Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A productive walk on the fields this morning in the sun.
Second Municipal Lock down Day 26.
Ebird List.

Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) x3.

I started the day by going into Loja to sort a few bits before going the long way around to the far side of the Arroyo as the water level was still too high to cross at the Ford.

A rather scruffy looking Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata).

On the Lucerne fields the Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) were still on site but more unusual was a group of 5 Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) which were mixed in with them. 

Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) after a bath.

I then had a rather strange, scruffy looking Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) which had been around for a while but this was the first time I had it on the ground. In the same area I also had Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), a flock of over a 100 Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), 40 odd Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtails (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and a very skulking Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata).

Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).

I turned around at the normal parking point and walked back to the car on the way picking up lots of Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), the 4 Common Crossbills (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) that have been knocking around the poplars, Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and just 2 Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) which were surprisingly the only hirundines seen all day.

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

I passed the car, only stopping to drop off my fleece as it was warming up nicely, I continued on following the Arroyo finding Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), the regular roosting Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and the first of 3 Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

I crossed the road and again followed the Northern track I saw the first of several Clouded Yellows (Colias corcea), Small Whites (Pieris rapae) and a single Bath White (Pontia daplidice), all of which were seen on the leaves of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum).

Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) female.

Birds along this stretch included 6 Reed Buntings (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus) which was the best count of the winter so far, at least 2 but probably more Bluethroats (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), a male Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) which flew off quickly, Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

I turned around at the far end of the track and on one of the side ditches I had a smart looking Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) which was the first on the patch for a while and as I walked back I had a Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) fly up just before I decided to sit down and see what came close enough for a photo.

Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) showing the red tail flashes.

Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

The male Bluethroat was the first to come, this was followed by an unexpected exotic species, a white Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and even more unexpected was an early Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) which showed briefly a couple of times in the Reed Mace (Typha latifolia). 

Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata).

Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata).

On my way back to the car I added Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) before heading back up to the house.

Small White (Pieris rapae).

Small White (Pieris rapae).

Later in the day at around 18.00 I went up to another local spot where I had a pair Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus) displaying which was a fantastic site.

Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).