A few hours to the South and West of Granada City.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUQVb4igOXXEfoz24JqmNDbn9byzFVSXrC4hPhBffBlVoDcRdzc7j_h12JP3FWkoWUf_ZKY7f6DDe_gCG6U63nP0mPTTjTeFSVhu9b76kiaa_QURbbQNamUulg_TqcxyX-G5YBqSku-Q/s640/28th+Mar+18-1.jpg) |
Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans). |
Jayne was at the hospital again for the day so I slipped away for a while and started at Padul Wetland along the board walks at the Northern end of the reserve along the rubbish and sewage filled channel.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGX5T4rtYRxcw5rjYyLzy477hkPZbIWRi2iLpmu3MS7cmj9Pt-AqD6ZRZhXyloDD-xrsyIOJvjFufOvSUBb__mWlS_H0OFiCbx_0YiM6MIWAFYN3fBB9amOYrB5VvIi_TWSgpUsIXW9r4/s640/28th+Mar+18-2.jpg) |
Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans). |
At the start of the track where I parked I stood for a while and started the list off with Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXCTHpO8OyD2u3ZiiDNHqEp22-8EiuoeiJXsWHtg7HgvSEJColBz8cevS4nitFqlbWCh3Wm9IajKqKcxdHCqFec00-fBGwm6mkRHN_JpIkk4FjEoc5Vx60ZlrHlK5u3DCgHYFLFj516k/s640/28th+Mar+18-3.jpg) |
Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans). |
I then walked along the track and then the boardwalk down towards the hide, just past the spot where the old bridge was I sat on the track and waited to see what appeared, almost straight away I could hear my first singing Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus brehmii) of the year along with several of its commoner relative the Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and as they were singing it made it easier to work out which was which.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhYQ8FbpBgdGO7YkoKLWYuzPiW_m4osWBN9DP4vHo2321GMDSyWZwPmmhASx4J3DIxqJDSLwwtcwZGu7WnnMD2sLdk4stHKnfzmeoEBsP8sFOzMsNuOgWSPnkM0QTZVU3CCZveisNmjs/s640/28th+Mar+18-5.jpg) |
Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra). |
In the same area I also had singing Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) as well as at least 6 Water Pipits (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and as I started walk around to the willow scrub area further along the boardwalk I watched a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) hunting over the reeds.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQQ4r5Fl52nqdNNLNjjokFvNFr6ny-u7NaJz1nyP-yFoGp7w9bz79xXODf9JatCs-Ufwnnx7reLbIUXTv2NtQLmU45kT9hhcNH9pG61WaxN0dcIBXerMucIK2-brLSYjn_7GEp_jm8dw/s640/28th+Mar+18-6.jpg) |
Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra). |
On the far side I went up on to the raised viewing platform and soon heard the call of a displaying male Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) showing off to a female which was sat down in the reeds on a dead tree. In the willow just behind me I picked up a nice male Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans) which was my first of the year.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlfg13vUuzSjcVX0gjDpOhBWXIvT4M28F1a_gTnJ45v-63K5dlWkYFhTU0lP2p_hxUBvgEsobeFy9zPVsIifoz2-Yb8a3fVMoSICVwbGfEr4I5IfPMSHElC37dpl8HM7KSSvQS3FennI/s640/28th+Mar+18-9.jpg) |
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta). |
I scanned the area seeing several Woodpigeons (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and a little further along the track Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and a couple of butterfly species with 3x Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Large White (Pieris brassicae) and 2x Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) which were chasing each other around the willows.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9mDkR0x-Ddgurqo9i2pPtOB8fNP40aEeRIWQjWEe6Jw8rd3o4Zcd73OKKdqclamZ2W5Noe1ApWMnLpYniQ0RZMHileX6U32xoDjRZrbAJpNChv0_aiSGiskFDmzSLfyjVJQJXX8KNsA/s640/28th+Mar+18-7.jpg) |
Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra). |
I returned to the smelly channel where I added Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and a couple of Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago).
I headed back towards Granada and then West out on to the fields where I checked a couple of areas out but on the way I watched a few
Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni) and a soaring
Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtJcMA7jl-fpnImTCWydzHyoDQuBFjWlkqz7JFaWBWs_H-cW-ZHGwjqiUxwvhGaA_VgkjBTZyOje7h4-cMH2htPj1UxkEJB7i-zmsu1DkXun7NRSyDIQTRJv6ySfoubh4CsuEMmE6h6w/s640/28th+Mar+18-8.jpg) |
Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator). |
On the first area of fields there were loads of singing Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), loads of singing Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).
On the second area I boosted the list with a pair of
Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis), at least 4
Great Spotted Cuckoos (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), 3x
Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and several
Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHQ8x3ezinrzf2qnx8-jWMVt6-js7Kzze7jlriVYGezNev-mniJVFVIV14UiF5Rhd3XqGaLmHGg7gJUCuFWSmdNPWmIZfTOVI7rWuA6Yad_WeTzDySSXsgPqYk9RGqrTKuWmD8ZzKbe0/s640/28th+Mar+18-4.jpg) |
Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius). |
I then I headed back in to the city and spent the last couple of hours of her treatment with Jayne before we headed back home.