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Saturday, 3 June 2017

Fuentetodos and Belchite, Provincia de Zaragoza.

Granada Wildlife's tour of Belchite and the Pyrenees.
Day One. A rather wet day on the steppe lands of Belchite.

A cloudy, damp start to the day at Fuentetodos but it did not stop us having almost a full days birding.
The group were up and about early so we had a walk out on to the fields behind the hotel, on the track down to the pool we heard and saw House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) and Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).
Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).
Further along the track we went out into the fields, the clouds were starting to get lower and when we reached the point where we decided to turn around it started to rain but before we did we saw Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Greater Short-toed Larks (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and a singing male Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus).
Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).
We returned to the hotel and had breakfast before heading towards Belchite and the out on to the steppe type areas beyond there, on the way we spotted a Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) sat on a pylon so we pulled in and watched for a while before it flew towards us and away over a ridge nearby.
Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).
We also had a calling Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) before we moved a little further down the road, we stopped again when we saw a fine male Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica) which was sat up on a bush near the road. At the same spot we there was a Tawny Pipit (Bisbita campestre / Anthus campestris) feeding in amongst the roadside flowers, it showed well out on the tarmac between the plants. On the fields there were several Greater Short-toed Larks, another calling Red-legged Partridge and in amongst the flowers on the roadside several Small White (Pieris rapae) butterflies.
Juliet and David Looking for the calling Rock Sparrows.
As we continued on we turned a corner and away in the distance we had views of the Santuario de Ntra Sta del Pueyo, a fine looking building but our attention was drawn to a ruin on the roadside where we could hear several Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) call, we soon tracked them down along with Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).
On the far side of Belchite we also added Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).
Scanning the fields from a dry patch in the track.
We enter the main site at El Planeron, soon after we started up the track the rain stopped for a while so we parked up and scanned the area seeing Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), a Lesser Short-toed Lark (Terrera Marismena / Calandrella rufescens) which was feeding out on the road, Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and several more Greater Short-toed Larks as well as a calling but unseen Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis).
Having a walk in the sun as we did not see much for the first two days.
Further along the track we had 5 Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) sneaking through the vegetation trying to avoid being seen but they failed and we had good views along with Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), loads of singing Corn Buntings and due to the low clouds and drizzle lots of Barn Swallows and House Martins which were feeding down at near ground level. We continued on along the track but due to the rain things were getting rather sticky and by the time we reached the far end of the site the wheel arches were full of mud and the track was like an ice rink so we turned around.
Spiny-footed Lizards (Acanthodactylus erythrurus).
We drove back up the hill to a far better track where we could get some grip, during this time we saw a very pale Booted Eagle which was sat out in a field looking well hacked off with the rain, Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and along a signed track off the rather muddy track we had a walk and apart from the above species we all saw another Short-toed Eagle which for Andy P and myself flushed up two Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata) but they stayed low and the others missed them.
Checking the wheel arches just to see if we can get any more mud in ???
We returned to the Van and made our way out of the site, the same pale Booted Eagle was seen along with a flypast Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) on the way. We went into Belchite where we had some lunch on the way we had a couple of Black-bellied Sandgrouse fly over the road. During lunch we picked up a male Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) before moving on to another spot a few Km up the road where we walked out in to the dry countryside which was by now getting warm as the sun had come out, during the stroll we saw good numbers of Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) as well as a lot of other the species seen earlier in the day. As the sun was now out we saw several butterflies on the wing including Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba) as well as lots of Spiny-footed Lizards (Acanthodactylus erythrurus).
Removing a KG or two of extra weight !!!!
Due to the fact that the sun had shown up at last it was getting warm so we returned to the van and went back towards El Planeron but called at a small pool on the way and saw a Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii) and Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathinerum).
Out on the areas of Steppe areas we saw much the same species as earlier in the day and as the rain returned and was heavy we decided to give in and headed back to the hotel.

Friday, 2 June 2017

Travelling North to Fuentetodos, Zaragoza including birding at La Laguna de la Veguilla on the way.

Granada Wildlife's tour of Belchite and the Pyrenees.
A travelling day before the tour starts on the 3rd June.

This tour was a little different in that all the guests were going to be travelling up with me from Malaga the day before the tour started which worked out well, almost!!!!
Jayne and I picked up Andy Mountford from a friends place in Malaga City where he had spent the night after flying in on the Thursday and we headed to the Car hire companies building where I sorted out and collected the van for the tour. 
We then went to a meeting point nearby where we soon found Andy Patterson waiting for us, Jayne then headed off and went for a walk at Torremolinos and spent the day around the shops. Andy M, Andy P and I chatted for a while but I became concerned that Juliet and David Hird had not joined us so I made a call and David answer and when I said we were ready to go and were at the meeting point I was not expecting the next line which was "We thought we were going tomorrow". Next was "we will be there as soon as possible" and they were, less than one hour later a taxi pulled up and a stressed Juliet and David were with us after packing and getting here in record time. 
Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).
Whilst Andy M, Andy P and I were at the meeting point we started the trip list off with (I will not count the Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) I heard at home) White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).
Anyway we loaded up and were on our way heading East and then North towards Madrid, we stopped for some breakfast after about 3 hours and then stopped off at Laguna de Masegar. On the way from Malaga to the Laguna we saw Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Collared Doves (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).
At the Wetlands we checked out three different hides over looking different parts of the pools, from the first we picked up Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Black-necked (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and a Great White Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) on a distant pool.
The second hide added Black Tern (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Small White (Pieris rapae) butterfly and Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) dragonflies.
The last hide at this site was over looking the larger part of the lake and out on the water we saw Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and in the marginal reeds and Tamarisks Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and calling Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus).
We returned to the Van and drove North but made another stop on the way on some motorway side fields but only added Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla) to the day list.
The time was now moving on so except for a stop for some lunch we pressed on through to the nghts Hotel in Fuentetodos seeing Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) and Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) on the way.

Wednesday, 31 May 2017

Upper Cacín Valley, Zafarraya Road and Sierra de Loja, Granada Province.

Out and about with Lynn and Steve Jones from the UK.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the way to the fields.
We headed off to the fields near Moraleda where we spent a while looking for the resident Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) which we eventually had out on one of the newly harvested fields on the far side of the site. Before we reached the cereal fields we saw Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Collared Doves (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and on a roadside telegraph pole the first Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).
Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus) with beetle.
Amongst the Almonds we also saw Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Crested Larks (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops and on the central fields we spent quite a while watching a pair of Rollers (Carraca / Coracias garrulus) bringing in a stream of large black beetles for their young. 
Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus) after feeding the youngsters.
In the same area we also saw Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and out on the far stubble fields where we saw the BB Sandgrouse.
Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla).
We also found another pair of Rollers, Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) and in the air lots of Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) feeding on an insect hatch. 
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) the adult bird.
In the area around the stubble fields we also saw Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Small White (Pieris rapae), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) the youngster on a safe branch.
We left the site but went just down the road to a spot where I have found a couple of pairs of Little Owls and we soon found an adult bird sat in an Almond but it did not want to play and disappeared almost instantly but a little further down the road another bird sat well and we managed some shot of it. 
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) safely back at the nest hole.
As we were watching this bird I was aware of some wings flapping in a strange way on the other side of the main trunk so we rolled along until we could see what was going on. 
Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), a male with prey.
When we stopped we found a young owl with one of its legs trapped in a crack in the bark and it was hanging upside down looking very unhappy. 
Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), a male.
I got out of the car and climbed just to the lower branches and unhooked the bird and placed it on a branch nearby before going a little higher getting hold of the bird again and putting it near the nest hole where it sat staring at us. We took a few shots of the little chap and then left the Owls be.
Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), a male.
We then moved back along the Motorway past Loja and down the road to Zafarraya where we parked on a farm track and watched several Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) flying above the cereal fields and seeing a couple of food passes. 
Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).
In the same spot we also saw Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica).
Geranium Argus (Eumedonia eumedon).
On our way back east we went up the Sierra de Loja and made our way right over to the far side where we were looking for the locally uncommon butterfly the Geranium Argus (Eumedonia eumedon) which we found but they played hard to get the camera on. 
Geranium Argus (Eumedonia eumedon).
In the same area we had Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), a rather along way from trees Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Southern Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus baeticus) and Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).
Geranium Argus (Eumedonia eumedon).
In this area and on the way up and down we recorded several species of bird including Black (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and Black-eared Wheatears (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) along with Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora) which flew over the track. 
Geranium Argus (Eumedonia eumedon).
We dropped back down to Loja and then back to the house.

Monday, 29 May 2017

El Purche, Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

A few hours butterfly hunting (with the Camera).

Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia).
I dropped Jayne off at the Nevada shopping center before going up to El Purche and looking for some butterfly species, in the pine woodlands I heard and saw Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater).
Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi).
In the more open areas which were dotted with Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis), Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Berberis vulgaris, Salvia lavandulifolia and White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum).
Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).
I also found several species of butterfly including Knapweed (Melitaea phoebe), Marsh (Euphydryas aurinia) and Cardinal Fritillaries (Argynnis pandora), Southern (Polyommatus celina) and Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes), Black-veined (Aporia crataegi) and Small Whites (Pieris rapae), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Grayling (Hipparchia semele), Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) and Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba).
False Ilex Harstreak (Querquera / Satyrium esculi).
Just up the road I stopped again and checked out an area of thistles on a roadside bank and found Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), False Ilex (Satyrium esculi) and Blue Spotted Hairstreaks (Satyrium spini), Black-veined and Bath Whites (Pontia daplidice), Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Panoptes Blue, Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) and Clouded Yellow.
Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis).
Birds included Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla).
On a meadow near by I saw more Small Skippers, Marsh Fritillaries, Bath White, Meadow Brown, Spanish Gatekeepers, Clouded YellowHeliothea discoidaria, Golden Oriole, House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).
I also saw two different types of Owlfly, the commonest was Libelloides baeticus but I also saw several of another species which I still need to identify.
Salvia lavandulifolia.
 Heliothea discoidaria.