Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Dodging the showers.

 

Water in the Arroyo again.

It rained all morning and it was quite heavy at times so I stayed in catching up with a few bits around the house. During the afternoon it cleared for nearly 2 hours before the storms returned but during this time I managed to get a walk in around the Lucienne fields.

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

I parked at the mid point as the track from the ford to the normal parking spot was extremely muddy, yesterday the ford had been completely dry but I was not surprised to see it flowing again as we have had a lot of rain in the few hours.

Convolvulus arvensis.

Convolvulus meonanthus.

I walked along the Lucerne fields first and then when it got muddy I turned around and walked back to the car, on the way I found Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata).

Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) male.

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

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

I turned around and on the way back I picked up Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Squirting Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium).

Malva nicaeensis????????

In the few sunny periods I counted over a 100 Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies as well as several Small Whites (Pieris rapae) and Clouded Yellows (Colias corcea).

Common Vetch (Vicia sativa).

I passed the car and the continued out to the Mesia road spending a while photographing the wild flowers along the verge which included Convolvulus arvensis, Convolvulus meonanthus, Squirting Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium), Malva nicaeensis???????? Common Vetch (Vicia sativa), Hoary Cress (Lepidium draba), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Rosy Garlic (Allium roseum), Ornithogalum narbonense, Few flowered Fumitory (Fumaria vaillantii), Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) and Common Knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare).

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Few flowered Fumitory (Fumaria vaillantii).

As I walked this stretch of the fields I also had Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and in the Poplar plantation a couple of singing Golden Orioles (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus).  

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum).

Erucaria hispanica.

As I walked back to the car I found a couple of Cruciferae plants, one I think could be Erucaria hispanica but the other which is common I still cannot name and large patch of Corn buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis).

Corn buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis).

Corn buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis).

I returned to the car, on the way hearing a Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) which was singing from the far side of the Arroyo along with Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).