Padul Wetlands, El Temple and Contra-embalse de Bemejalis, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning birding with Juan Perez and then El Temple and Cacín Valley on the way home.

Ebird List for Padul, 50 Species.

Ebird List for El Temple, 22 Species.

Ebird List for the Embalse, 18 Species.

Padul, the main Lake.

I was up, out and met Juan at 09.00 at Café / Bar Monte-Sol, I was there early so I had a coffee and so breakfast, when Juan arrived we spent a while scanning the main lake from the car park  and we started the list off with Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), several Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) one of which was feasting on a Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), a distant Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) male.

We walked down to the reserve and turned left and worked our way along the northern side of the lake where we picked up Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), a fine looking male Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).

Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata).

Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata).

We reached the Centro de Interpretación del Mamut where Juan spent some time chatting to José Rivas before we continued on part way down the eastern side of the adding Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Looking North across the Lake.

The reed beds from the raised platform.

We retraced our steps back around to the path to the car park but continued on along the board walk instead picking up a distant Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) up over the mountains behide us and amongst the bushes, reeds and along the stinking stream we also recorded Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Meadow (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) x4 and a single Jack Snipe (Agachadiza Chica / Lymnocriptes minimus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus).

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

We headed back towards the car and Juan headed off and I made my way out onto El Temple where I drove around several of the tracks where I picked up Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) x6, Long-eared Owl (Búho Chico / Asio otus) x2 and my 2nd and 3rd Black-winged Kites of the day.

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) Male.

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) Males.

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) Female.

I continued on out over to Cacín, before I left El Temple and as I drove to Cacín it was apparent that the Spanish / Granada local Government is putting getting to NET ZERO above the environment by turning large areas of Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Little Bustard (two species that are under great pressure) and other species habitat into a Solar desert. 

I obviously understand that we need to sort things but at what cost, the destruction of huge areas of the countryside and wildlife habitats. 

Long-eared Owl (Búho Chico / Asio otus) taken from the car.

I reached Cacín and then went up to the Contra-embalse where I parked and scanned the water finding Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), my second Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) and another Marsh Harrier.

Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).

I headed back up the valley and home but as I drove through the fields I saw Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).