Huétor Fields, Huétor Tajar, Granada Province.

A couple of visits to the patch.

Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).

Bob and Jenny Wright came up to visit, arriving at 10:30 with gifts of Marmalade and Chutney. Once I had made them a drink Bob and I went for a quick visit to the fields and started along the Arroyo Vilano and picked up Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) x4, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) x2, Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) x3, Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) one heard calling and another on the opposite bank of the rio, Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Male Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

We moved over to the Eastern side of the Arroyo Vilano and moved right up to far end of the track and parked. The first thing we were aware of were at least three singing Nightingales (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) which were my first of the year, as well as House (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and just a bit further back along the track along side a Poplar plantation we added Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

We again moved and went around to the Mesia side of the site and parked and walked out into a nearby reed area which was burnt off last year and just starting to recover. As we walked through the remains of the reeds we flushed out a Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla) which landed in a tree on the side of the railway line before moving to a Willow in a nearby small holding.

Male Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

In the same area we picked up a small flock of Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and as we drove back to the house I saw a single Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).

After having a drink Bob and Jenny headed back south, later in the afternoon I popped down to the Supermarket and on the way home I stopped briefly along the Arroyo Vilano when I spotted a nice male Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) quartering a cereal on the far fields. Soon after the Marsh Harrier disappeared I saw a Male Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) which was displaying to a female bird so I went around to the far bank and as I arrived I found the male and two females on site. I also saw a pair of Ravens (Cuervo / Corvus corax) as they flew across the fields and heard a Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix).