Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Down on the Fields again looking for Migrants.

Ebird List.

First 3 of the Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) of the winter.

I was down on the fields a tad earlier today and it payed off as the birds were quite active and the migrants passing through were feeding up ready to move on South.

Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

As I walked the freshly cut Lucerne fields I picked up 3 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which were the first of the year, I was pleased to see some had turned u as the numbers last year were well down and I only managed a maximum count of 15 birds.

Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).

Immature Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).

Migrants included a female type Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), an immature Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), a flock of 28 European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) which were feeding from wire which crossed the fields near the Cortijo, 2x Turtle Doves (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) which were feeding with a sizable flock of Collared Doves (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), at least 8 Northern Wheatears (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), big numbers of mostly immature looking Yellow Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava) but there were also adult birds of at least three races, Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra), Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis), Willow (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus) and  Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and hawking over the fields there were good numbers of hirundines including Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

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

Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).

Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

Other more regular residents found included Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), a distant pair of Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) over the hills to the North, Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

There were also a few new winter arrivals with there being an increase in White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla) numbers, a few Common Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and a single Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) which are a winter visitor locally.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) male.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) male.

As I walked I also saw several sepcies of butterfly including Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x3, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x6, Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous) x2, Large White (Pieris brassicae) x2 and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x4 and a few Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x3.