Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

My normal walk but with a new species for the patch right at the end.

 

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus).

I parked down by the Arroyo and walked out along the bank as far as the plantation and back again on a beautiful sunny but cold (-5) morning. As I got out of the car I saw a very nice Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) crossing the top edge of the Lucerne fields and as it went it kept checking on me until it was happy it was out of range if I had turned out to be one of the Macho tossers with a gun.

Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

As I crunched my way along the frost covered back of the Arroyo there were seveal cold looking Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), a good number of Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), as well as loads of Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and for the first time this winter a few Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), a restless flock of Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) which were continously flushing and around 15 Golden Plovers  (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia) but they were difficult to count as the Lucerne was getting taller.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

In the trees along the road through the Asparagus fields there were good numers of finched including Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

A hard frost.

Around the plantation there were large numbers of Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),  a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and a calling Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax).

Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).

On the way back I added Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) much lower numbers now, Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).

Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

Just before I reached the car I was watching a flock of Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) when I was aware of a large Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) flying up he Arroyo and away up towards Montifrio, a new species for the patch.

Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

In the area around the car I also saw Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis)Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).

Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).

I drove back up to the house and finished off with a pair of Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).