Moreleda Fields, Cacín Valley, Embalse de Bermejalis, El Temple and Cacín, Granada Province, Spain.

Back out on the patch.

Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla).

We crossed the A92 and went out on to the fields near to Moreleda, once on the tracks we soon found the first of lots of Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Greater Short-toed Larks (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla) the latter in small flocks, Tawny Pipits (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), several passing Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and just before we drove of the site a pair of Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) flew in and dropped on to the fields nearby but they did not hang about and were soon off.

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) female.

We dropped down the valley and checked the Contra Embalse on the way down to Bermejalis, the water level had risen so there were no waders but duck numbers were up and we soon found Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and a Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus).

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore).

 

Around the lake we also recorded Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) and our first Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) of the day. 

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) female.

From here we went down to Cacín and then went and had another look at the Desert Orange-tips on the road up to Ventas de Huélma and again we found several and took some photographs and also saw Small (Pieris rapae) and Large White (Pieris brassicae) and Long-tailed Blue (Lampides baeticus) and several fly over European Bee-eaters.

Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum).

We dropped down the valley again and parked along the inlet channel at Embalse de Bermejalis where we hoped to find Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum), which is still quite a rare insect. After a search we found a couple of very smart males along with Violet (Trithemis annulata) and Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) and Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum).

Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum).

We also had several fly over Common Crossbills (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

Violet Violet (Trithemis annulata).

Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi).

Our last site of the day is was out on El Temple where we had a female Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) sat out on a field near the track, Tawny Pipit, Thekla and Greater Short-toed Lark, Northern Wheatear, Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), a pair of Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), another fly over Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis), Bath White (Pontia daplidice) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).