Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Noisy night time birds and Amphibians.

Ebird List. 

I could not sleep due to a dam cough that will not go away and probably won't until the end of the Olive pollen season which has never bothered me before.

Anyway as I lay there I could hear a calling Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) so I decided to get up, have a drink and go out onto the terrace where I heard 3x Nightjar's, Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) x2, Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) x1, Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) x1 and several Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) but not sure how many as I could only hear them. 

Nosiest of all were the Perez's Frogs (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) in the pool, unfortunately their numbers were going to be reduced in the morning by a largish Viperine Snake (Culebra Viperina / Natrix maura).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Back out on the fields again.

Ebird List, 29 species.

I parked and walked the fields as far as the turning to Huétor, which I took and then turned right at the bridge over the Arroyo and followed the track back to the car.

Interesting species included Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) and several Spanish (Yellow) Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Another species for the year List.

Ebird List, 1 species.

As I sat out on the terrace with a beer I added Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) to the year list, I also had Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 26th April 23.
Garden Light, min +17.

 

10475 Earias albovenosana.

0663 Trichophaga bipartitella x3, 1525 Plutella xylostella (Diamond backed Moth) x3, 1648 Ethmia terminella x1, 3029 Dysspastus fallax x11, 3036 Stibaromacha ratella x1, 3498 Mirificarma eburnella x1,  5144 Cydia pomonella (Codling Moth) x2, 5615 Synaphe lorquinalis x1, 5624 Bostra obsoletalis x21, 5742 Etiella zinckenella x1, 5765 Merulempista turturella x1, 5578 Lamoria anella x2, 5742 Etiella zinckenella x1,  6488 Evergestis frumentalis x4, 6551 Udea numeralis x7, 7725 Menophra japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber) x3, 8145 Idaea manicaria x2, 8186 Idaea degeneraria (Portland Ribbon Wave) x4, 8509 Eupithecia cenaureata (Lime-speck Pug) x2, 9100 Acontia lucida (Pale Shoulder) x1, 9252 Omphalophana serrata x1, 9433 Paradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow) x16, 9435 Caradrina noctivaga  / flavirena x3, 9454 Hoplodrina ambigua (Vine's Rustic) x1, 10003 Mythimna vitellina (The Delicate) x1, 10029 Mythimna sicula x2, 10343 Shuttle Shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) x1, 10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth) x1, 10475 Earias albovenosana x1, 10493 Eilema caniola (Hoary Footman) x1. 

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5742 Etiella zinckenella.

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5578 Lamoria anella.

1648 Ethmia terminella.

Symmoca species ??????????

3036 Stibaromacha ratella ??????????

8145 Idaea manicaria.

7725 Menophra japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber) very warn.

7725 Menophra japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber).

9435 Caradrina noctivaga  / flavirena.

9435 Caradrina noctivaga  / flavirena.

10003 Mythimna vitellina (The Delicate).

Cacín Valley and El Temple, Granada Province, Spain.

Back out into the field with Graham.

Ebird List for El Temple.

Just a little bit of snow left on the Hill.

I was up and around earlier than planned so I did a few bits and as I did I saw and heard Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and several extremely noisy Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).

I met Graham up at the Cortijo and after we had breakfast we headed out to Moraleda and then out on to the fields where we had good views of a Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) which sat nicely in the early morning sun, Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) heard only, Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).

Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) immature.

We dropped down off the very dusty, dry fields and into the Cacín Valley where we parked in amongst the Pines and had a walk across the road to a spot where we could scan the slopes over the valley, whilst there we saw and heard Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla).

Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus / Bisbita Gorgirrojo).

A little further down the valley we stopped again and checked the more mixed woodland out Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and a soaring Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).

Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus / Bisbita Gorgirrojo).

Just up the road we made another stop over looking the Contra Embalse, the water level was quite a lot higher than on my last visit but there was still a single Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) heard only, Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).

Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus / Bisbita Gorgirrojo).

We drove further down the valley and tried to get down to the gorge but there was a large digger blocking the road so we turned around and went into the village for a coffee adding White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and then up on to the ridge and to the watch point.

Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus / Bisbita Gorgirrojo).

We spent sometime scanning the ridges picking up several more Short-toed, a couple of Booted (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) and a single Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

While we were there I got a phone call from friend Juan Perez but the signal at the spot was really bad so I could not pick it up until quite a way down the road towards and then I saw that he had found a flock of 5 summer plumage Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus / Bisbita Gorgirrojo) and the spot was only just up the road, so after getting a sandwich to take away we made our way to the area and with the directions received we were soon watching the superb Pipit.

Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus / Bisbita Gorgirrojo).

At first there was just one but after watching this stunning bird for a couple of minutes the other four suddenly came into view and walked past us but unfortunately they were always behind a chain-link fence in a private area.

After the birds had all walked passed we dropped down to the nearby ruin where we had good views of a pair of Rollers (Carraca / Coracias garrulus) before sitting in the shade to eat our sandwich before heading out along several more tracks, as we went we saw Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) but little else.

Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus).

By now it was getting extremely hot so we decided to head off the fields to have a look at a nearby Cortijo for some Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni) but not before having to change another tyre after getting a second puncture in two days, once we reached the Cortijo we had views of both male and female Lesser Kestrels before heading into the city where I dropped Graham as close to his hotel as I could.

I returned home via the tire Guys again but this time I was not so lucky as it was a new tire not a repair, them's the breaks.

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

Out birding with Graham from the UK.

Ebird List for the Sierra, 43 species.

At the far end of the Sierra de Loja where we picked up a good number of Raptor's.

I met up with Graham near Granada and we shot along the A92 and then up the Sierra, we headed straight over to the far side of the site and around the crags, main species on the way up were Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Black (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops). 

Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Once up around the crags we had views of two males Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis), several Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and a nice showy Western Orphean Warbler (Curruca Mirlona / Sylvia hortensis).

As we were watching this bird a vehicle from the Medio Ambiente passed and then reversed back, as the guy stopped his first words were "Mick Richardson" which came as a surprise but I quickly realized that it was a guy called Jesús Bautista Rodríguez who monitors the Raptor population in the area and he very kindly gave us some good information on stuff that he had seen that morning so we returned to the car only to find we had a flat tyre.

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

Once the replacement was on the car we headed to the spot Jesús had told us about, unfortunately we didn't see the Cinereous / European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus) or the Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) however we did find a dozen or so Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), 2x Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus), an adult Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), a passing flock of European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) and a single singing Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata).

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

Up on the tops we also saw Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), Small White (Pieris rapae), Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis) and at Charca del Negro several Sharp-ribbed Salamander (Pleurodeles waltl).

On the way down we added Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta) but not a great deal more so we stopped for some lunch on our way out to Huétor Fields, as we sat there we had both

Sharp-ribbed Salamander (Pleurodeles waltl).

Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus).

Once we had finished we headed out onto the fields and we were soon watching the male Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) and a Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), by now it was getting hot so I dropped Graham off at the Cortijo de Tajar where he was staying the night and went to get the Tyre repaired. 

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning walk on the fields before finishing the green railings 😀😀😀😀

Ebird List for the fields.

Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

I picked Belén up in Huétor, then we parked at a spot out passed the Poplar Plantation and we walked back over the fields with the sun behind us, as far as the dammed pool up passed the usual parking spot.

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) male.

On the way we saw and heard Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) in the Poplars.

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) male.

As we crossed the Agricultural area we picked up Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).

Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus).

Out around the Lucerne fields we heard the male Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) and then watched him strutting around the far end of one of the stripes of Lucerne along with several Spanish (Yellow) Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).

Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus).

As we continued on we had a few House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) x3, Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea) disappearing up stream.

We passed the normal parking area and up stream we had several Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), my first  Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin) of the year and as we reached the pool we accidentally flushed a Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea). 

Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).

At the pool we turned around and then walked back to the but we didn't add any thing new, we went up to the house and spent some time chatting up on the terrace before I dropped Belén back to Huétor.