La Malaha, Cacín Valley, Balsa Regidor and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Out on the furthest parts of the patch after the restrictions are lifted slightly.

Second Lock down Day 44, released to Provincial area.

 

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).

I drove out to the area near to Granada called El Temple, on the way I had 6 Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) on a small Irrigation pool on the roadside near Santa Fe and further on Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Out on the fields of El Temple I started the list with Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), a male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and the first of several Great Spotted Cuckoo's (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

I drove out on one of the tracks to a spot where I soon found a stunning pair Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), a good number of singing Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and several Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Just along the road I again took to the tracks and soon started to hear and see more Great Spotted Cuckoo's, a bush full of both Spotless and Common Starlings (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) which was sat up on some Solar panels, a singing Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and at least 5 Red-legged Partridges (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).

Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis).

I left the fields and the took the road over to Cacìn Village, on the way I picked up Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra).

Once I was in the Valley I dropped south to a point over the gorge where I stopped and found good numbers of Jackdaws mixed in with a flock of around 25 Red-billed Choughs (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), a singing Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and as I drove back towards Cacín I had a couple of Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) fly across the road and out into the Olives and a soaring Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) which was moving along the ridge to the left of the road.

Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater).

My next stop was at the Contra-embalse where there was a vehicle parked in the usual spot from Medio Ambiante, I parked and had a chat to Rubín one of the Agents. Later I checked out what was on the water finding Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus) x8, Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), a Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) which showed well on the reed edges, Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), a Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) which was on the dead branches over the water, a calling Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and two displaying Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina).

Just along the road I stopped near the Rio Cacín bridge finding Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) x3, Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and a calling Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) on the nearby crags.

Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) female.

I drove up the valley and as I was going I had a large shadow pass over me and when I looked up I saw a very smart Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus) which I followed for a while before pulling in and hoping to get a photo but by the time I was out of the car the bird was gone, however I did find a good number of Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) in the pines and a few spikes of Somber Bee Orchids (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) on the road side.

I cut back across to the motorway via the fields near Moraleda finding lots more Great-spotted Cuckoo's, at least 3 Iberian Green Woodpeckers (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and several Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).

I took the service road and checked out Balsa de Regidor adding Northern Shovelers (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata) and Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

My last stop was out on the fields locally as I needed to get some steps in and I also found Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and to finish with a nice male Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) before heading home.