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Saturday 26 November 2022

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

An afternoon walk around the Lucerne Fields after a morning on the coast.

Very distant Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) just above the Smoke.
I left Dave at the house and Did the usual walk but there were few interesting species but I did find a Horseshoe Whip Snake (Coluber hippocrepis), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) x2, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x4, Small White (Pieris rapae) x2, Large White (Pieris brassicae) x1, Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), 35x Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).
Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis).
Goldfinches (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Serins (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
When I got back we set the Actinic up on the terrace and Dave put an LED down in the garden but as it dropped down to ust +3 over night we were not expecting a lot.
Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).

Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).


Charca Suarez, Motril, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Recording around the wetlands with Miguel Olvera and Dave Grundy.

Miguel's notebook.
After a fairly decent nights sleep on a blow up bed in the wardens office I was up and about at 07.00 as were Miguel and Dave who had slept in the backs of their vehicles.
9814 Large Wainscot (Rhizedra lutosa).
9814 Large Wainscot (Rhizedra lutosa).
In general the traps were quiet compared to past visits but we still recorded some nice species including 9814 Large Wainscot (Rhizedra lutosa), 10013 Eucania joannisi, 10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth), 10535 Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella), 10087 Radfords Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura leucogaster), 10096 Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing), 9876 Denticucullus mabillei agg and a very large Great Diving Beetle (Dytiscus marginalis).
10096 Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing).
10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth).
9876 Denticucullus mabillei agg.
10535 Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella).
As we checked the traps I also recorded a few birds including Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).
10013 Eucania joannisi.
Once all the traps were checked and packed away Dave and I said Goodbye to Miguel and headed back to the house as Dave was stopping for a couple of nights.
10087 Radfords Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura leucogaster).
Great Diving Beetle (Dytiscus marginalis).

Friday 25 November 2022

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Caleta de Velez, Malaga Province and Charca Suarez, Granada Province, Spain.

On the patch, late a twitch to the coast and then a night with Dave and Miguel Mothing.
Ebird List for the Fields.
Ebird List for the Port.

View to the Big Hill.
I started the day with a walk around the fields and then took the track along the Arroyo as far as the Railway bridge.
Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).
Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).
Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).
Species included Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), two big flocks of Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).
Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).
Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).
Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).
I got back to the house and had a message from Andy Patterson to say he had just head that the
Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini ) that had been seen in Caleta Port was still there, so after catching up with a few bits I headed south Via Salar to the port, on the way I picked up Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).
Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).
Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).
Sabine's Gull (Gaviota de Sabine / Larus sabini).
I arrived, parked and started to search for the target, couldn't find any other birders straight away but eventually I found two Guys out on the central Jetty who told me I was in the right place as they had been watching the bird for some time but it had flown off strongly West about 10 minutes earlier, typical but when two fishing boats returned so did the bird.
Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) adult winter.
Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) 1st Winter.
Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) winter adult.
I spent the next 3 hours watching this little stunner as it scavenged around the boats and sat out on the water,
Thanks to the original finder, who I am informed was Ignacio Barrionuevo for putting out the info. 
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).
Whilst I was there I also saw Lesser Black-backed  (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).
As I was leaving the port I also saw Monk Parakeets (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and a colour ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull.
I moved on and went along the coast to Charca where I met Dave Grundy and Miguel Olvera at the back gate and when Manu let us in we got straight on with setting up the traps for the over night recording section, whilst doing this I saw Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) and Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla).
Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanbia oleracea) Caterpillar.
We were joined later by friend Juan Perez and a small group of others and the warden Pepe, it was quite cool so moths were in short supply on the first check but back at the Office we did get to see the Caterpillar of the Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanbia oleracea) moth before having some food and then turning in.

Thursday 24 November 2022

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Patch birding again.
Ebird List.
 
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).
Usual walk along the fields to the Plantation and back again. Species included Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) and after the list finished I sat by the puddle where the irrigation channel leaks and saw Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis).
Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis).
Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
As I walked back to the car the Black-winged Kite spent some time hunting in the fading light.
Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).
Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Recording.

9684 Allophyes alfaroi only second record for the garden.
I ran the 15watt Actinic trap up on the terrace but I was not expecting much so I was quite happy with the catch which included 6496 Evergestis isatidalis x3, 6690 Palpita vitrealis x1, 6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) x1, 7725 Menophora japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber) x1, 9206 Cucullia calendulae (Marigold Shark) x2, 9460 Spodoptera exigua (Small Mottled Willow) x1, 9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut) x23, 9684 Allophyes alfaroi x1, 9721 Polymixis xanthomista (Black Banded) x1, 10096 Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing) x1 and 10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth) x3.
9721 Polymixis xanthomista (Black Banded) possibly new for the garden.
9460 Spodoptera exigua (Small Mottled Willow).
10096 Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing).
6496 Evergestis isatidalis.

9206 Cucullia calendulae (Marigold Shark).
Totals were 38 moths of 11 species, most were photographed and all released back into the garden.
10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth).
10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth).
10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth).
9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).
9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).
9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).
9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).
9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).
9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).
9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).