Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Almost feels like Spring, ALMOST.

Second Municipal Lock down Day 24.
 

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

It was mostly cloudy but today was a great deal warmer than the last few days, mostly due to the wind dying down, throughout the walk I could hear Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) singing well and rattling out there call. 

The local Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) were also sat up high on bushes and reed stems singing, as were Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) when they weren't chasing and fighting each other.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

The 37 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) were on the Lucerne fields and the males were leaping and running around like lunatics displaying to the female birds. Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) numbers had risen and on the far side of the fields there were at least 120 birds feeding and roosting.

A dozing Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

I continued on and started to see some hirundines feeding over the water, today as it has been for the last couple of days most were House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) with a mix of Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and at least a couple of Sand Martins (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) first of the year.

Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).

I continued on passing the Poplar wood seeing Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), a calling Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starlings (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), both White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtails (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and at least 3 Reed Buntings (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus) all females.

Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Serins (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinches (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and a female Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus).

Further along before I reached the end of the track I had 6x Common Moorhens (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and several Bluethroats (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), at least 3 males and a female.

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

I dropped off the main track and walked around the Juncus field finding at least 2 more Bluethroats, a Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and 3x Zitting Cisticola's (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

As I walked back I added Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) x3, Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), a single Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos).

Giant Orchid (Himantoglossum Robertiana).

As I walked along the Lucerne fields again a large flock of birds flew up and some landed on the Eastern fence, they included Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Serins (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinches (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and a female Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus).

Giant Orchid (Himantoglossum Robertiana).

Later in the afternoon I popped up to the Pine Woods on the slopes of Hacho where I photographed the Somber Bee (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) and Giant Orchids (Himantoglossum Robertiana).

Whilst I was doing this I also recorded Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).

Giant Orchid (Himantoglossum Robertiana).