Near Guadix and North of Baza, Granada Province, Spain.

A few hours up at the Northern end of the Province.

 

Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).

I drove East along the A92 to a spot not too far from Guadix where I took a road which crosses from the Motorway heading down to Almeria back up to the A92 again heading up to Baza, just off the motorway I parked next to an Almond Plantation next to the railway line.

Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

I walked down to the railway where I had a view of the area, I soon had views of a pair of noisy Great Spotted Cuckoos (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) which flew through being pursued by 5 or more Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), a calling Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Jackdaws (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata).

Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone).

I continued on along the road making a few stops and building a nice list, just a couple of hundred yards on there were lots of Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia) but on the far side of this group I also picked up 3 Stock Doves (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas) feeding on the ground. 

Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone).

As I drove on I added Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), the first of three Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

I parked by one of the larger derelict Cortijo and had some very convincing Rock Doves (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), a calling Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).

At the far end of the area I parked and spent a while scanning the fields finding Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), calling but unseen Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and 3 Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) which flew distantly over the fields calling.

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica).

I continued on up the Motorway and came off near Baza and checked out one of the Barranco's nearby, I parked and walked the main part of the Barranco along the track, on the way I found Black Wheatears, Red-billed Choughs, Corn Buntings, House Sparrows, Crested Lark, Woodpigeon, Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and at least 3 Lesser Short-toed Lark (Terrera Marismena / Calandrella rufescens) which flew over several times.

Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela maroccana).

I also had a very smart male Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica), a couple of Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus) and Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela maroccana).

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

I drove back home crossing the fields near the house seeing a nice group of Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), a rather scabby looking moulting Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) and a very quick Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) which dropped down into the Irrigation channel.

Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta).