Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk along the Arroyo.

Second Lock down Day 43, released to Provincial area.

Ebird List.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

I parked and walked along the Arroyo as usual and I took the Northern side all the way down to the Railway bridge, the Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) were still in the fields where they usually were but the Lucerne was getting taller and making finding them more difficult. I only counted 27 but I am sure there were more birds there.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Other species were Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) x5, Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) x3, Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava flavissima), Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

Hirundines moving through along the Arroyo.

On the far stretch of the Arroyo there were good numbers of Hirundines moving through including House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) along with Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

As I walked back I boosted the list with a few more species, Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Count.

 

9206 Cucullia calendulae.

I was a little warmer last night and the temperature stayed up at +9 so I put the Actinic on again. 21 Moths of 8 species.

6184 Eudonia angustea.

6184 Eudonia angustea.

6184 Eudonia angustea x1, 6496 Evergestis isatidalis x9, 8256 Xanthorhoe fluctuata (Garden Carpet) x1, 8581 Eupithecia cocciferata x1, 9206 Cucullia calendulae x3, 9593 Spudaea ruticilla, 10226 Cerastis faceta x1 and 10343 Shuttle Shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) x4.

8581 Eupithecia cocciferata.

8256 Xanthorhoe fluctuata (Garden Carpet).

10343 Shuttle Shaped Dart (Agrotis puta).

10343 Shuttle Shaped Dart (Agrotis puta).

9593 Spudaea ruticilla.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Back down on the fields with my first Great-spotted Cuckoo of the year, a walk to collect the car.

Second Lock down Day 42, released to Provincial area.

 

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) female.

I had another good morning in the garden and cleared the final part of the jungle, all the garden is now cleared and I now just need the garden centers to open so I can start to replant.
After lunch I started to make my way down to Huétor to collect the car after it has been had a few jobs done on it. 

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) female.

I walked down the road towards the bar but cut the corner off by going through the Olives where I saw good numbers of finches including Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) as well as Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea).

Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria).

Down nearer to the bar I had a couple of pairs of Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and one of the females sat nicely for a few seconds and there were quite a few Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) on the wires and in the trees near to the Olive cooperative plant.
Around the back of the bar and along the Arroyo I added Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta).

A white faced Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).

Amongst the Asparagus fields I found lots of Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

I reached the road and then cut back along the far stretch of the Arroyo using the Southern track finding Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) which were very vocal, Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and as I sat on the back to see what approached which was basically nothing (plenty flew by) I had a Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) which flew over me calling but disappeared into the olives of the far bank.

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

I turned back to the road and then walked down to Huétor where I collected the car and went back home.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Count.

 

6531 Udea ferrugalis (Rusty Dot Pearl).

The temperature stayed up at +8 last night but again just small numbers of moths (10 moths of 6 species) but there were a couple of new species for the year which were 6531 Udea ferrugalis (Rusty Dot Pearl) x1 and Probably 8579 Eupithecia dodoneata (Oak-tree Pug) x1.

Probably 8579 Eupithecia dodoneata (Oak-tree Pug).

Other species were 6496 Evergestis isatidalis x3, 8328 Nebula ibericata x1, 10226 Cerastis faceta x2 and 10343 Shuttle Shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) x2.

10343 Shuttle Shaped Dart (Agrotis puta).

10343 Shuttle Shaped Dart (Agrotis puta).

10226 Cerastis faceta.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Back on the Olive fields looking for the Butterflies again. 

Second Municipal Lock down Day 41.

 

Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia).

After finding a couple of new butterflies for the patch yesterday I decided to go back and see if I could get some better shots of the Green-Striped Whites (Euchloe belemia) and the Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus). 

Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia).

The wind was better than yesterday but the sky was full of Sahara dust and the sun didn't get through very strongly which I thought might help but the White's were still very active as were the Southern Blues (Polyommatus celina) and Clouded Yellows (Colias croceus).

Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus).

Eventually one and only one of the Whites sat a couple of times and gave me the chance to get some shots and fortunately it was the one I wanted and I was pleased to get upper and under-wing pictures.

Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus).

As I walked back I also had a couple of Provence Hairstreaks in the same spot as yesterday, this is a species that is never common and is very local in small colonies. 

Linaria micrantha.

I also found a very small Linaria micrantha which was a new species for me and a couple of spikes of Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A Butterfly walk through the Olives.

Second Municipal Lock down Day 40.

 

Before I cross the Barranco.

After another morning in the garden I went for a walk out into the Olives at the back of the house and then followed several of the tracks. 

After I crossed the Barranco.

As before the first part of the walk had been sprayed out by the land owner but as soon as I crossed the second barranco it was very different as the more environmentally minded farmer allows the wild flowers to grow, what a difference it makes.

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

There were lots of Clouded Yellows (Colias croceus) throughout the walk but as with almost all of the species the bank just over the barranco was the best area and just after crossing the stream I had the first of a few Southern Blues (Polyommatus celina), a single Mallow / False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae / tripolina) and found a single spike of Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina) which was my first of the year.

Mallow / False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae / tripolina).

At the top of the slope I turned left and found the first my Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) of the year which was in perfect condition and several Small (Pieris rapae) and Bath Whites (Pontia daplidice).

Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina).

In the Olives it was pleasing to see a good number of Song Thrushes (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) as they had been quite scarce all winter, there were also lots of singing Blackbirds (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).

Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

After a while I turned around and walked back to the slope and then took another left and followed this almost as far as the farm, on the way I had a fast flying Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) come past me but then it surprised me by landing for a few seconds giving me the chance to get a shot.

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) male.

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) male.

At the furthest point I again had a couple of Small Coppers (Lycaena phlaeas) which were landing on the track and a single Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) which played hard to get but eventually landed on one of the thousands of Field marigold (Calendula arvensis) flowers just long enough for me to get a single shot.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum).

I turned around and then walked back but followed a small track amongst the olives where there were more butterflies including my first local Green-Striped Whites (Euchloe belemia), one was obviously a female which was egg laying.

Large White (Pieris brassicae).

Small White (Pieris rapae).

I also had several Large Whites (Pieris brassicae) and when I got back to the slope just before the Barranco I found a single Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) and then the second new species for my patch, a Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus) and as I tried to get shots of it I found that there were at least three of the in the area.

Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia) female.

Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus).

In the same area I had Andaluz storksbill (Erodium primulaceum), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum) and White Mignonette (Reseda Alba).

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Count.

 

9206 Cucullia calendulae.

Even though I knew the temperature was going to drop quite low I put the trap on but I was not expecting it to go as low as +3.

I checked the trap and found just 4 moths of 3 species which were 6496 Evergestis isatidalis x1, 9206 Cucullia calendulae x1 and 10226 Cerastis faceta x2.

10226 Cerastis faceta.

Huétor Fields and at Home, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk back from Huétor and a few hours in the garden and on the terrace.

Second Municipal Lock down Day 39.

 

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

I dropped down into Huétor where I dropped the car off for a few minor bits of work but due to shortages of mechanic's Paco wanted the car for three days but as we cant go very far yet this really did not matter.

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

I walked back across the fields but did not see anything unexpected but the Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) were still around and there was a good flight of around 25 Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) which flew past as I was watching a nice pair of Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) on the wire near the bar.

Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) male.

Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) male.

I continued on up the road back towards the house, as I walked through the Olives I found a small group of 4 Woodlarks (Totovia / Lullula arborea) possibly some of the birds I have been hearing from the garden.

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) female.

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) female.

I got back home and went out into the garden for a while and then sat up on the Terrace, during this time I had a nice male Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) sat in the tree in the Barranco along with lots of male and female Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).