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Wednesday 7 December 2022

Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

An early walk before the rain arrived.
Ebird List.

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
I was out early as heavy rain was forecast for later in the day (and they got it right), I did my usual walk along the fields and out as far as the crossroads where I took the road down towards Huétor, near the car I had a nice White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) sat on the top of the new gates and as I walked I picked up Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).
Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).
On the next section towards the town I picked up
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and just after I turned left towards the Mesia road I found a flock of over 200 Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) which were flushed up by a guy spreading fertilizer on the next field.
Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).
Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).
I walked on and had a very nice chat with a Spanish Lady who was very interested in the local birds and she told me that she had seen a couple of
Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus) fly through earlier in the morning, just after dawn which I had unfortunately missed.
Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).
Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).
On the track back to the road to Huétor I picked up Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and just before I reached the road a flock of around 40 Bramblings (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) flew into a large Walnut tree.
Bramblings (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).
Bramblings (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).
I checked the fields from the bridge before heading back towards the car, on the way
Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus).
Bramblings (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).
Bramblings (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

Huétor Fields and Sierra de Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

Out birding with Friends, a morning on the Fields and later up my favorite hill.
Ebird List for Fields.
Ebird List for the Sierra.

Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).
I met Barbara, Derek Etherton and Andy Patterson at the Cortijo de Tajar where we had coffee and breakfast before heading out on to my local patch.
Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).
We started just North of the town where we checked some fields and soon found a good number of Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) x69, Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) x25, Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) x3, Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
Second Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) of the day.
We moved up to the Lucerne fields where we added the first Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) of the day, Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and on our way around to the next spot we saw a nice female Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and my first Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) of the winter on the patch.
Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis).
Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).
Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).
Near the model aircraft field we parked again and found
Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), the second Black-winged Kite, Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Dartford (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
Hacho and off to the North.

Archidona direction.

Looking out to the West.

Along the Irrigation Channels out on the Mesia side of the town we had views of
Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).
Walking below the Crags.
Looking along the Crags.
We returned to the Hotel had a second coffee, which I accidentally ended up wearing all down my top and trousers, a short while later we headed for the service area along the A92 and then took the track up the mountain, on the way we saw the first flowers on the
Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia), Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and by the low quarry several Red-legged Partridges (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).
1st Winter female Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).
Male Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).
Male Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).
Male Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).
As we climbed further up the hill we caught up with a cracking Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Little Owl, Hoopoe, Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) x30, Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) and Black Wheatears (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura).
Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) Male.
Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) Male.
As we reached the furthest point amongst the
Hawthorns (Crataegus monogyna) we picked up the first of 40+ Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) and a calling Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris) which was soon followed by another three birds mixed in with a group of Ouzels, a little further on we had around 20 or so Alpine Accentors (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris) fly off the ridge and away, most unexpected and a new species for my Sierra list a small group of Yellowhammers (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) which comprised of what looked like 2x adults and 3x 1st winters, an adult Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) which flew along the crags and a group of Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) which included a couple of cracking Males.
Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) adult.
Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) adult.
Yellowhammers (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) 2 of the 3 1st Winter birds.
We parked and tried to get better views of the Yellowhammers which we did and as we started to make our way down the hill we found another Water Pipit which was feeding in the same fields as the Buntings and Yellowhammers.
Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) Male.
Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) Male.
We reached my car at the Service station at 17:00 after a brilliant days birding with some great species and very good company, thanks all.

Tuesday 6 December 2022

Fuente de Piedra, Malaga Province, Spain.

A return to Fuente and the Phalarope.

A bit of water in the main lake.
I returned to the pools of Fuente de Piedra hoping to get better views of the Grey Phalarope (Falaropo Picogrueso / Phalaropus fulicarius), the bird was still on site but unfortunately it was still distant on the Laguneta pool. 
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).
The light was a bit better so I had better views this time, whilst I was there I also recorded
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) on or in the water.
Grey Phalarope (Falaropo Picogrueso / Phalaropus fulicarius).
Grey Phalarope (Falaropo Picogrueso / Phalaropus fulicarius).
Around the margins and in the trees and bushes I also saw White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), a Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and several Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).
Grey Phalarope (Falaropo Picogrueso / Phalaropus fulicarius).
Grey Phalarope (Falaropo Picogrueso / Phalaropus fulicarius).
I left the hide and walked around to the Mirador where I scanned the main Lagoon finding a sizable flock of Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), more Greater Flamingo's and masses of Gulls.
I dropped down to the boardwalk across the smaller lagoon where I had views of Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Water (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) and Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) and out on the fields at the far end a flock of roosting Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus). There were few birds on the entrance pool but I did add Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago).
Female Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta).
On the drive back home I picked up Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) along the motorway.
A few minutes before I got a soaking down on the fields.

Sunday 4 December 2022

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Back down on the fields.
Ebird List.

Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).
I walked out to the Plantation and then looped back to the car on the southern track, Species included a Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) which hunted the local Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and spent a while sat up on one of the Pylons plucking and eating its catch.
Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).

Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).

Other species included Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), 95x Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) x2, Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).
Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).