Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A late afternoon walk around the fields.

Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) Exposed Male.

After spending some time up on the terrace I decided to head for the fields where I was surprised to see the one male Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) was still out on the fields strutting his stuff even though all the Alfalfa fields had all been cut.

Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Other species of interest were my first Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra) of the year, as well as Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Common (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 7th April 23.
Garden Light, min +5. 

 

8981 Drasteria cailino.

4215 Phtheochroa ecballiella, 0465 Myrmecozella ataxella x1, 0488 Reisserita chrysopterella x1, 3029 Dysspastus fallax x1, 3424 Carpatolechia decorella, 5864 Acrobasis obliqua x1, 6488 Evergestis frumentalis x2, 6551 Udea numeralis x2, 7564 Itame vincularia x1. 7725 Menophra japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber) x4, 8059 Scopula marginepunctata x1, 8981 Drasteria cailino x1, 9056 Autographa gamma (Silver Y) x2, 9367 Heliothis peltigera (Bordered Straw) x1, 9433 Paradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow) x4, 9929 Hecatgera weissi x1, 9961 Hadena sancta x1 ????? 10029 Mythimna sicula x2, 10343 Shuttle Shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) x7 and 10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth) x4.

4215 Phtheochroa ecballiella.

0465 Myrmecozella ataxella.

0488 Reisserita chrysopterella.

3029 Dysspastus fallax.

3424 Carpatolechia decorella.

8059 Scopula marginepunctata.

9056 Autographa gamma (Silver Y).

10029 Mythimna sicula.

9961+ Hadena species.

9929 Hecatgera weissi.

9433 Paradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow).

9367 Heliothis peltigera (Bordered Straw).

10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth).

Near Realenga de Agicampe, Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A short morning walk to loosen the back and another during the afternoon.

Ebird List for the morning.

False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus).

I got up, took some pain killers and then once they had started to take away the pain a bit I went to try and walk it off, I set off up the hill and then back again, interesting species included European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus).

I spent most of the day up on the Terrace sat in one of the straight backed hard chairs which helped the back greatly, later in the afternoon I went for a stroll out into the Olives, once I cross the dry barranco I started to see a few butterflies including Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) x8, False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus) x1, Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenodes) x1, Small White (Pieris rapae) x1, Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x6, Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri) x1, Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) x2 and Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) x1.

Rough Poppy (Papaver hybridum).

As I walked I also saw Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Iberian  Magpie, Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Rough Poppy (Papaver hybridum).

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

I dropped down to the Arroyo Vilano, just over the Mesia road to see if there were any Dragons on the wing yet but there were not but I had a single Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) as well as Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and singing Nightingales. I returned to the house and to the terrace.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A quick visit to the fields to meet Barbara and Jerry.

 

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

During the morning I again went down to the hospital to have the other eye destoned and then returned home to do some pruning in the garden but unfortunately I put my back out whilst climbing down off the wall, so I was sat down for the rest of the day until Barbara and Jerry rang to say that they were down on the patch.

I managed to get down to them and before we went and did a bit of birding we went into town for a drink and a tapas.

Later we went out on to the fields where we had the calling male Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), 3 male and 1 female Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) and Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) before my back started to hurt and I headed back home.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 5th April 23.
Garden Light, min +6. 

 

5864 Acrobasis obliqua.

Species included 2868-003 Coleophora amethystinella (Coast Green Case-bearer) x1, 5864 Acrobasis obliqua x1, 6488 Evergestis frumentalis x1, 7725 Menophra japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber) x5, 7926 Aspitates ochrearia (Yellow Belle) x1, 8328 Nebula ibericata x2, 9433 Paradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow) x8, 9435 Caradrina noctivaga x1, 9957 / 8 Hadena perplexa / nevadae x2, 10199 Xestia c-nigrum (Setaceous Hebrew Character) x1, 10343 Shuttle Shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) x3, 10346 Agrotis ipsilon (Dark Sword-grass) x1, 10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth) x3 

2868-003 Coleophora amethystinella (Coast Green Case-bearer).

6488 Evergestis frumentalis.

10199 Xestia c-nigrum (Setaceous Hebrew Character).

10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth).

10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth).

9957 / 8 Hadena perplexa / nevadae.

9957 / 8 Hadena perplexa / nevadae.

9433 Paradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow).

10346 Agrotis ipsilon (Dark Sword-grass).

 

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Back to the patch, I missed the mountains and the company of the last few days!!! but had a patch lifer.

Ebird List.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

I popped down to Loja for an appointment at the hospital to have my one eye destoned, after it had settled down I did the usual walk along the Arroyo and around the Lucerne fields, I started by going up stream and then cam back passed the car and out as far as the railway bridge at the far end of my normal walk.

Male Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

As I walked up stream I passed a patch of low poplar trees which are regularly a bit of a magnet for migrant warblers and today was no exeption as almost straight away I could hear a singing Iberian Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus brehmii), after a while searching I had brief views but it stayed in the denser parts of the tree which was now carrying quite a good amount of fresh leaves.

Female Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Other interesting species included the calling male Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), 3x Booted Eagles (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), a single male Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), a Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) which flushed from a damper part of the Arroyo, Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), a singing Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), 4x Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla) which were my first on the patch this year, Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) and a few left over Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) which should be off North soon.

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Grazalema area, Cadiz Province and heading Home to Granada Province, Spain.

My last day with Sue and Sam.

Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora).

We got up and had breakfast up on the terrace again before we headed out on to a track heading towards Zahara but at a lower level nearer to the lake than the road up over the mountains.

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca).

As we drove we made several stops seeing Bumble-bee (Ophrys bombyliflora), Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera), Somber Bee (Ophrys fusca), Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea) and Mirror Orchids (Ophrys speculum), as well as quite a few past their best Giant Orchids (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).

Elder-leaved Figwort (Scrophularia sambucifolia subsp sambucifolia).

Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).

Birds seen and heard included Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

Greek Savory (Micromeria graeca).

Red Phlomis (Phlomis purpurea).

It was quite over cast so there were not many butterflies but we did still see a single Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

Cynoglossum clandestinum.

Hypochromic form of Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).

Other plants seen included Aphyllanthes monspliensis, Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia baetica), French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), Lesser Celendine (Ranunculus ficaria), Elder-leaved Figwort (Scrophularia sambucifolia subsp. sambucifolia), Red Phlomis (Phlomis purpurea), Greek Savory (Micromeria graeca), Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca) and Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus).

Linaria tristris.

Linaria Platycalyx.

We reached the spot that Sue was heading for, once parked we searched an area of fairly dense Broom scrub where we again found good numbers of Mirror, Yellow Bee and past it Giant Orchids, Cynoglossum clandestinum and after a while Sue called us over and she showed us the one we had wanted, a stunning spike of the Hypochromic form of Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).

Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) blue form.

Valerian Species.

I was rather happy seeing this orchid and many of the other species we had seen, we headed back towards the house for some lunch but made a stop at Fuente Aguanfría to fill up the water bottles and add a few more species to the list including Linaria tristris and Linaria Platycalyx, Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), Rusty-backed Fern (Ceterach officinarum), Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) blue form and a Long-horn Moth species which still needs a name.

Long-horn Moth species.

We got back to the house and had some lunch, Sue and I spent a while chatting up on the terrace adding several Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) and a nice high flying Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus) to the list before I said my goodbyes after a brilliant few days, great company, good weather and good wildlife made it perfect.