst the car was in for some work.

I dropped the car off in town for a repair to the drivers window and went out on to the fields nearby, I did not find any thing unexpected but built a decent list in the time out there. Species included Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Tree (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) and House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Meadow (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaria), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Reed (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus) and Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) as well as Small White (Pieris rapae) and Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea).

Huétor Fields and the Cacín Valley, Granada Province.

On the local patch and down the Cacín valley with Pau from Valencia area.

I was meeting Pau at the bar at the end of our road so I left the house and had a walk down picking up Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Song (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Mistle Thrushes (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

I reached the bar and Pau turned up soon after me and we had a coffee before heading out to the fields near to Moraleda, once we were there we found a few spikes of Somber Bee Orchids (Ophrys fusca / O. forestieri) on the side of one of the track sides as we approched the main fields. Up on the Almond fields we saw Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Crested and Thekla Larks (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and the we first heard and then saw the first Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) for my year list.

We moved up on to the more open fields where we heard but did not see a Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) and in the same area we had Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and several of both Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Green-Striped Whites (Euchloe belemia).

We dropped down into the valley and had a sandwich in the bar at El Turro and once we had finished we made a stop in the pines just down the road where we found more Somber Bee Orchids and heard and saw Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Great Tits (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus). Our next stop was right down to the far end of the valley where we had good views of a pair of Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila-azor / Hieraetus faciatus), Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) and Small White (Pieris rapae) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

We made a short visit to Embalse de Bermejalis but we did not add any interesting species so we worked our way back up the valley to the Embalse de Cacín where we found Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).

We moved back to the fields near Huétor Tajar but only managed to find Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) before we called it a day.

Rio Genil, Padul and Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

Scrapyards and birding.

Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).

Jayne and I went up into Granada calling at a couple of Scrapyards on the way looking for but failing to find a few small parts for the car before I dropped Jayne off in the centre and then continued on up to the Rio Genil nearby. I parked on the roadside and then walked out to the sluice gates and scanned the river up and down stream and then did a loop walk up stream and then back to the car. During the stroll I had views of Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Later I visited a couple more Scrapyards near Padul but came away with nothing again so I continued on down to the "reserve" ???? at Padul But little had changed since my last visit, except maybe the canal was even smellier, there was more rubbish about and the vegetation blocking the views from all the hides was even taller, very sad. On a more positive note there were good numbers of Water Rails (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) which were seen and heard, as well as Water Pipits (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and a fresh looking Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

I gave up trying to see anything from the hides and the smell was no joke so I went back into the city and met Jayne before going and having some lunch and doing some more shopping and then heading home. 

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

On the way to the house we crossed the fields at Huétor and picked up Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaria), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

Not the Spanish Lifer that was expected but a good one for the local patch.

1st winter Red-throated Pipit (Bisbita Gorgirrojo / Anthus cervinus).

Jayne and I went down town to do our loop of the ring road and then called in at the fields where I had yesterday seen what I was convinced was a Richards Pipit (Bisbita de Richard /Anthus richardi) but instead of this bird there was a smaller but pale looking Pipit with a very distinct supercilium stretching well beyond the eye and pale mantle stripes which I supected could be a 1st winter Red-throated Pipit (Bisbita Gorgirrojo / Anthus cervinus) and this was confirmed later in the day. A very welcome new bird for my Spanish Life list, coming after a few more records in Sevilla and Cadiz Province.

1st winter Red-throated Pipit (Bisbita Gorgirrojo / Anthus cervinus).

1st winter Red-throated Pipit (Bisbita Gorgirrojo / Anthus cervinus).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

A possible Spanish Lifer slips through the net on the local patch.

I had a run down to Huétor to the supermarket and on the way back I had a look around the fields and out on to the Mesia Road. Along the ditches I saw Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and a male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica). From the bridge over the railway I had 57 Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

A little further along the road I checked a field of short grass and was instantly drawn to a small group of Pipits about 30 meters away and to one bird in the group. 5 birds were obviously Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) but the sixth bird was not. It was distinctly larger and longer legged than the others and paler looking, I immediately thought it was a Richards Pipit (Bisbita de Richard /Anthus richardi). I watched it for a few minutes becoming more and more convinced (99%) all the time with my first Id but just at that moment a ****** on a trials bike came past and they all flushed and dropped into a Lucerne field nearby. With the bird out of sight I decided to drive home unload the shopping and then return with the camera to try and get that 1% to be sure as it is a rare bird down here in the South but when I returned I found no Pipits at all and in the next hour or so none returned to the more open field. On my way back to the house I went via the Rio Vilano and added Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) before getting back.