Padul Wetlands, Contra-embalse de Cacín and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A bit of a plastic Spanish lifer but a good looking bird.

Ebird List for Padul.

Ebird List for the Embalse.

Ebird List for the Fields.

3x Mandarin Ducks (Aix galericulata).

I started the day by meeting up with Juan at Restaurante Montesol, where I had a bit of breakfast before standing at the top of the bank until he arrived, seeing Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

2x Mandarin Ducks (Aix galericulata).

We walked down to the left and scanned the lake from an open area where we were looking for the Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) Juan had seen previously, we stopped where we could see the water and found Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and a heard only Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus).

A little further along the track by some big fig trees we again scanned the lake, adding Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) before moving on further around the lake apssed the Visitors Centre.

Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).

We went out on to a field which gave us a nice view with good light and not long after we arrived we picked up a fine male and two female Mandarin Ducks as they swam out from a point hidden from us and spent quite a while out in the open water feeding, here we also saw Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

We walked back to the starting point and on along the boardwalks to the stinking stream, on the way we picked up Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), a calling but unseen Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and a couple of Small White (Pieris rapae), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) x3 and several Painted Lady's (Vanessa cardui) x2 and Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria) x6.

Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria).

We returned to our cars and I headed home via the Contra-Embalse de Cacín and the fields, at the Embalse I recorded Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe, Eurasian Coot, Common Moorhen, Water Rail, Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Grey Heron, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and a single late Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

I needed a proper walk so I parked on the track by the fields and went out to the Poplars and back, new species included Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).