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Saturday 4 February 2023

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk out to the Railway bridge along the Arroyo.
Ebird List.

Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) male.

After parking I followed the track between the Lucerne Fields and the Arroyo, followed the road and then turned towards the railway and at the bridge followed the Arroyo again on the north back as far as the track went, then returned but followed the Arroyo all the way back to the car.
Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).
A small part of the mixed flock of Finches and Sparrows.

Some of the species seen included 18x Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), 14x Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), 50+ Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), 4x Bluethroats (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) all males, Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) and a good number of Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) with 25 males in a mixed flock with other finches, this species was once a rare visitor to the area but numbers have increased in the last couple of winters.
Female Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).


Friday 3 February 2023

Cerro Hacho, Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk around the lower loop of Hacho.
Ebird List.

Almond blossom with a nice blue sky as a back ground.
I parked near the puddle above the quarry and did a loop on the lower track, bird species seen included Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Blue  (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and a very rapid flyover by a hunting Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).
Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).
On the stretch along the side of the Quarry there were 50 or so spikes of
Somber Bee Orchids (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) in flower along with a couple of early Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana) and in the row of flowering Almond trees I picked up a pair of Hawfinches (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and a few Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos).
Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes).

Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

Down in the Quarry there were males of both Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) as well as a small group of 5 Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).
Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) male.
Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) male.
Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) male.
Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) male.
I walked back up from the road towards the car and the ground was carpeted with hundreds of Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia) with flowers varying from deep purple through different shades of blue, there were also good numbers of white flowered plants scattered through the populations.
Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra).

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra).

Once I was back at the car I moved it into a spot near the puddle and used it to photograph some drinking Common Crossbills and
Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) before heading home later.
Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).

 

Thursday 2 February 2023

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk back from the Mechanic's across the fields.
Ebird List.

I dropped the car off to the Mechanic's and walked back to Huétor Tajar where I met friend Belén for some breakfast and then later we walked some of the way back to the house together doing some birding along the way.
Spanish Sparrows (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis).
High Lights were Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).
Spanish Sparrows (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) and Goldfinches (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).
Belén turned around after a while as she needed to got to work so I continued on and walked back via the Arroyo, the Lucerne Fields and up to the house.
Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).
On the way I saw Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos). On my way up the road to the house I added Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus).

Wednesday 1 February 2023

Desembocadura Río Aguas, Cabo Gata (Playa Amoladeras and Torregarcia), Almeria Province, Spain.

Catching up with a couple of long stayers and few other interesting Species.
Ebird List for Río Aguas.
Ebird List for Playa Amoladeras.
Ebird List for Torregarcia.

I arrived on the beach just as the sun came up.
I set off early and was on site just as it was getting light and searching for the long staying Citrine Wagtail (Lavandera Cetrina / Motacilla citreola) straight away.
The Rio Aguas.
As I started to look I picked up a few White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and then I found the target out in the river on areas of floating vegetation in a reed bed.
The Rio Aguas, the bird stayed in the reeds in the center of the river on floating vegetation.
I had good views through the scope but the bird never really came in close so the photo's were not great but still nice to have a few records of the new species for my Spanish List.
Citrine Wagtail (Lavandera Cetrina / Motacilla citreola) immature Male.
Citrine Wagtail (Lavandera Cetrina / Motacilla citreola) immature Male.
Citrine Wagtail (Lavandera Cetrina / Motacilla citreola) immature Male.
I spent around 4 hours on site and added a pair of Ferruginous Ducks (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and a Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).
Silene littorea.
As I walked back to the car I spent a few minutes scanning the sea picking up a couple of Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and a few Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).
Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).
Once I was at the car I started the engine and notice a bit of a strange noise so I popped the bonnet and could see that there was a leak of fumes from a rubber gasket but I decided to carry on with the day but had the windows down for the rest of the day, fortunately it was quite warm.
Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).
Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).
Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).
I reached the Playa Amoladeras near Cabo de Gata where I was looking for a Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) which had been around for a few weeks, I went to the location on Ebird but as with a lot of users the pin was not in the correct place, really not sure why in most cases this is done as it wastes birders time, fuel, money and is just bloody annoying.
Eurasian Dotterels (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).
Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).
Anyway during the time I was walking up and down in the wrong place I did have some good birds including Golden Plovers (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), 9x Eurasian Dotterels (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus), a single Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), a dozen or so Lesser Short-toed Larks (Terrera Marismena / Calandrella rufescens), two groups of Trumpeter Finches (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus) x7 in total and out on the sea another 5x Northern Gannet and 3x Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).
Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus).
Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus).
Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus).
I also saw at least 3x
Clouded Yellows (Colias corceua) and a single Large White (Pieris brassicae) once things warmed up nicely.
Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.

Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.

Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.

Anyway after an hour and a half I sent messages to Friends Garry Pearson and Ricky Owen who both came back with the correct location down next to the Torregarcia, so I walked back to the car and drove to the new spot over 2.7kms from the pin ????? and within a few minutes I was watching the stunning male Desert Wheatear in almost exactly the same spot as my only other Spanish record.
Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.
Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.
Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) male.
I again returned to the car and made my way back home via the mechanic's in Ventanueva who had a look at it and said bring it back in the morning as it needed some work on the injectors.

Tuesday 31 January 2023

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Back on the patch after a few weeks away.
Ebird List.

Sierra de Loja in front and Hacho to the right from the Fields.

OK, it was great to be home but really wish someone would turn up the heating a tad as it is piggin freezing, I headed down on to the fields and parked in my usual spot where I started my walk out along the Arroya as far as the railway bridge.
The Lucerne Fields.

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).
High lights were around 100 Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), 3x Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), 3x Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

Monday 30 January 2023

Travelling South Home.

Heading back home after being away for nearly 6 week.
Ebird List for Laguna de la Veguilla.
 
Great Bustards (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda).
I was up and about early, Santi had some gardeners coming and I wanted to be on the road by 09.00 so breakfast was early and after saying thanks and goodbye to Santi I was on my way south and through Madrid without any problems.
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).
During this first part drive I had Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).
Lesser Scaup (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis) with Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina).
Lesser Scaup (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis) with Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina).
Lesser Scaup (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis) with Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata).
Lesser Scaup (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis) with Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina).
I reached a spot around 100km south of the city and made a stop for a Coffee and something to eat, once I had finished I checked the fields nearby hoping for some Great Bustards (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda) and at the furthest point along the track I found a flock of 34 birds and in the same area I also had Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).
Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).
My next stop was at Laguna de la Veguilla near the town of Alcázar de San Juan, I parked and checked the two hides overlooking the lake, my main target was a male Lesser Scaup (Porrón Bola / Aythya affinis) which after a short scan with the scope was found feeding with a group of Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina).
Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).
Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).
On the main lake I also saw Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) and around the margins and in the air I also saw Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).
Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).
I moved on to another site nearby out on an area of large agricultural cereal fields as I drove around the tracks I picked up good numbers of Golden Plovers (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata).
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata).
I left the site and then drove back home, I arrived about 19.30 to find the house was down to just +4.5 inside so I soon had the log burner glowing and the electric blanket on.