Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

The Bulbul is sticking around, well I thought it was.

 

Common Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus).

After not seeing the Common 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 Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus).

Later I saw it again as I drove back towards the house in one of the track side reed beds and then in a Pomegranate tree it often protects from all comers.

Common Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk down on the fields again.

Second Municipal Lockdown Day 7.

Ebird List.

 

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).

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).

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.

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).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Our local Celebrity is still here.

 

Common Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus).

As I was driving back from the Supermarket I had brief views of the Common Bulbul (Bulbul Naranjero / Pycnonotus barbatus).

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.