Out on the Patch, Huétor Fields and Home, Granada Province, Spain.

A  return to a patch Orchid site, followed by a couple of walks on the Patch.

Ophrys x sommieri (Ophrys bombyliflora x Ophrys tenthredinifera).

I started the day by begining the clean up at a friends house but in the afternoon decided to go back to a localish spot where I had seen a strange looking Orchid spike in amongst hundreds of spikes of Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora) which was not in flower on my last visit but I suspected it was Ophrys x sommieri (Ophrys bombyliflora x Ophrys tenthredinifera) and today I was able to confirm it was this Hybrid.

Ophrys x sommieri (Ophrys bombyliflora x Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

In the same area I also had spikes of Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera), Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea), Mirror (Ophrys speculum), Dark Spider (Ophrys incubacea) and Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina).

Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

As I walked around I also recorded Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule), Mallow-leaved Storksbill (Erodium malacoides), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum) and Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa), Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca) and White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum).

Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea).

Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea).

Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea).

Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea).

Birds included Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

I drove back to the local patch picking up a good number of Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) spikes on the roadside as well as a few more Dark-spiders, I parked at the Walnut Trees on the fields and then walked along the Lucerne Fields right up to the dammed point.

Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).

Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).

On the way I had the first pair of Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) on the fields for the year, Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus) and the Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus brehmii) which had been here yesterday was still singing from the trees but nearer the dam.

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

I returned to the car and drove passed the house and went out to the Olive Groves near the house looking for butterflies but after the resent weather I was not surprised they were thin on the ground, however I did see Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina) x3, Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) x2, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x9, Large White (Pieris brassicae) x2, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x6 and Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x2. 

Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina).

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Birds seen were Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A Patch lifer and a new species for the year.

Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis).

I decided to make a start at cleaning up the front yard after the Sahara Sand storm but later in the day I went down to the fields for a walk, highlights included a new species for the patch which was a singing Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus brehmii) in the Poplar plantation and then the first two Common Whitethroats (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis) of the year.

Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus).

Other species included Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Water (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) all of which were lingering on from the winter.

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

Newer arrivals included several singing Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus) and Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius).

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Resident species included Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Ce.tti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

As I walked I also saw a few Wildflower speces including Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), Corn (Papaver rhoeas) and Rough Poppy (Papaver hybridum), Mallow-leaved Storksbill (Erodium malacoides), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Hollow Stemmed Asphodel (Asphodelus fistulosus), Ramping Fumitory (Fumaria capreolata), White Mignonette (Reseda Alba), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum) and a couple of Butterflies including Small White (Pieris rapae) and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Rough Poppy (Papaver hybridum).

Fuente de Piedra, Malaga Province and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A few new birds for the year in the rain.

 

Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola).

After getting an Email to say the delivery I was expecting was going to be delayed I decided to go over to Fuente de Piedra after Jenny and John Wainwright told me they had a Lesser Flamingo (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor) a few days earlier.

Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola).

Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola).

I arrived and checked the Roadside pool on the way in finding a Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), several White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) and Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).

I parked and walked out to the Mirador below the Oak tree where the wind was rather strong making scanning the distant flock of Greater Flamingo's hard going, I could not find any of the Lesser Flamingo's in the nearby birds so I went around to the hides over looking the fresh water pools where I added Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Sand Martins (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), 2x Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) which were sat on a Pylon and on the fields between the hide and the water lots of Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

As I sat down in the second smaller hide a Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea) flew in and landed in the reeds at the back of the pool and in the nearer reeds a Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) was singing loudly.

Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta).

Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta).

Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta).

I returned to the Mirador and again scanned the main Lagoon finding Gull-billed Terns (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and just as friend and fellow guide Bob Buckler and his party of American Biirders arrived I found a very distant Lesser Flamingo in amongst a large group of displaying Greater Flamingo's.

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Bob and his group went around to the fresh water pools and I dropped down to the lower track and walked to the Boardwalk pool adding Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor). 

Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris).

Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

At this point the rain started so I headed back to the car and again parked along side the pool on the road in where I tried to get some shots of the Wood Sandpiper but the light was awful so they are not great.

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) male.

Other species seen here were Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Spanish (Yellow) (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and a pair of smart Marbled Ducks (Marmaronetta angustirostris).

Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).

The rain just kept getting heavier so I headed off to Villanueva del Trabuco where I had a very late breakfast and a couple of coffee's whilst I waited for the Craft Group Ladies to arrive, Jayne used to come to these meetings so I took some of her material and bits over to see if they could be used by them.

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Later I headed back home via a spot near Loja where I saw 7+ Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) at a regular spot and when I reached Huétor I did a walk around the patch, highlights were 3 Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) 1 male and 2 females, a single Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), a good passage of Sand Martins with 60+ birds over the Lucerne fields as well as singles of Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A very muddy walk along the Arroyo but good passage over head.

Ebird List, 51 Species.

Large amount of muddy run off heading down the Arroyo after over night and morning rains.

I parked at the halfway point where but walked quickly up to the normal parking point where I started the Ebird list from, I did not go as far as the dammed area as it was very muddy and it sticks like glue to your shoes but not as well as Sahara dust to white house walls.

Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) female and some of her Ducklings.

I turned around and started to walk back towards the car, stright away I had the nice male Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), the first of two Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) families, masses of Hirundines including hundreds of House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), 70+ Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), lesser numbers of Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Sand Martins (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and there were also good numbers of both Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) moving through North up the valley towards Montifrio.

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Other species along the Lucerne fields included Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), a Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) which flew upstream along the arroyo with a Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus, the first of several Woodchat Shrikes (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), 4x Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) which were flushed up by a tractor in the Olives, Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and my first Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix) of the year calling from the Lucerne.

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

I didn't see much along the mid section except for a good sized group of Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), so pushed on to the far end between the road bridge and the Railway seeing Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), a group of three Hoopoes (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), a singing Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), lots of calling Perez's Frogs (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and a Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

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Moraleda and Huetor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A check on a local Orchid site and later a walk along the Arroyo Vilano.

Ebird List, 44 Species.

Giant Orchids (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).

After an appointment at the Physio's I went to a spot a few Kms away to have a look at one of the very few sites for a couple of rare Orchid species in Granada Province Bumble-bee (Ophrys bombyliflora) and Dark Spider Orchids (Ophrys incubacea).

Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora).

I arrived at the site to find the very disappointing sight of several spikes of the once beautiful Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana) dumped in the middle of the road after being picked.

Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea).

I walked to the main spot and soon found around 20 spikes of Dark Spider (Ophrys incubacea) and a few hundred of the Bumble-bee Orchids (Ophrys bombyliflora) along with Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina), Mirror (Ophrys speculum), Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera) and Yellow Bee Orchids (Ophrys lutea).

Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea).

As I drove off the site I also found quite a few spikes of Somber Bee Orchids (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) and a few birds including Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

I got back onto the fields near Huétor and walked the Arroyo to loosen up my back again, I parked at the spot by the Walnut Trees and walked back up to the dammed part of the Arroyo passed the normal parking site which was still too muddy to reach the normal way.

Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).

As I walked high lights seen included Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and my first Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla) of the year.

Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

I turned around and passed the car and walked the other sections of the Arroyo adding Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), a single Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) in amongst lots of other hirundines, Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).

Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia).

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).