Granada Wildlifes tour of Belchite and the Pyrenees.
Day Eight.
An 1100KM drive with a stop at Tablas wetlands.
|
Norfolk / Green-eyed Hawker (Aeshna isoceles) a new species for my Spanish dragonfly list. |
|
Photographing the Norfolk Hawker. |
Today was going to be a long one as we had a long drive ahead of us, on the way down the Hecho Valley we started the list off with
House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica),
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus),
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus),
Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos),
Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica),
Black (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) and
Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus),
Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone),
White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba),
Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula),
Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major),
Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and a couple of
Red-backed Shrikes (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio) sat on roadside wires.
|
Norfolk / Green-eyed Hawker (Aeshna isoceles). |
Once we were out of the Valley we made our way south past Zaragoza and around Madrid, on the way adding
Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator),
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus),
Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea),
Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris),
Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo),
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala),
Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula),
White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia),
Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris),
Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata),
Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis),
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and
Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).
|
Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina). |
South of Madrid we added
Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus),
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis),
European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster),
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica),
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus),
Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax),
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and after coming off the motorway we saw a
Rufous Bush Robin (Alzacola / Cercotrichas galactotes) sat on the top of a roadside telegraph pole.
|
Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina). |
Our only proper birding stop of the day was Tablas de Daimiel, a superb wetland site with board walks that take you through and across pools and reedbeds.
|
On the board walk at Tablas. |
After we parked we spent three hours wandering around the seeing some really nice species, in the car park on some Lavender we found a good selection of Butterflies including
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni),
Bath (Pontia daplidice) and
Small Whites (
Pieris rapae),
Long-tailed (Lampides boeticus) and
Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina),
Sage (Muschampia proto) and
Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).
|
Great White Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba). |
On the board walks and islands birds including
Woodchat Shrike,
Red-rumped and
Barn Swallow,
European Bee-eater,
Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus),
Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus),
Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus),
Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus),
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo),
Great Reed (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus),
Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti),
Savi's (Buscarla Unicolor / Locustella luscinoides)
Western Olivaceous Warblers (Zarcero Pálido Occidental / Hippolais opaca),
Bearded Tit (Reedling) (Bigotudo / Panurus biarmicus),
|
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica). |
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops),
Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus),
Yellow (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and
White Wagtails,
Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus),
Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus),
Night (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax),
Purple (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea) and
Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea),
Great White (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba),
Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and
Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis),
Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia),
Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and
Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis),
Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina),
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera),
Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio),
Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus),
Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra),
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus),
Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and
Yellow-legged Gulls,
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
|
Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Great White Egrets (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) and a female Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos). |
Norfolk / Green-eyed Hawker (Aeshna isoceles),
Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum),
Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea),
Lesser (Anax parthenope) and
Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) and
Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) were also seen.
|
Catfish and its youngsters. |
After the three hours it was getting a tad warm so we headed south through Jaen, Granada and down to Malaga where we dropped Andy M into the city, Andy P to the starting point where his daughter picked him up and the Juliet and David home before I dropped the Van back and Jayne picked me up and we went home.
|
Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), male. |
I would like to say thanks to Andy M, Andy P, Juliet and David for a super trip and for making the 9 days so memorable, we saw a great number of bird species along with some butterflies, dragonflies, orchids, wildflowers and mammals and I do not think I have laughed quite so much on a tour before, THANKS.
|
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea). |
|
Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto). |