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Friday 24 March 2017

Padul Wetland, Granada Province.

The second Crake of the year and a few more year ticks.

Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).
After getting some info from Juan Pérez Contreras and the web site Cuaderno de campo "Aves granadinas" I visited Padul in the hope of seeing one of two Spotted Crakes (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana) reported there and the first one was on the year list within 2 minutes of arriving.
Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).
Except for a walk around to an area of willows and wet reed beds nearby I sat on the bank of the pool and watched this stunning little bird for the next 3.5 hours and heard another calling close by in the reeds. In the same area I also picked up Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Sedge (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and a singing
Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).
Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) M & F, Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) x8, Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), a nicely plumaged male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).
Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).
After a while another couple of birder showed up and after getting them on to the Crake I went for a walk around to the willows nearby where heard a calling Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus brehmii) as well as several Common Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).
Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).
I walked back to the spot for the Crakes and had another half an hour watching it and then walked back to the car just as the snow arrived, as I passed along the stream I added Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea). In the same area I saw Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and Southern Water Vole (Rata topera / Arvicola sapidus).
Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).
I then went back to the Sierra Nevada shopping centre where Jayne and I had lunch before buying a few bits and pieces before heading home. Thanks to Juan for the info about the Crake as I enjoyed this bird very much.

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Mothing.

8328 Nebula ibericata.
Put the Actinic light out last night but with high winds and just an over night temp of +4 I was not surprised there was not a lot found but there were 1525 Plutella xylostella (Diamond backed Moth) x1, 4245 Cochylimorpha decolorella x1, 8328 Nebula ibericata x2, 9433 Caradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow) x3, 10343 Agrotis puta (Shuttle Shaped Dart) x2 and one other which is probably another Caradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow) ????

9433 Caradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow).
10343 Agrotis puta (Shuttle Shaped Dart).
10343 Agrotis puta (Shuttle Shaped Dart).
9433 Caradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow)??????

Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

Three more year ticks on the local patch bring me up the 200 mark.

Male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).
On my way down to the ceramic shop I had a look along the Rio Vilano and the first bird down by the ford was a female Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) which was having a good preen in a Tamarisk bush along side the first of several Sedge Warblers (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) and in a fig tree on the oposite bank there was a small flock of noisy Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki). A little further up stream I found a couple of Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and on one of last years Fennal stems a Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) rattled out its call.
I turned around and followed the North bank down stream and picked up both Spanish (Yellow) (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).
Male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).
I crossed the road and took the track on the Southern side of the Rio making my way down to the railway line parking a couple of time and checking the reeds but the first year tick a calling Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix) was heard in fields on the far bank. In this area I also recorded 5x Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), a male Bluethroat, two calling Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) way out over the Olive trees and the first Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) of the year.