Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Caleta de Velez, Malaga Province and Charca Suarez, Granada Province, Spain.

On the patch, late a twitch to the coast and then a night with Dave and Miguel Mothing.

Ebird List for the Fields.

Ebird List for the Port.

View to the Big Hill.

I started the day with a walk around the fields and then took the track along the Arroyo as far as the Railway bridge.

Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).

Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).

Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).

Species included Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), two big flocks of Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).

Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).

Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).

I got back to the house and had a message from Andy Patterson to say he had just head that the Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini ) that had been seen in Caleta Port was still there, so after catching up with a few bits I headed south Via Salar to the port, on the way I picked up Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).

Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).

Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).

I arrived, parked and started to search for the target, couldn't find any other birders straight away but eventually I found two Guys out on the central Jetty who told me I was in the right place as they had been watching the bird for some time but it had flown off strongly West about 10 minutes earlier, typical but when two fishing boats returned so did the bird.

Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) adult winter.

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) 1st Winter.

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) winter adult.

I spent the next 3 hours watching this little stunner as it scavenged around the boats and sat out on the water, Thanks to the original finder, who I am informed was Ignacio Barrionuevo for putting out the info. 

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Whilst I was there I also saw Lesser Black-backed  (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

As I was leaving the port I also saw Monk Parakeets (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and a colour ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull.

I moved on and went along the coast to Charca where I met Dave Grundy and Miguel Olvera at the back gate and when Manu let us in we got straight on with setting up the traps for the over night recording section, whilst doing this I saw Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) and Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla).

Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanbia oleracea) Caterpillar.

We were joined later by friend Juan Perez and a small group of others and the warden Pepe, it was quite cool so moths were in short supply on the first check but back at the Office we did get to see the Caterpillar of the Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanbia oleracea) moth before having some food and then turning in.