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Saturday 3 July 2021

Cartuna Beach and a couple of spots nearby, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk along the beach looking for Kentish Plovers.
 
Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis).

After finishing the moths with Miguel I went to meet Juan and do the Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) count and by the time we had finished we had seen 13 birds including several young birds.
Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) adult and chick.


Also seen during the walk we recorded Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) chicks.
After the long night of Mothing I was knackered so once we had finished the survey I headed off back home.

Charca Suarez, Granada Province, Spain.

The morning after a nights Mothing at Charca.
 
Poplar Hawkmoth Caterpillar (Laothoe populi).

Some of the moths seen during the mornings before we closed up the traps, labelled on the Pictures.
6057 Ancylis oblitella, ID by Martin Honey.

8211 Rhodometra sacraria (The Vestal).

9859 Nonagria typhae.

6057 Ancylis oblitella, ID by Martin Honey.

10376 Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar).

3156 Pyroderces argyrogrammos, ID by Rafael Rodriguez Pino.

6057 Ancylis oblitella, ID by Martin Honey.

Friday 2 July 2021

Lecrin Valley, Rio Guadalfeo, Playa de las Azucenas, Cartuna Playa and Charca Suarez in Granada Province, Spain.

A day heading down to the coast for a nights Moth surveying with Miguel Olvera.
 
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).
I left home and made my way down to a spot in the Lecrin Valley where I parked and scanned the skies looking for Swifts including possible White-rumped Swift (Vencejo Cafre / Apus caffer) which had been reported recently but I did not find any Swift species at but started the days list off with Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).
I gave up on the Swifts and dropped further down the valley and checked out a spot along the Rio Guadalfea where I found
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Common (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).
Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Once I was down on the coast I made for Playa de las Azucenas right next to the Port, the commonest thing I saw unfortunately were piles of garbage that were left by the terds and lowlife that have been using the beach, the laze uneducated morons who are to stupid to take there rubbish home with them but prefer to pollute the beach and the sea with it.
Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii).
As I walked down along the river I had Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Serin, Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), a couple of Black-rumped Waxbill (Estrilda troglodytes) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).
Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii).
Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii).
I reached the beach and found loads of Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) on the tide line along with a few Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and a single Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).
Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).
Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis).
I drove a little further on to the next beach along at Cartuna where I found Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and out to sea a couple of Cory's Shearwaters (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris borealis).
Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).
Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).
I headed back along the beach and then drove to Charca Suarez but it was still and hour until I was able to go in so I walked along the sea front seeing several
Spotted Flycatchers (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata). 
Small Red-eye (Erythromma viridulum).
I went into the Reserve and had a look around before meeting with Miguel to set up the moth traps, as I walked around I saw Small Red-eye (Erythromma viridulum), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and whist we were setting up the traps we had 2x Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) and 4x Night Herosn (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) coming into roost.
White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Before dark we set and then checked 8 traps before midnight finding some nice species which included the ones in the pictures below.
9461 Spodoptera cilium (Dark-mottled Willow) ID by Rafael Rodriguez Pino.

8907 Grammodes bifasciata.

08032a Scopula donovani.

10434 Nola squalida, ID by Eduardo Marabuto.

7549 Chiasmia aestimaria, ID by Rafael Rodriguez Pino.

8899 Clytie illunaris.

9859 Nonagria typhae ID by Eduardo Marabuto.

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9859 Nonagria typhae ID by José Luis Yela.

6655 Anania verbascalis, ID by Rique Coco.

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10013 Leucania joannisi ID by Martin Honey.

9464 Sesamia nonagrioides, ID by Eduardo Marabuto

 8072 Scopula emutaria, ID by Eduardo Marabuto.

4517b Platynota stultana.

5850 Oxybia transversella.

 

Thursday 1 July 2021

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

One of this years successful breeders.
 
Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) immature.
I parked along side the very dry Arroyo Vilano and walked out around the Lucerne Fields but in the heat there was very little to see until a very smart immature Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) which was hunting along the edge of the Olives.
Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) immature.
Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) immature.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Count.
 
7984 Chlorissa  etruscaria.
I put the Actinic track out but there were not many Moths in the trap in the morning but I was not surprised as it had been a very warm night.
7987 Microloxia herbaria.
Species included 4592 Cacoecimorpha pronubana x1, 4791 Lobesia botrana x1, 5144 Cydia pomonella (Codling Moth) x1, 5615 Synaphe lorquinalis x1. 6442 Aporodes floralis x1, 6707 Metasia suppandalis x1,7725 Menophora japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber) x1, 7984 Chlorissa  etruscaria x2, 7987 Microloxia herbaria x1 and 10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth) x1.
5615 Synaphe lorquinalis.
10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth).
5144 Cydia pomonella (Codling Moth).
6707 Metasia suppandalis.
6442 Aporodes floralis.
7725 Menophora japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber).
4592 Cacoecimorpha pronubana.
4791 Lobesia botrana.