Cubillas Res, El Temple and the Cacín Valley, Granada Province, Spain.

A visit to the Res, collected some los and back across El Temple.

 

Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) and Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

I drove up around the city to the Cubillas Res where I parked at the Northern end of the lake where the Rio Blanco flows in, here I found two Great Egrets (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) and several Littles (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) as well as lots of Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and one of the two reported Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca).

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis).

Also seen out on the water were Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and around the margins and in the trees Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Iberian (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

From here I went to Bobadilla and collected a boot full of logs before moving on out to the fields near La Malaha where within a few minutes I was watching one of the best raptors a Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) which was either siting in one of the many Almond trees or up hunting.

Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

In the same area I also had Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Spanish (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) x3, Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).

Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

On the last it of track just before I left this site I saw a Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) sat on a rock plucking its next meal but as I saw it, he saw me and flew but I still had some nice views of this stunning bird.

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

I drove across towards the Cacín Valley, on the way I boosted the list with Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and a distant soaring Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Once I was down in the valley I went north to the Embalse de Cacín where I had a quick scan of the water finding Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and 3 more Marsh Harriers. 

Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) the remains of its Kill.

Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).

I drove North again and made one last stop by the cliffs at Moraleda but only managed to add Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius).