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Saturday 24 February 2018

Caleta de Velez, Torremolinos and Guadalhorce, Malaga Province.

Second time lucky with getting the Camera on the Gull.

Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).
Jayne and I took a rather long route around to Malaga Airport where we were picking up Martin, Jayne's brother later. We went across country to Caleta de Velez via a shop at Puente seeing White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata),
Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).
Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).
Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).
I parked at the port and checked the fenced off beach and within seconds I had the Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides) in the lens but within just as many seconds it took off and headed out into the port mouth and then in and amongst the boats so I followed. I soon relocated it and managed to get to a spot where the fence was not a problem and had good views of this smart bird.
Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).
Other species seen in the area included Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Black Redstart.
Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).
Later we went and had a successfull bit of shopping nearby before going to Torremolinos where we sat on the beach and later had a walk along the front.
Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).
We next popped into Guadalhorce where I did a bit of sea watching seeing singles of Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda) but little else so we headed to the airport and met Martin who had landed early and was through to see us 15 minutes before he was due to land.
Iceland Gull (Gaviota Groenlandesa / Larus glaucoides).

Friday 23 February 2018

Cacín Valley, Granada Province.

A few hours in the sun shine with Jayne.

Bee on Almond Blossom.
After a visit to the hospital in Loja Jayne and I decided to head out down the Cacín Valley via the fields near Moraleda where we made a couple of stops amongst the Almond trees and the growing number of Olives looking at the blossom and seeing Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and quite a few not yet in flower orchid spikes including Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea), Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina), Bumblebee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora) and Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / O. forestieri).
Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis).
Up on the higher parts of this site where there are more open areas of cereal crop amongst the Almonds I added Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), a single House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), at least two more calling Great Spotted Cuckoo's, Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and along with the birds there were some butterflies on the wing in the sun including Bath (Pontia daplidice), Green-Striped (Euchloe belemia) and Small Whites (Pieris rapae).
Almond Blossom.
The butterflies were settling on the flowering plants on the field margins which included Field Gromwell (Lithospermum arvense), Field marigold (Calendula arvensis), Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), Andalusian Storksbill (Erodium recorderi) and Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis).
Sierra Nevada from the fields.
We dropped down in to the valley and drove down to Cacín and had some lunch before coming back north to the Contra-Embalse picking up Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), a couple of Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) on the edge of a group of Poplar trees, a male Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) which flew up from the roadside along with a couple of Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia). 
Field Gromwell (Lithospermum arvense).
Once we reached the lake I walked down to waters edge and scanned through the duck seeing Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus). 
Bath White (Blanqiverdosa / Pontia daplidice).
Also seen were 50+ White Wagtails which were fly catching all around the margins along with loads of Common Chiffchaffs, a male Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), an immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), 13 Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) which were the first I had seen at the site, Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and up in the air and low over the water there were a good 100 Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), 25+ Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), 3+ House Martins and up near the road 2 Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica). 
Immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).
As we headed back towards the house I made one last stop on the roadside where I found a couple of flowering spikes of Somber Bee Orchid and heard or saw Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes).
Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / O. forestieri).

Monday 19 February 2018

Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

A quick check on the Bustards.

This winter the Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) flock on the local patch has been more fragmented than usual and I have only managed to see what I think was the complete flock together once (81 birds) which is much smaller than the 250 birds of a few years ago. Today I found two of the groups totaling 47 birds, there were just 19 on the usual Lucerne field and there were another 28 on another nearby field. I did not get out on to the middle fields to do a count but suspect the rest of the birds were there or out on the Mesia side of the site.
In the same area there were several Golden Plovers (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaria), Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus). On my way back towards the house I had a quick look at the Arroyo Vilano where I added White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Cetti's Warbler  (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs). On my way back up to the house I had good views of a group of 3 Bramblings (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) in a roadside Walnut tree and nearby one of my regular Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua). 
Once back at the house I saw several Siskin's (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) on the feeders along with a pair of Great Tits (Carbonera Común / Parus major), several House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and both ♂and♀ Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).