Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A very wet day out on the fields.

 

Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

I went down to the Town for some glue to do a couple of repairs but on the way back I crossed the fields seeing a flock of 15+ Golden Plovers (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia) and 10 or so Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) on a ploughed strip next to the Model Aircraft as well as Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and both Tree (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) and House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

I continued on to the Lucerne fields finding at least 22 more Golden Plovers and 49 Northern Lapwings, 5 Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and the usual Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

A Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) getting lown sideways.

The weather closed in again and the rain hammered down so I went back home, the wind and rain continued for a good while, in the afternoon the rain stopped but the wind continued to get stronger. 

Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

I went for a drive around the patch checking the fields around the Model Aircraft field, on a long strip of newly sown crop I found 140+ Northern Lapwings, some were feeding but the majority were roosting on the next newly ploughed field.

Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) male.

Right at the far end of the ploughed strip I found the Golden Plovers sat together roosting, also in the area there was a singleton Western Cattle Egret, lots of Meadow Pipits, Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) male.

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) male.

I turned towards mesia and checked the fields and then the irrigation channels adding Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) male.

I parked on one of the bridges over the channels and almost straight away a cracking male Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) came up on to the concrete channel side and then spent awhile in view and the dropped down in the reeds and away.

Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago).

Whilst here I also had a Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) which spent some time having a bath in a puddle formed by a leak in the irrigation channel, it then walked out on to a tussuck and preened.

Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago).

In the same area there were also several Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago).

I returned home via the Lucerne fields where there were around 30 more Northern Lapwings, Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago).