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Saturday 20 May 2023

Near Huétor Tajar and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

They are like buses, have waited for a Red-footed Falcon for ages and then 3 come along in a few days.
Ebird List for the fields.

First thing in the morning Barbara, Derek, Sonia, Ricky, Barbara and Jerry arrived at mine for a meeting to sort of things out about our upcoming trip to the Pyrenees, whilst we chatted and had coffee we saw 4x Honey Buzzards (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus), a Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) and others.
At around 11:00 they all headed out for some birding and I got a bit done on the Laptop before heading down to Urgencias at Loja hospital.
Later I headed down to Huétor Fields but only did a short walk around the Lucerne Fields, I was surprised to see the male Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) chasing one of the females that had been see a month or so ago.
As I walked I also recorded 3x Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and then all of a sudden I was aware of a kerfuffle behide me so I turned around and saw a large group of House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) mobbing a smallish falcon which crossed the Arroyo and then headed off over the fields and as it went I identified it as my 2nd Male and 3rd Red-footed Falcon (Cernícalo patirrojo / Falco vespertinus) in the last few days.
After the falcon disappeared over the Olives I continued on to the Walnut trees adding Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).

Thursday 18 May 2023

El Temple, Granada Province, Spain.

A day birding and storm watching with Polly.
Ebird List list for El Temple in the afternoon.
 
A bit of interesting Weather out on El Temple.
I met Polly at Restaurante La Abadía and after having a coffee we headed out onto El Temple but before we got very far we were watching a female Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) which looked like it was carrying the remains of the rear end of a Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).
Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus).
In the same area we added
Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Greater Short-toed (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) male.
We continued on to a nearby semi-abandonded Cortijo where we had good views of a pair of Booted Eagles (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), Rock Dove (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and as we were leaving we heard a snippet from a Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos).
Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).
Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).
We continued on out onto the fields proper, on the way we had Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).
Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).
Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).
Out on the first of the tracks we picked up Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).
Polly taking some storm shots.
As we turned back towards the road through the site we started to hear the first rumbles of thunder  and saw the first flashes of lightening, just before we reached the road we stopped and spent quite a while photographing the approaching storms.
We crossed to another set of tracks finding
Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) heard only, House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and a pale immature Short-toed Eagle.
An unfortunate new but growing problem, intensive planting of Olive trees.
European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).
Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).
A pale immature Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).
We went back across to the far side of the road and found one of the main targets of the day a very smart
Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus) and an equally stunning Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus) which unfortunately disappeared into a wall before Polly could get the camera on it.
Red-footed Falcon (Cernícalo patirrojo / Falco vespertinus) female.
We returned to the meeting point where I dropped Polly back to her car after a very enjoyable day, later on my way home I called into another more sensitive area where I soon found the female
Red-footed Falcon (Cernícalo patirrojo / Falco vespertinus) sat out in the middle of a ploughed field but as I scanned I was amazed to find a male Red-footed sat around 20m away and right next to that bird there was a nice adult Hobby (Alcotán Europeo / Falco subbuteo) but this bird immediately flew off into the Almonds.
Male Red-footed Falcon (Cernícalo patirrojo / Falco vespertinus).
Male Red-footed Falcon (Cernícalo patirrojo / Falco vespertinus).
The rain arrived so I decided to head for home.

Wednesday 17 May 2023

Huétor Fields and El Temple, Granada Province, Spain.

A late walk around the patch and the a whizz over to El Temple.
Ebird List for Huétor Fields.
Ebird List for El Temple.

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

After having a lousy nights sleep due to a lingering cough I didn't get down to the fields until gone 11, however I did find the territorial male Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), 2x Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), 3x Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) which spent a good while hassling a rather tatty looking Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans). 
Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).
Other species seen included Turtle Doves (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) and Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla).
Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).
I went back home and sat at the Laptop for a while trying to catch up with the blog after having so many photographs to sort through after two great days in Grazalema but later in the day I got a message from friend Juan Pérez Contreras to tell me that there was a female Red-footed Falcon (Cernícalo patirrojo / Falco vespertinus) out on El Temple, so I decided to head out there even though the weather looked a bit dodgy.
Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) attacking the Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans).
I arrived on site and spent some time searching the area but mostly from the car as the storms had arrived and it was raining quite heavily but during this search I did find lots more Turtle Doves, 6x Little Bustards, 8x Stone Curlews, Black-winged Kite, Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) x1, Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) x3, Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei).
The storms on its way.
The welcome rain but wish it had waited a couple of hours.
I decided to have a drive down to the lower fields, as I went I messaged Juan for some more information and just as he sent it through I actually found the bird sat up in one of the many Almond trees, I watched this bird for a while until it dropped off and out of sight.
Red-footed Falcon (Cernícalo patirrojo / Falco vespertinus) female.
Red-footed Falcon (Cernícalo patirrojo / Falco vespertinus) female.
Red-footed Falcon (Cernícalo patirrojo / Falco vespertinus) female.
A few minutes later either it or another bird came in from totally the opposite direction making me suspect that there may have been two birds involved but I never saw two at the same time, other species seen were Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Sunday 14 May 2023

La Rana, Near La Rana, Venta Puerto de Gáliz area, Cadiz Province, Spain.

Heading out South West for a long wanted species.

Looking down over the Village.
Sue and I started the day with a leisurely breakfast and a sit on the terrace checking out the many Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) which were belting around the roof tops or feeding much higher up and a pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus).
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).
Libelloides ictericus.
Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi).
Iberian Wingless Mantis (Apteromantis aptera).
European Umbrella Milkwort (Chicoia loca / Tolpis barbata).
We got the kit together and headed up to La Rana and had a very nice walk around this usually damp site which was the same as many places, very dry. 
0345 Nemophora raddaella.
Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).
We parked and as we sorted our selves we had a group of four Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and as we walked around the site Sue found a very nice specimen of Iberian Wingless Mantis (Apteromantis aptera), other insects included Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi), Sage (Muschampia proto) and Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), the day flying Moth 0345 Nemophora raddaella and two types of Owlflys including Libelloides baeticus and Libelloides ictericus
Hybrid Goatsbeard (Barba Macho / Geropogon hybridus).
Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus).
Blue Thistle (Cardo azul / Carduncellus caeruleus).
Long-headed Poppy (Amapola oblonga / Papaver dubium).
Even though the site was extremely dry there were still a few Western Three-toed Skinks (Chalcides striatus) around and several flower species including Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), European Umbrella Milkwort (Chicoia loca / Tolpis barbata), Hybrid Goatsbeard (Barba Macho / Geropogon hybridus), St Bernard's lily (Anthericum baeticum), Mediterranean Fleabane (Hierba pulguera / Pulicaria odora), Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus), Long-headed Poppy (Amapola oblonga / Papaver dubium) and Blue Thistle (Cardo azul / Carduncellus caeruleus).
St Bernard's lily (Anthericum baeticum).
Mediterranean Fleabane (Hierba pulguera / Pulicaria odora).
Tragopogon porrifolius.
Bird wise we saw European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus), Rock (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator)
Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).
Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).
As we walked back to the car we followed the verge which was very well vegetated and had a good number of flowers including Common Chicory (Cichorium intybus), Tragopogon porrifolius, Candlestick Bugloss (Echium boissieri) and Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).
Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis).
Purple Phlomis (Phlomis purpurea).
Phlomis crinita subsp malacitana.
Star-of-Bethlehem (Ajo de Lobo / Ornithogalum narbonense.
As we entered our second site which was just down the road Sue pointed out a spike of Late Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys ficalhoana) which was just holding onto a single decent flower and a short walk into the area produce Yellow (Phlomis lychnitis) and Purple Phlomis (Phlomis purpurea) as well as Phlomis crinita subsp malacitana, Biarum arundarum, Selfheal (Hierba de las Heridas / Prunella laciniata), Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus), Narbonense Star-of-Bethlehem (Ajo de Lobo / Ornithogalum narbonense), Narrow-leaved rock-rose (Cistus monspeliensis), 3959 Aglaope infausta, Black-veined White, Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Golden Oriole and a nice Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis).
Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis).
3959 Aglaope infausta.
Near La Rana.
Sue photographing the Phlomis plants.
We then headed to our main site of the day which was a longish drive out to the South west, by the time we reached Puerto de Gáliz it was lunch time so we had a nice meal before checking a nearby roadside verge where we found a good number of Butterflies including Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua), Small and Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon), Iberian (Melanargia lachesis) and Spanish Marbled White (Melanargia ines), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathsheba), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Small White (Pieris rapae), Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto), a very rapid Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius) which just zipped passed us, Marsh Fritillary (Euphydrayas aurinia) and what I at first thought were female Aetherie Fritillary (Melitaea aetherie) but they were tatty and in the end we convinced our selves that they were probably Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione) but they looked too big.
Aetherie Fritillary (Melitaea aetherie) male.

Aetherie Fritillary (Melitaea aetherie) male.

Aetherie Fritillary (Melitaea aetherie) female.

Aetherie Fritillary (Melitaea aetherie) female.

Aetherie Fritillary (Melitaea aetherie) male.

Aetherie Fritillary (Melitaea aetherie) female.

Aetherie Fritillary (Melitaea aetherie) female.

Aetherie Fritillary (Melitaea aetherie) male.

Anyway we continued searching and as we were walking back towards the car we found my first 100%
Aetherie Fritillary and as it was a nice male it made things easier and after checking the photo's the three females were also Aetherie's and not Provençal.
Spanish Marbled White (Melanargia ines).
Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).
Marsh Fritillary (Euphydrayas aurinia).
Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon).
We moved to another site where we didn't see any more Aetherie's but added
Large Tortoiseshell  (Nymphalis polychlorus) and saw a lot of the same species as earlier plus Italian Sainfoin (Hedysarum coronarium).
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) and Marsh Fritillary (Euphydrayas aurinia).

Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathsheba) and Marsh Fritillary (Euphydrayas aurinia).

On the way back to Sue's we stopped the once on the roadside where we found spikes of both Delphinium pentagynum, Salvia barrelieri and Mediterranean Mantis (Iris oratoria) ootheca which Sue found attached to a rock, we continued on to Sue's, I loaded up my stuff and after having a Coffee I headed off home.
Delphinium pentagynum.


Salvia barrelieri.

Mediterranean Mantis (Iris oratoria) ootheca.