Playacan Motril, Charca Suarez and travelling home, Granada Province, Spain.

A mornings birding with good friend Juan at the Charca.

Ebird list.

Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii).

After Miguel and I had finished checking and releasing the moths Miguel shot off and I headed out on to the beach in front of the Reserve where I saw Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Cetti's  (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) before I met up with Juan and Chika.

Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) and male Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

After having a chat Juan and Chika headed back to their place before I met Juan later in the reserve and we spent the morning birding around the hides, on the walk in to the new hide we saw Cetti's Warbler, Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotless Starling, Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) and Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava).

Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) male.

Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).

From the hide we had the regular White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) as well as Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) and Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca).

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) female.

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) female.

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) female.

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) male.

We moved on around towards the main hide but had a quick look in at the hide at the Northern end of Laguna del Taraje adding Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera) and Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata).

Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).

From the main hide we heard and saw Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Night (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) and an old Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) nest.

Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) nest.

On our way areound the the first hide over looking Laguna Trebol we had brief views of a Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla), a fly over Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and a calling Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

From the hide we saw an immature Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), both male and female Bluethroats (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) female type, Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera) male and Female.

Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera) male and Female.

We walked around to the southern hide over looking Laguna Taraje where we sat and watch a really smart pair of Gadwall which were sat out on a log, Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) male.

We then left the reserve and Juan went back to his apartment and I headed home picking up another Marsh Harrier and a pale Morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus).

Charca Suarez, Granada Province, Spain.

A bit of pre-mothing birding around the reserve.

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

I was going to be meeting Miguel, Beatriz and Juan for a night of Mothing but I spent a couple of hours doing some birding around the reserve where I saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) and Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).

Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) male.

Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) male.

Other species seen included Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

In the marginal trees and bushes I also found Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and several passing European Bee-eaters (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).

Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).

Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).

Later Miguel arrived and we started to set up the traps and then Beatriz and Juan joined us as we finished off, the weather took a turn for the worst so we had to relocate some of the traps but even with the rain and storms we had a good number of species before we turned in.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Back to the fields.

Ebird List for the walk.

Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).

Birds were much the same as yesterday.

Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta).

Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk along the Lucerne Fields on the patch.

Ebird for the full list.

Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

I parked and had a walk along the track between the Arroyo Vilano and the Lucerne fields, along the way I saw several migrant species some arriving and some leaving the area.

Tree Pipits (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis) on passage.

Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis).

As I walked I had a distant Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) which was the first on the patch for a while as well as the first Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) of the winter and a Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis) which was going the other way.

Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis).

Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis).

Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

Other migrants moving out were Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis), Willow (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Melodious (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta) and Reed Warblers (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra).

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) Male.

New arrivals included Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and a nice male Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

La Caracola, Andujar, Jaen Province, Spain.

A day in the Hide at La Caracola.

Day Three, La Caracola.

 

Laura, Ramon and two of the very friendly dogs who all made for a great stay.

I again spent most of the day in the hide on site where I again got lots of nice shot before I headed back home via Embalse de Cubillas.

A salad, part of last nights meal at La Caracola.

A beer had with last nights meal.

At Cubillas I was pleased to find two Caspian Terns (Pagaza Piquiroja / Hydroprone caspia) which were new species for my Granada Province list.

Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei).

Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei).

Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea).

Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes).

Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes).

Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus).

Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus).

Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus).

Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).

Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).

Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).

Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).

Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).

Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).

Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Caspian Terns (Pagaza Piquiroja / Hydroprone caspia).

Caspian Terns (Pagaza Piquiroja / Hydroprone caspia).