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

A bit of Christmas Day Birding.

Ebird List for Huétor Fields.

Ebird List for Sierra de Loja.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) in the frost.

I started the day with a Whatsapp chat with Deb, Ian and Renate out in South Australia during which Deb managed to get me views of my number 1 Australian bird the Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) and a Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) on her Mom's veranda, brilliant.

Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).

Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).

This was quickly followed by the call I had been looking forward to from Alan, Becki and the three Grandkids Ryan, Zach and Finn.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Later after doing a few bits at home I headed down to the fields to check what was about and was surprised to bump into Elena and Steve Powell just out side Huétor, they were up to look for the Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) and then later they were going to go up Sierra de Loja looking for the Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) and they asked me to join them and I was very pleased to accept.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

At the spot where I met them we started the list with at least 17 Little Bustards, 100+ Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) female.

Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) female.

We moved to our next stop was up at the Lucerne fields, on the way we had the first Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) of the day and a female Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

Looking at the crags to the North.

Shortly after parking we had what were almost certainly the same Little Bustards from the other field fly in, we also saw 2 more Little Owls, Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) male.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) male.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) male.

We again moved and made our way down to the Mesia Road irrigation channels finding Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos).

Looking out West towards Antequera.

We made our way out to the motorway and then to the Abades service area were we took to the tracks up Sierra de Loja looking for and finding at least 30 Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) as well as Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae),  Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) and Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Charca del Negro.

We started to make our way back down the hill but only added a Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) Elena saw before we headed back to the hotel where I had left my car and then off home, back at the house there were several Siskins (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) on the feeders.