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Thursday, 3 September 2020

Huétor Fields, Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

10km walk around the local patch seeing some migrants making their way south and a new arrival. 

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

Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) resting
I drove down to the fields and parked along side a very dry Arroyo Vilano and once I got my kit together I Checked the large Lucerne field and small allotment on the other side of the track where there was a very big flock of at least 600 Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), on the furthest section of Lucerne which I am guessing must have been being irrigated I counted 34 Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and a single Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), 2 Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) flew up from the allotments, the first of the Woodchat Shrikes (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) sat on a fence as were 15 or so Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), lots of House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) 150+ were feeding in the fields and flying up to the fence along its full length, Spanish (Yellow) Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) were also on the field in amongst the many Woodpigeons (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia) x7 and in the air several European Bee-eaters (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and House Martisn (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).
Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).
I walked along the road and checked the fences and fields as I went adding a female Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), a flock of Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinches (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), a single Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) on a chain link fence, the first Crested Larks (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) of the walk, a pair of Common Stonechats (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), a Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) which flew up from another field, a calling Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and a Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
I turned back towards Huétor and as I walked I flushed a Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) from the Irrigation channel and found the first of the migrant Northern Wheatears (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) out on a newly ploughed field with several Greater Short-toed Larks (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla) and in some bushes by the bridge a male Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) female.
I left the road and walked along the Arroyo where I checked the fig trees and poplar plantation for migrants and found several Reed Warblers (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), a Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis), 2 Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta), a couple more Willow Warblers along with Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Jackdaws (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), good numers of Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), a few Collared Doves (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and a single Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) which flew out of the plantation.
I walked on and went under the Railway where the irrigation channels kept the Arroyo running with a desent amount of water and I added Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and by the Mesia road the first of the Common Magpies (Urraca / Pica pica). 
Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus).
I crossed the road and followed the arroyo until I turn off and followed the Irrigation channels back towards the cross road finding Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and out over the ridge a couple of passing Honey Buzzards (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus).
Along the railway line I found more Cattle Egrets sat on a ploughed field resting up, more Common Waxbills, 3 more Tree Sparrows and as I came to the well vegetated Irrigation Channel a female Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) flew up and landed in the top of some Maze on the opposite side of the track and the off further into the field.
I reached the road and then walked into Huétor but I did not add anything before making a stop for a coffee and some breakfast.
I continued on after a while and took a track out across the fields again back up to the railway line, on my way I found a small flock of Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and a very skulking Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus).
I crossed the railway by the foot bridge and followed the road up the the bar and then took the track back to the car scanning the Lucerne fields on the way and finished the list off with an immature Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and 2 Hoopoes (Abubilla / Upupa epops) before heading home. 
During the 10KM walk I also had Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides baeticus), Small White (Pieris rapae), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa), Andalucian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri), Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus) and Small Fleabane (Pulicaria vulgaris).
Later, after dark I went out for my evening walk and heard three different Little Owls calling and lots of passage European Bee-eaters making their way West.

2 comments:

Andy Mountford said...

Bluethroat was nice. Good haul in a relatively short walk Mick. I reckon you deserved the breakfast!

LojaWldlife said...

Hi Andy.

Thanks for the comment, yes the Bluethroat was my first of the WINTER, in +34 heat.