Enjoying a day showing Bona and Ron from Canada my local patch.
Day one.
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Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops). |
Bona, Ron and I headed out on to the fields to the North of Huétor Tajar where we started off the trip list along the Arroyo Vilano where we saw
Iberian Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) bathing in the shallow water,
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus),
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula),
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
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Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra). |
We crossed over to the Eastern side of the site and again followed the Arroyo down to the railway bridge adding
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea),
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), a female
Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), several
Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) which sat up nicely on the dry flower heads of the many
Milk Thistles (Silybum marianum) and a new species for the site a
Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) which flew away from us along the Arroyo and in to the distance.
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False Mallow / Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus / alceae). |
Further along the track the first of what was going to be the commonest species of the tour was seen, a female
Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) which was quickly followed by a smart male. In a near by willow tree we had more
Iberian Magpies as well as a passing
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), a flock of high flying
European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) which passed over head unseen but heard well, a
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major),
Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), an immature
Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator),
Common Waxbill (
Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and as we got out of the car to check the rush fields a flash of blue came passed in the shape of a Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis).
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Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica). |
We had a walk through the juncus fields having good views of a
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), heard both
Dartford (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and
Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and once up on the side of the rio we saw a
Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta) in weeds on the far bank along with
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica),
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), heard
Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and saw a
False Mallow / Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus / alceae).
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Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur). |
We left the area and headed out over the A92 to Moraleda where we went out on to the fields nearby bt things were geerally quiet but we did add
Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and
Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae),
Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia),
Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica), several flighty
Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia),
Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus viridis),
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus),
Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), a couple of
Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and a soaring
Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).
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Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua). |
On our way towards La Malaha we called in on the regular
Little Owls in a row of Almond trees and found two adult birds perched in the shade.
Once we were out on the fields near La Malaha we picked up a distant
Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) which landed on a large pylon, so we drove towards it and stopped on the track just as it flew off and right over our heads.
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Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos). |
We dropped back on to the lower fields and soon found good numbers of
Northern Wheatears, a few migrating
Tawny Pipits (Bisbita campestre / Anthus campestris), a couple of
Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and as we dropped down to the road we added
Ocellated Lizard (Lacerta lepida),
Scarce / Spanish Swallowtail (Chupaleches / Iphiclides podalirius / Iphiclides feisthameli) and
Bath White (Blanqiverdosa / Pontia daplidice).
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Ocellated Lizard (Lacerta lepida). |
Once down on the road we made a couple of stops by parking on the stubble fields, whilst there we were scaning the skies picking up
Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and
House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica),
Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and on a Pylon another
Short-toed Eagle.
On our way out to the road to the Cacín Valley we picked up a pale phase
Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) and in an area of scrub on the road to Cacín we spent a while searching the brambles and bushes finding
Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata),
Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin) and a very smart
Southern / Blue Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) which sat nicely for the camera.
We dropped down into the Village of Cacín and then had a walk along the river seeing
Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea),
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and a
Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis) but Bona and Ron missed this I think.
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Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus). |
Further down the valley we stopped at the Embalse de Cacín and scanned throught the many wildfowl on the water and I was particullarly pleased to find 3
Ferruginous Ducks (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) 2 male and 1 female, 150+
Mallards (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), 80+
Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), 10+
Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), 7
Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), 100+
Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra),
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus),
Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and single
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus). In this area we also heard several crocking
Perez's Frog (Rana Común /
Pelophylax perezi) and
Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).
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Southern / Blue Hawker (Aeshna cyanea). |
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Southern / Blue Hawker (Aeshna cyanea). |
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Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo). |
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Ferruginous Ducks (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca). |
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