Padul Wetland and Cubilla's Res, Granada Province, Spain.

A Hobby for my Granada Year List.

Ebird List for Cubilla's Res.

Hobby (Alcotán Europeo / Falco subbuteo).

After getting a message from Juan Perez about a 2CY Hobby (Alcotán Europeo / Falco subbuteo) yesterday I decided to go and have a look as it is a species that is always difficult to see in the Province.

Hobby (Alcotán Europeo / Falco subbuteo).

Hobby (Alcotán Europeo / Falco subbuteo) from the other side of the pool.

I got up early and I was on site by 07.30 ans as soon as I arrived I could see the bird out over the water involved in aerial combat with a Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) but as I reached the lake side the dogfighting finished and the Hobby landed in one of the dead trees out in the lake.

Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

For the next two hours the Hobby just sat and preened so I did a bit of a walk and added
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Collared (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus).

I was just about to walk back to the car when Juan rang to say he would be at Cubilla's Res shortly if I wanted to join him for a couple of hours so I made my way to the spot where we usually spend out time checking the Tamarisks.

Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).

Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).

Juan was already there with Chika when I got there, so I sorted out my stool and we spent the next couple of hours birding, fussing Chika and chatting.

Purple Herons (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).

Whilst we were there the main highlights were a couple of Purple Herons (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) and another pale morph Booted Eagle.