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Sunday 27 March 2022

Los Moriscos Club de Golf, Punta del Santo, Charca Suarez, Padul, El Temple, Cacín Valley and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning birding with Juan, Beatriz and Chika, the afternoon I took the long way home, 97 species seen during the day.
Ebird List for Punta del Santo, 16 Species.
Ebird List for Charca, 51 Species.

Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus) left and Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia) to the right.
I drove down to the coast to meet Juan at Punta del Santo, he arrived at the same time as me and after getting a great welcome from Chika we went for a walk through the small park over looking the golf course pools, there where lots of hirundines skimming the water including Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).
Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).
Out on the water and around the margins we added Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Sedge (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus).
Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus).
Other species seen on the grass parts of the course or in the air included Water (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) and Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus).
We left the park and went out behind the houses to look for some Penduline Tits (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) Juan had seen a few days earlier and after a little bit of a search we added them to the list along with Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos).
Garganey (Cerceta Carretona / Anas querquedula), male.
We returned to Punta del Santo and I got my scope out and we did a bit of a sea watch which turned out to be a lot better than expected, we had good numbers of Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) from the start and as time went on numbers grew and there were a couple of large groups feeding fairly close in and amongest the second of this group we saw at least two birds, possibly more which looked good for Yelkouan / Mediterranean Shearwaters (Puffinus yelkouan).
Garganey (Cerceta Carretona / Anas querquedula) and Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).
Juan picked up a flock of Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus) whilst scanning with my scope and got me on to them and I did a count finding 25 birds, a new species for my Granada List, other species seen included 2x Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), 2x Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), 2x Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and a few Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).
Baillon's Crake (Polluela Chica / Porzana pusilla).
At about 09.40 Juan and Chika left so that we could be ready for when Charca opened at 10.00, as I was early I checked the pool near the fence where I again had all 5 species of hirundine and my first Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) of the years, Juan caught me up and we went into the reserve when Pepe opened up after our details were taken.
Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus).
At this time of the year the reserve has even more restrictions and if you are not a volunteer at the reserve you have to go on a guided tour with the warden of the day, however we are both  volunteers we made our way straigth up to the hide which over looks Laguna del Álamo Blanco and we soon had views of the long staying Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus) my second new province species of the day, Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and a callng Stripe-less Tree Frog (Hyla meridionalis).
Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta) Male.
We walked around to the main hide over looking de las Aneas, on the way we saw and heard Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) and Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and from the hide a fine male Garganey (Cerceta Carretona / Anas querquedula), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), a Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) and best of all was a smart male Baillon's Crake (Polluela Chica / Porzana pusilla) which Juan picked up to the left of the hide, I managed to bang off a quick couple of shots before if flew across infront of the hide and into cover on the right hand side.
Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana) having a stretch.
We moved around to the next hide over looking Laguna Trébol where Juan had seen a Little Crake (Polluela bastarda / Porzana parva) a few days ago but we didn't see it but on the way there we did add Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and from the hide after Juan had gone to meet Beatriz at the gate I had a very smart Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana) and several Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita). 
Spotted Crake (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana).
Juan and Beatriz joined me in the hide but the Crake had disappeared and did not come back out so we returned to the main hide as they had seen that several Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) had dropped in, we also added 3x Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), a pair of Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), a single Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) andby the entrance as we were waiting for Pepe to let us out I added 2 Vagrant Emperors (Anax ephippiger) and my first Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) of the spring.
Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).
We left the reserve and we headed off, I went to a spot which Juan had given me for a Hybrid Orchid I wanted to see but unfortunately I could not find it and only added Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) to the list before I popped into Padul for a quick visit and I was pleased to see and hear at least 2 Iberian Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus brehmii) before moving on again towards El Temple area.
Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata).
On the way there I saw 8+ Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), Jackdaws (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and out on the fields Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Feral Pigeons (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia) and 2 hunting Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).
I stopped and got some food before dropping down into Cacín to see Jane and Bob a couple of friends, later I made a stop at the Contra Embalse de Cacín where I had more Marsh Harriers, 9x more Black-winged Stilts and added Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).
I finished the day with a walk along the Lucerne fields where I got the list into the 90s with Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), a late Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) and Black-winged Kite which had been on the patch for the winter but I thought it had disappeared for the summer.
Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).
As I walked I also saw Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) and Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua).
Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).
A cracking day and I was pleased to share some of it with Beatriz, Juan and Chika.

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