Punta del Santo and Charca de Suárez in the Motril area, Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning down on the coast with Juan and then back on the patch later.

Ebird List for Punta del Santo.

Ebird List for Charca.

Ebird List for Huétor Fields.

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

I met Juan at Punta del Santo at just before 08.30 and we spent an hour and a half doing a sea watch and picked up an Arctic Skua (Págalo Parásito / Stercorarius parasiticus), Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), 50+ Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus), Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and several Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

After the sea watch we entered Charca Suarez and had a walk around the Hides finding Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) and Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) amongst other.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

When the reserve closed I said goodbye to Juan and headed back towards hme but decided to have a walk around the Lucerne fields where I added 24 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) and 26 Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) to the list.

Huétor Tajar, Home, Granada Province, Spain.

Doing some more local birding.

Ebird List for Huétor Fields.

Some of the Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

During the morning I went for a walk around the Lucerne Fields, out passed the Poplar Plantation and as far as the junction to the Mesia road, Highlights included 18x Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which was a pleasing count under the circumstances as the maximum count last year was just 15.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax),

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax),

Other species included a few passage Alpine Swifts (Vencejo Real / Apus melba), 3x Short-toed Eagles (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), big numbers of Woodpigeons (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), 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) and Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus).

A few of the Woodpigeons (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba).

Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba).

After doing a few chores back at the house I decided to spend a while out on the terrace where I saw a local rarity when a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) flew over along with more Iberian Magpies, a Short-toed Eagle and more Alpine Swifts.

First snow up on Sierra Nevada.

 

El Temple, Cacín Valley and El Temple again, Granada Province, Spain.

Out on the far end of the Patch.

Ebird List for El Temple in the Evening.

 

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

On my way up to the El Temple area I started the list off with Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) which was only heard.

Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti).

Out on the fields at El Temple there was a fine Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), 3x Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), 28x Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) and a group of 3 migrating Honey Buzzards (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus).

Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) with possible transmitter??

We moved off the fields and had views of an immature Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti).

Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra).

Other species seen in this area were another Black-winged Kite and a couple of Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) before we moved on up the Cacín Valley to the Contra-embalse, here we found Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and a female Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina),  Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), 6x Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

As we drove North along the Valley we picked up Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti),  Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and out on the fields near to Morelade Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris) and Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra).

Sunset out on El Temple.

We returned to Granada and then later I met Juan out on the fields back out on El Temple to do some spotting for the Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) project we had work on before, we found 3 birds which disappeared before dusk but from other points in the area other watchers found a flock of 28 birds, probable the same flock I had seen earlier in the day.

Other species seen before dusk were Black-winged Kite, Short-toed (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) x5 and Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus), Common Buzzard, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Iberian Grey Shrike, Calandra Lark and  Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Common Redstart, Northern Wheatear and Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris).

Cubillas Reservoir, Granada and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Birding with Juan, then a walk around the patch.

Ebird List for Cubillas Res.

Ebird List for Huétor Fields.

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

I met Juan at the usaual spot on the North West edge of the water, as we scanned we picked up Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Egyptian Goose (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and a fishing Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

After a while Juan and I moved a short way along the side of the Res where we sat and watched an area of Bramble bushes and Fig Trees picking up Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin) and Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

We packed up our chairs and headed off and then later I did a walk along the Lucerne Fields and out to the Poplar plantation, on the way I picked up Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) x8, a Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), 200+ Spanish (Yellow) Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

More from the fields.

Ebird List.

I again walked the fields, high lights were that the Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) flock had jumped to 8 over night.

Other species included Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).