Peñón de Jolúcar in Torrenueva, Playa de las Azucenas, Another beach and Peñon de Jolúcar, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning birding with Andrey and some survey work with Juan in the afternoon.

Ebird list for Peñón de Jolúcar.

Ebird list for Playa de las Azucenas.

Ebird list for Peñon de Jolúcar, second visit.

 

Silene littorea.

I met Andrey in Torrenueva and we walked up to the sea watch point, on the way we saw House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Sea Medick (Medicago marina).

We spent the next 2 hours trying to find sea birds but it was very very quiet, we did see Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) x65, Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) x5, Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) x14, Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) x2, Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) x91, Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) x10 and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) x40.

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Whilst we were there we also recorded Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and just as we were leaving a male Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) flew in.

Reichardia tingitana.

We walked back to the car and then moved to the west and checked out Playa de las Azucenas, we parked and walked up on to the bridge finding Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and down along the river a singing Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Mallard, Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) as well as several Stripe-necked Terrapins (Mauremys leprosa).

Ononis ramosissima.

Down on the beach we had more Yellow-legged, Lesser Black-backed and Med Gulls, a Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) which was feeding on the shoreline, on the Port walls there were lots of other Gull and around 50 Great Cormorants.

Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis).

We checked out a couple of fenced off areas for wildflowers finding Ononis ramosissima, Reichardia tingitana, Sea Medick (Medicago marina), Ramping Fumitory (Fumaria capreolata), Silene littorea, the leaves of the Sea Daffodil (Pancratium maritimum) and a Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Ramping Fumitory (Fumaria capreolata).

On the way back we added Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Barn Swallow, Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla). 

Linaria pedunculata.

Near the car I found Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), Crown Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum) and Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum) before Andrey headed back north to work and I went to meet Juan Perez.

Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) very heavily cropped shots.

I drove to a near by beach where I met Juan to assist with a survey he has been doing on the breeding Kentish Plovers (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) for a few years, Juan has been trying hard to get the local town hall to give these special and locally rare birds more protection at their only breeding site in the Province. 

Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus).

Some mistakes were made last year in the beach cleaning process and nests were destroyed, Juan has been fighting to get signs and barriers put up to prevent the same thing happening again and to also try and reduce the disturbance by people using the beach, he has been successful in getting signs but the barriers to protect the main breeding areas are still to be sorted.

Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus).

We walked the full length of the beach finding two sitting females and several more birds which were roosting down on the beach along with a group of Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and a couple of Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and down on the ground Silene littorea, Sea Medick (Medicago marina), Linaria pedunculata, Ononis ramosissima, Sand Reichardia (Reichardia gaditana) and Seaside Daisy (Asteriscus maritimus).

Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus).

As we walked on we found one of the two Trumpeter Finches (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus) that had been seen a few days ago as well as a single Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), an Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Meadow Pipit, Crested Larks, Greenfinches and out to sea several Northern Gannets including a strange pale brown plumage bird.

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

We returned to the cars and then drove back along the coast to Peñón de Jolúcar where we walked up the new walkway the town hall had built seeing a nice male Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) on our way up.

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

At the top Juan showed me a nice group of 6 Pink Butterfly Orchids (Orchis papilionacea) and up on the cliff tops I also found several spikes of Brown Bluebell (Jacinto bastardo / Dipcadi serotinum) and Hollow Stemmed Asphodel (Asphodelus fistulosus).

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

I then said goodbye to Juan and headed back home well knackered after the long beach walk, Juan stayed and saw quite a few more bits.

Brown Bluebell (Jacinto bastardo / Dipcadi serotinum).

Pink Butterfly Orchids (Orchis papilionacea).