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Saturday 15 October 2022

At Home, Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Sat on my backside on the Terrace.
Ebird List.

After having a walk around the town earlier I decided to have a quiet afternoon sat on the Terrace where I saw all the common species as well as a very nice Male Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) which went off east over the Olives.
Around the pool in the garden I also saw a nice male Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum).

Thursday 13 October 2022

Villanueva del Trabuco, Malaga Airport, Malaga Province and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A talk to the Amigas de Casa, in Trabuco, then a run to Malaga Airport and finally a walk around the fields.
Sharon, John and Caitlin, Day Ten.
Ebird List for the fields. 

A flock of Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

I left Sharon, John and Caitlin back at the house packing and I went to do a talk to the ladies at the Amigas de Casa in Villanueva del Trabuco, the subject was my recent trip to Australia which I hope didn't put too many of the Ladies to sleep.
Later I headed back to the house and picked up the others as it was there last day with me unfortunately and I had to drop them down to Malaga to catch their flight back home, the drive down was uneventful and I was sadly saying goodbye to my friends and then heading back home again.
On the way I stopped at the fields and had a walk, high lights included Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).
I also saw Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) x1, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x2 and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x2.

Wednesday 12 October 2022

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

Out on the local patch.
Sharon, John and Caitlin, DayNine.
 
Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).
We had a steady start but then headed out to the El Temple area and to the fields near to Chimenears but we did not stay long as there were quite a few Macho Bunny Blasters out bravely slaughtering totally defenseless wildlife for fun. 
However during the quick drive down to the main road we did record Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), our first of several Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis).
Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus).
On the far side of the road that cuts through the site we checked the Oil Pits area and had good views of large numbers of Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), a female type Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) which was closely followed by a stunning male Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus), a good sized flock of Spanish Sparrows (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and as we drove off the site towards Ventas de Huelma we added Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), a couple of calling flyover Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and a very smart Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus) which Caitlin spotted just before it disappeared down a Rabbit borrow.
A really bad shot of the Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti).
At another site we also had a passing Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti), along with 4x Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), a hunting Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis), another Little Owl and plenty of calling Thekla Larks.
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).
We dropped down into the Cacín Valley and then went North up the Valley to the Contra-embalse de Cacín where we scanned the lake added Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), 3x Ferruginous Ducks (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), another Marsh Harrier and a couple of Buzzards.
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).
Further up the Valley we went out onto some fields near Moraleda where our target was the Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) we had missed out on El Temple and not far into the site four birds flew up from close to the track but landed not to far away so we got out of the car and tried to get better views but when we got to the spot we couldn't find the birds. 
We did however add Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) and a fast moving Merlin (Esmerejón / Falco columbarius).
Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).
Our last stop of the day was at the crags below Moraleda where we found
Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) before heading back in to the house but not before picking up several Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) near Huétor. 

Tuesday 11 October 2022

Fuente de Piedra, Arroyo Marin, Malaga Province,

A day out in Malaga Province.
Sharon, John and Caitlin, Day Eight.
 
Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata).
We headed out along the A92 to Fuente de Piedra, on the pool on the entrance track we found Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax) x8, Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).
Immature Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).
We parked and walked around to the far side of the Visitor's Centre where we scanned the main lake and saw a hundred or so Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) but we were looking for an immature Lesser Flamingo (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor) which had been reported a few days earlier but we did not find it unfortunately. 
Immature Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).
From this point we also picked up Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula).
Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax).
We moved around to the back two hides over looking the freshwater pools, as we walked round we found a very well behaved Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa), once in the hide we scanned the larger pool finding Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).
Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa).
From the smaller pool we added  Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) x3, Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) x2 and Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis).
Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa).
We returned to the first hide and picked up Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) as well as Small White (Pieris rapae) x2, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x5, Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).
Immature Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).
As we walked back towards the car we spent a while checking out some flycatching birds we saw another Common Redstart, a female type Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) and a Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin).
Walking back up the Marin.
On the road out we picked up a sizable flock of 6x Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and 36  Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).
Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).
Our final stop of the day was on the way back to the house at Arroyo Marin where we had a good long walk along the valley and we boosted the list by finding Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Common Crossbills (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and a Red Deer (Ciervo común / Cervus elaphus) which was bellowing from the pines on the hillside but it remained hidden and as we got back to the car we saw two Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) on the crags.

Monday 10 October 2022

Huétor Fields and at Home, Granada Province, Spain.

A day staying local.
Sharon, John and Caitlin, Day Seven.
Ebird List for Huétor Fields.
Ebird List for Home.
Ebird List for Huétor Fields.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia).
We had a run down town to do some shopping but before we did we checked the fields just above the town near the petrol stations, high lights included Stone Curlew's (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).
We also saw Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x2, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1, Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) x2 and Small White (Pieris rapae) x3.
We returned to the house and spent the afternoon birding from the terrace and we did rather well seeing a passing immature Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) as well as 2x Short-toed (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), 1x Golden (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) and 1x Bonelli's (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus), 1x Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), 4x Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), 100+ Alpine Swifts (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) and Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki). 
Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).
Later in the Afternoon we went for a along the fields and along the Arroyo Vilano where we added Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Pied (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) and Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra) and Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) to the day list.

Sunday 9 October 2022

Charca Suarez and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Looking for skin changers down on the coast.
Sharon, John and Caitlin, Day Six.
Ebird List for Huétor Fields.

Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).
We were out early and down on the coast as Charca Suarez was open and we did a loop around the reserve, starting at Laguna Blanca and worked our way clockwise around the reserve finding Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), a couple of calling Wrynecks (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).
Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus).
Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus).
Around at the main hide we saw Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) and further around in the smaller hides we saw Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea). 
Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata).
Caitlin and I spoke to a Spanish chap and he said that he had just seen several
Mediterranean Chameleons (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) so we went to the area where he had seen them and Caitlin almost immediately came up with the goods and found a very smart Chameleon in a Broom Bush.
Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).
Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).
At the same spot we also found a very nice
Stripe-less Tree Frog (Hyla meridionalis) on a Flag leaf, next we headed out of the reserve and made our way down to the beach and the golf course where we found Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia).
Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).
Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).
We headed back towards the house but had a walk along the fields at Huétor where we found the flock of 24 Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), 60 odd Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and a couple of Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).
Stripe-less Tree Frog (Hyla meridionalis).
Stripe-less Tree Frog (Hyla meridionalis).