Puerto del la Ragua, Granada Province, Spain.

Another mornings birding with Juan Perez. 

Click on the link below for Ebird list for the day. 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S72933775

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) moulting Male.

I left the house at 06.30 and met up with Juan on the services just to the west of Granada and once I loaded my stuff into his car and put the mask on we were on our way up to Puerto del la Ruaga.

We were going there as a few days ago Derek and Barbara Etherton and 4 others had seen an immature Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) in the picnic area amongst the pines, so we wanted to have a look as this was the first record of the species during the summer.

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) moulting Male.

We arrived after having 2 Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) on the way up and once kitted up we checked around the picnic tables and started the day list off with Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), male and female Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), a male Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and then what we came for but not an immature Siskin but an adult male moulting into winter plumage.

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) moulting Male.

As we were watching this bird we had several Citril Finches (Verderón Serrano / Serinus citrinella) join it, I managed some shots but the light was still very poor so the ISO was upped but this meant the shots were a bit rough and grainy.

We had good views until the flew off over the road and started to feed on the car parking area, here we saw the other male and what was either a moulting female or an immature bird amongst a dozen or so Citrils. We also had Serins (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) x2, the first of 3 Hoopoes (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and some calling European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) as they passed overhead somewhere high up.

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) immature / female with Citril Finches (Verderón Serrano / Serinus citrinella).

The birds again crossed back to the opposite side of the road so we followed and then walked a short way up the right hand side of open area following the small stream, we soon found several of the finches bathing in the stream and also added Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and after a while we cut up into a fire break in the pines following a small flock of 5 Woodlarks (Totovia / Lullula arborea) and then cut back down to the road through the woods adding Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) x8, Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) and Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) on the way.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) male.

We reached the stream again near the road and as we followed it down towards some crags we found 2  Grey Wagtails (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), a couple of Chiffchaff species but we could not be sure which at this point, Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea) and down by the crags  Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Citril Finch (Verderón Serrano / Serinus citrinella).

On our way back up towards the car park we had a single Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus) and a calling Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus brehmii) which was one of the birds we saw earlier but it made life easier by becoming vocal.

We could not find much when we reached the car park and picnic area except for a single Black Satyr (Satyrus actaea) so we went back over to the stream and followed it further up the hill and found Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), a smart female Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), a couple of Wall Browns (Lasiommata megera) and a Bath White (Pontia daplidice).

Black Satyr (Satyrus actaea).

We returned to the car park and then walked up the steep slope behind the building and then up again on to the tops and then did a big loop and came back down the same route, on the way we found several new species for the day list including Tawny Pipits (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris) x6, Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) x8, Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis) x2, Northern Wheatears (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) x2, another couple of Mistle Thrushes, an Iberian Grey Shrike, 2 more Rock Buntings and as we dropped down a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).

We got back to the car and we headed back to the service area where I got a drink before heading home, on the way I boosted my day list with a few bits including Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).