Near Huétor Tajar in Granada Province, Driving North and at Laguna Navaseca, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain.

8 travellers head North for a spot of Birding.

Ebird List for Navaseca.

Day One.

The Laguna.

I was up at 06:00 and getting sorted ready for the arrival of Sonya and Ricky, Barbara and Derek, Barbara and Jerry and Bob but before they arrived I was done so I spent a while stood out side seeing what I could hear calling as it started to get light and I picked up Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

A low looking Laguna Navaseca.

The others arrived and after loading all my kit into Jerry and Barbara's motor we were on our way, before we reached the motorway we had seen Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus).

Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) Chick.

Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

As we continued on North the list grew as we picked up Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) x2, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) x2, Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) x4, Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) x1, Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax).

Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).

Whiskered Terns (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).

Whiskered Terns (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).

We reached Daimiel and checked into the hotel before heading out to Laguna Navaseca, we parked and scanned the lake which was surprising at a low level water wise but after talking to a local it sounds like a crack as appeared in the lake bed and they can't put enough water in from the sewage works to keep it full unfortunately.

Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).

Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) male.

However at this point there are still good numbers of birds there including Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata) which we only heard, Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Whiskered (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus) and Black Tern (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) x2, Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

Avocets (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

We drove down to the first hide on the back track were we picked up Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Savi's Warbler (Buscarla Unicolor / Locustella luscinoides), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).

Barbara L, Sonya, Derek, Jerry, Me, Ricky and Barbara E (Bob's taking the Photo).

At the far end of the Northern track we checked the chain-link fence picking up Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and along the track passed the sewage works we added Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) and Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus).

In the same area we also found Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Wild Onion (Allium ampeloprasum). Common Chicory (Cichorium intybus), Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris), Corn (Papaver rhoeas) and Red-horned Poppy (Glaucium corniculatum) and Field Convulvulous (Convolvulus arvensis).

Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus).

On the last stretch we added Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), a Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) which was being mobbed by a Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) and a Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

Wild Onion (Allium ampeloprasum).

We returned to our accommodation via Lidl where we picked up some food for our evening meal.