Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Night time walk around the Lucerne fields.

 

Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis).

Just after dark I drove down to the fields and headed to the normal parking spot, on the track just before I got there I spotted a Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) in the head lights and as I had remembered the camera I manage a few shots.

During the walk I also heard Little (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) and Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).

Guadlahorce Laguna Grande, Malaga Province, Spain.

Another Species for my Spanish List.

 

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Correlimos Semipalmeado / Calidris pusilla) by Kevin Wade.

I left the house just before 06.00 and headed down to Malaga and to the church car parking near Guadlahorce where I met Barbara and Derek Etherton before we walked out to the hide looking out over Laguna Grande, on the way we had Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and several Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax). 

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Correlimos Semipalmeado / Calidris pusilla) by Kevin Wade.

We reached the hide where we were soon scanning through the birds there finding Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus) x40+, Kentish (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) x30+ and Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) x8+, Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta) x2, Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) x3, Wood (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola) x1, Curlew (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea) x8 and Common Sandpipers (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) x3, Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) x4, Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta) x9, Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax) x4, Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) x2, Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) x1, Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) x1 and then the target the Semipalmated Sandpiper (Correlimos Semipalmeado / Calidris pusilla) but it was way over on the far side of the lagoon.

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Correlimos Semipalmeado / Calidris pusilla).

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Correlimos Semipalmeado / Calidris pusilla).

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Correlimos Semipalmeado / Calidris pusilla).

Something flushed these birds from the far side and some landed on the mud in front of the hide but they were straight into the sun which made getting decent shots almost impossible but it was good to get nice views through the scope.

Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).

Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus) and
Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus).

It again flew and landed on the island just off to the right of us and stayed there until I left later and walked off the site with Kevin Wade who had turned up earlier and got some better shots than mine.

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Correlimos Semipalmeado / Calidris pusilla).

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Correlimos Semipalmeado / Calidris pusilla).

Whilst we were waiting the light got better but as much as we willed it the bird would not come any closer and stayed out on the far bank of the Island the for the rest of our visit but whilst we were watching it we also recorded Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica),  Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Little (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Slender-billed (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

Arroyo de Prado Negro, Sierra Huétor, Granada Province, Spain.

Looking for Dragons and Butterflies in the dry meadows along the Arroyo.

 

Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis).

After dentist and solicitor appointments I went to have a look at the meadows along the banks of the Arroyo de Prado looking for Butterflies and Dragonflies.

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo).

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo).

The area was very dry and most of the vegetation was burnt off except for some Thistles and Field Eryngo (Eryngium campestris), down by the Rio found large numbers of both Copper (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) and Beautiful Demoiselles (Calopteryx virgo), a couple of Common Golden Ringed Dragonflies (Cordulegaster boltonii) and a young Southern Damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale).

Common Golden Ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii).

Southern Damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale).

Out on the meadows I found several species of butterflies including Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia), Tree Grayling (Neohipparchia statilinus), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) and Wood White (Leptidea sinapis).

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus).

Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra albicans).

Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra albicans).

Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra albicans).

Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra albicans).

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus).

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus).

Birds included Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla).

Wood White (Leptidea sinapis).

Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).

Tree Grayling (Neohipparchia statilinus).

Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia).

 

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Count, one new species for the garden.

 

8981 Drasteria cailino.

I ran the 15 watt  Actinic trap in the usual place in the garden and caught a good number of Moths but 90% were the same species 5624 Bostra obsoletalis x 350+, 6690 Palpita vitrealis x3, 7725 Menophora japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber) x1, 8818 Marbled Green (Bryopsis muralis) x1, the new species was 8981 Drasteria cailino x1 and 9097 Acontia trabealis x1.

6690 Palpita vitrealis.

8818 Marbled Green (Bryopsis muralis).

7725 Menophora japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber).

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9097 Acontia trabealis.

All moths were photographed and the released unharmed.

At Home, near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

New Mammal from my local patch list.

 

I was driving back from Huétor after doing a loop around town, just before I reached the first of the houses in the road I saw some movement on the road ahead of me. I was expecting a cat or dog so I was amazed when it turned out to be a European Badger (Meles meles). This was the first time I had seen one in the Province, my only other record was up in Extremadura a few years ago.