Huétor Fields and Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

Morning walk along the Arroyo and then later a stroll around the woods at Hacho.

Second Municipal Lock down Day 38.

Ebird List.

 

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

I parked at the half way point as I was coming up from Huétor after booking the car in for some work and followed the Arroyo up to the area where I normally park. 

The Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) were on the same area of Lucerne but were more spread out than usual and the Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) was stalking some food in the deeper areas along the one edge of the fields.

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

I reached the parking place adding Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and the first 6 of quite a few passage Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

I turned around and headed back to the car, along the way finding Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) and as I reached the car lots of House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and a couple of Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) as well as several Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

Almond blossom at Hacho.

Almond blossom at Hacho.

I stood by the car for a few minutes to see what was on the Asparagus fields and I was pleased to see my first Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) for the year on the patch, a male which sat up on a small stick before moving quickly off up the field when two guys arrived to pick the Asparagus.

More Almond Blossom.

Very active Bee hives on the lower slopes at Hacho.

Continuing on along the Arroyo I found Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).

Giant Orchid (Himantoglossum Robertiana).

Giant Orchid (Himantoglossum Robertiana).

On the far stretch down to the railway bridge I stayed on the Northern bank of the Arroyo which was not the best idea I have had as it was very muddy after yesterdays rain but I still found a couple of Bluethroats (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and the first Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) for a week or two.

I turned around and walked back to the car, it was warming up slightly by now and I had a couple of both Clouded Yellows (Colias croceus) and Small White (Pieris rapae) and a single Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Giant Orchids (Himantoglossum Robertiana).

Giant Orchids (Himantoglossum Robertiana).

I reached the car and returned home where I had some lunch and then went out up to Hacho, I parked down by the road and walked up the track through the stunning trees covered in Almond Blossom, there were still some nice spikes of Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia) but the majority had gone passed there best.

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

When I reached the main pine woods I did a count of the Giant Orchids (Himantoglossum Robertiana) and I soon reached 300 flowering spikes with many many more leaf rosettes ready for future springs.

There were good numbers of Somber Bee Orchids (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) also in flower right the way along the main track and up into the woods.

Giant Orchid (Himantoglossum Robertiana).

Birds included Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) and a pair of Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) which passed over quite high.