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Saturday 30 April 2022

Punta del Santo, Golf Los Moriscos 2 and Charca de Suárez, Motril, Granada Province, Spain.

Some birding with Juan Perez after a Moth night.
Ebird List or Punta del Santo.
Ebird List for Golf Los Moriscos 2.
Ebird List for Charca de Suarez.

Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) teneral female.

After I got out of Charca I went to Purta del Santo where I met Juan for a short sea watch, at sea we recorded a flock of 26 Garganey (Cerceta Carretona / Anas querquedula) which passed heading east, several Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).
Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) teneral female.
More land based birds included
Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

Just across the road we checked the pools on the golf course where we had a few waders including a good count of  Wood Sandpipers (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola) x5, Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) x1 and a Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) x1 as well as Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and a teneral female Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria).
Male Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus).
We decided to go into Charca at 11.30 so that I had a chance of catching up with
Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) which I still needed for my year list but before that we met up with Beatriz on the beach and dropped Chika off to her.
On our way into the reserve we checked the beach and then the shingle seeing Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and at the first hide in the reserve I bagged a nice male Little Bittern.
Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata).
As we continued on around the hides we added Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Bonelli's (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
A male Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus).

13.00 soon came around and we left the reserve, uan headed to the beach to return to Beatriz and Chika and I headed for Loa where I was meeting good friend Andy Mountford who was staying for a couple of days. 
We had some lunch in Loja and then went back to the house t drop Andy's kit off before heading down to 3 Calles for a beer or five (0/0 for me).

Charca Suarez, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Survey at Charca with Miguel.

Jupiter and Venus conjunction with Saturn off to the right out of view.
We were up and out checking the first of the traps at just after 06.00 and had completed the last (the MV) at around 09.00.
Scopula donovani.
Radford's Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura leucogaster).
Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa).
We caught a good number of species including the following, the endemic Scopula donovani, Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa), Radford's Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura leucogaster), White Speck (Mythimna unipuncta), Mythimna riparia, Gregson's Dart (Agrotis spinifera), Striped Hawk-moth (Hyles livornica), Eyed Hawk-moth (Smerinthus ocellata) and Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) and loads more.
Eyed Hawk-moth (Smerinthus ocellata).

Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi).

Striped Hawk-moth (Hyles livornica).

Mythimna riparia.

White Speck (Mythimna unipuncta).

Gregson's Dart (Agrotis spinifera).

Friday 29 April 2022

Padul and Charca Suarez, Granada Province.

Some birding before a night surveying the Moths at Charca.

A view from the Hide at Charca Suarez.
I was meeting Miguel Olvera for a nights moth recording at Charca Suarez but decided to leave home early and have a walk around at  Padul wetland but it was fairly quiet and I only managed to see Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Grey (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).
One of Miguels new traps.
I dropped down to the coast and met Miguel at the back gate of the reserve where Juan Perez let us in as Manu was still Guiding a group.
Stripe-less Tree Frog (Hyla meridionalis).
The reserve closed and Miguel and I set up the moth traps and during the walk around doing this we saw
Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), another Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii), Stripe-less Tree (Hyla meridionalis) and  Perez's Frogs (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).
Inspecting the trap.
A little later Beatriz, Juan, Suzie and two others joined us to look around the traps, at about 01.00 the others left and we tried to grab a few hours sleep before we sorted the traps, I will cover the Moths in the following post.
Poplar Hawk-Moth (Laothoe populi).


Thursday 28 April 2022

Guadalhorce Pools, Malaga Province, Spain.

Birding and shopping, I know which I am happier doing.

Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).
I drove down to Guadalhorce and parked by the school before walking straight out to the hide over looking Laguna Grande, on the way I saw and heard Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).

Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).

From the hide I soon located the long staying adult winter Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus) on the island just infront of the hide which also had a group of Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) preening at the oposite end.
Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

Also seen out on the lake were Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).
Male Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) on a Crown Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum).
I walked around to the next hide where I picked up White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), a nice male Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and several Painted Lady's (Vanessa cardui) x11.
Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).
I walked back around to the Laguna Grande hide but only added Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) before heading off to the hell that is IKEA and then home.

Wednesday 27 April 2022

Osuna area, Sevilla Province and Fuente de Piedra, Malaga Province, Spain.

Out on the fields and later the wetlands at Fuente de Piedra. 
 
Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).
I met Viggo, Peter, Ib, Joern at the bar near Osuna where we were going to start a drive around the area looking for several species, our first stop was not far away where we checked some Olive groves and soon found a couple of Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) in the shade of the trees along with Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and several Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).
Great Bustard (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda), honest the white blob is a displaying male.
Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
Further along the road we went up onto the first bridge where we scanned the fields from up high and soon found a nice male Great Bustard (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda) which we had good views of through the scope whilst it was displayin to a single female.
Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).
Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica).
In the same area we saw Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).
Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).
Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus) and Crown Daisies (Chrysanthemum carinatum).
We took to the tracks and drove out to a large factory and then followed a small arroyo for a short distance, along this route we added Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), male and female Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) and as we were about to turn around we had 5 Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) fly passed distantly.
Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni).

As we drove towards the second bridge and the onto the third bridge we picked up a singing Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus) in some Olive trees, a soaring Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), 2x Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).
Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).
Avocets (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).
From the third bridge we drove to a ruin nearby where we had great views of several Rollers (Carraca / Coracias garrulus) one of which sat on a roof full of Crown Daisies (Chrysanthemum carinatum), Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), a calling Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and a passing flock of Collared Pratincoles (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola). 
Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) immature, 2nd CY.
We drove on around to Lantejuela adding Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) before visiting Laguna de la Ballestera where we parked and had some lunch whilst seeing Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), several Whiskered Terns (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus) in amonst large numbers of Gull-billeds, Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea) x1, Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) x8, Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) x1, Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola) x1 and a couple of singing Western Olivaceous Warblers (Iduna opaca) in the Tamarisks.
Lesser Flamingo's (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor) x2 amongst the Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).
We finished off at this site and headed for Fuente de Piedra, on the way in we checked the roadside pool finding Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), heard a Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax) and Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta).
Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).
Up at the Mirador we scanned the main Lake where we picked up two of the uncommon Lesser Flamingo's (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor) which had been around for a while and then around at the hides was saw at least 7 Marbled Ducks (Marmaronetta angustirostris), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Black-necked (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Blue / Common (Anax imperator) x3, Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x1, Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) x3 and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x1.
Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).
We walked back around to the car and checked the main lake again find
Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna) befor driving to a flooded field nearby, on the way the rain, thunder and lightening started so we scanned the flood from the car and added Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) and Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) before we decided to call it a day due to the weather.