IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE BLOG ON A PHONE PLEASE CHANGE TO WEB VIEW AT BOTTOM OF PAGE AS IT WILL LOOK BETTER, THANKS MICK.

Saturday 23 January 2021

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

The Bulbul is sticking around, well I thought it was.
 
Common / Garden Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus).

After not seeing the Common / Garden Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus) for a few days I was pleased to see it down on the ground eating small bits of plants along the Arroyo but this was to be the last time I was to hear or see the bird.
Common / Garden Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus).

Later I saw it again as I drove back towards the house in one of the track side reedbeds and then in a Pomegranate tree it often protects from all comers.
Common / Garden Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus).


Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk down on the fields again.
Second Municipal Lockdown Day 7.
 
Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) with a good mouthful.

Again it was the usual route to start with but then I diverted along the Arroyo down to the Railway line and back again. The Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) x34 were still in their normal patch of the Lucerne fields as were most of the other species I usually see.
Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) forcing down a large fly.

There were good numbers of
Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) in the fields with quite a few other Finches and a group of Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).
Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

Friday 22 January 2021

Cerro Hacho and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

First flowering Orchids of the year.
Second Municipal Lockdown Day 6.
 
Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).
I parked and went for a walk around the lower loop around the woods at Hacho just up the road, all along the track through the Almond trees there were masses of the common Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia), most were blue but there were some nice white flowers as well.
Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia).

There were a few singing
Common Crossbills (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) further along the track and as I came back down the other side I found Dartford (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and the first flowering Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) of the year.
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).
I finished the loop and then I dropped down on to the field but just for a quick scan to see what was on the Lucerne fields, I found Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and loads of Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starlings (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).
Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Thursday 21 January 2021

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A Raptor year tick on the patch.
Second Municipal Lockdown Day 5.
 
Again I did the usual walk down around the fields to the Poplar plantation and saw most of the regular species but I was particularly pleased to see a big female Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis) perched up on one of the roadside Pylons where it was sat looking just as hacked off with the rain as I was.

Tuesday 19 January 2021

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Quick walk out on the Fields.
Second Municipal Lockdown Day 3.
 
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) female.
On my way down I had the regular female Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) sat up on one of the roadside telegraph poles and out on the fields where I did my walk a very smart tiny Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) female.
I met a couple of guys there from Medio Ambiente who had come up from Almeria to see the
Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) but instead of the normal 30+ there were just 4 birds which we saw in flight, later I walked past the site again and there were 20 or so showing well, typical.
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).
Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Monday 18 January 2021

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Our local Celebrity is still here.
 
Common / Garden Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus).
As I was driving back from the Supermarket I had brief views of the Common / Garden Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus).

Sunday 17 January 2021

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk out on the local patch.
Second Municipal Lockdown Day 1.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) x39.
After catching up with the chores at home I went out for a walk down on the fields, I parked at the usual spot by the Arroyo Vilano and then walked out to the Poplar plantation and back.
Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Main species were Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) x39, which is the best cont of the winter so far, Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) x100+ and Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia) x44.