Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk around the Lucerne Fields and a check of the Town Fields.

Ebird List for the Fields.

 

Looking out over the Lucerne Fields.

I started the day with some shopping and then once it warmed up a tad I went for a walk from the Walnut trees up to my usual parking spot and then back past the car along the track to the goat yard.

The newly cleared Arroyo Vilano, could be good in the future but s**t at the moment.

Along the Lucerne fields, I had Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) x1, Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) x2, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) x1, Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) x2, Iberian (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) x16 minimum, Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), House (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), White Wallrocket (Diplotaxis erucoides), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Small White (Pieris rapae) x3 and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x1.

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis).

A distant Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

I worked my way back to Huétor and then came back to the house via the Town Fields where there were several people working out on the different areas which meant most of the birds had gone, I added just a couple of Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) before I headed home. 

Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).

Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

Playa de Poniente, Charca de Suárez and Huétor Fields in Granada Province, Spain.

A morning's birding with good friend Juan Perez on the Granada Coast.

Ebird List for the Coast.

Ebird List for Charca de Suarez.

 

Playa de Poniente, just after sunrise.

I left home early and was down on the coast to do a sea watch with Juan by 08:30, on the way I saw good numbers of Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) which were coming out of a roost somewhere nearby, I also picked up Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

One of the many  Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) feeding off shore.

Once I reached the coast I met Juan and the lovely Chika (Juan and Beatriz's Dog), we set up our scopes and started to scan the sea in front of us where we picked up good numbers of Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus), Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull, Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

Looking back up to the Sierra Nevada from the Beach.

Chika sticking her tongue out at me.

At 09:30 we made a move to Charca, first we checked the small pool near the entrance, finding Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada) and a flyover group of Eurasian Siskin (Jilguero Lúgano / Carduelis spinus).

Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera) and a Hybrid Coot. 

As we moved on around to the southern hide overlooking Laguna del Taraje we picked up more Northern Shoveler, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Eurasian Teal, Eurasian (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) and a Hybrid, Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail, Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and the first of several Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) with around 25 in total around the reserve.

Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata) into the sun.

Around at the other end of the Laguna del Taraje we saw no new species of birds, but we did find Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and had a large Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) run across the track in front of us.

Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) fruit.

Western Swamp-hen (Calamón Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).

We walked across to the nearby hide which overlooks Laguna Alamo Blanco seeing a large fruiting Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo), from the hide we saw a single immature Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and a few species we had already recorded then just outside in the Tamarisks we heard a slightly weird call from the first of at least 3 wintering Eurasian Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla) and a heard only Eurasian Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus).

On our way around to the main hide, we saw and heard Monk Parakeet, Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

From the main hide overlooking Laguna de la Aneas we picked up Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Yellow-legged Gull, Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), 2 more immature Greater Flamingo's, a single Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) and a single Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris). 

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

On the way around to Laguna del Trébol we had a very nice Monarch (Danaus plexippus) x1 which landed on a Purple Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea) flower and from in the hide we added the first of 4 Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) 2♂ and 2 ♀, Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Snipe, and a ♀  Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica). 

Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) and a Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

We left the hide when quite a group of people arrived and walked around to the hide which looks over the other end of the same pool adding 2 pale morph Booted Eagles (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Stripe-less Tree Frog (Hyla meridionalis) heard, Small White (Pieris rapae) x5 and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x3. 

Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca).

Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca).

Further around the reserve, we checked Laguna del Lirio where I saw my first Common Starling of the day and European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera).

Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera).

We made our way back around towards Alamo Blanco hearing Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) on the way, where we met Beatriz and had a chat but also again heard the Eurasian Wryneck and Eurasian Penduline Tit but added a small flock of Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava) which flew over.

Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Hybrid Coot.

Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata).

I said goodbye to Beatriz and Juan after a really nice morning and made my way back towards home, as I was driving I picked up 5x Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica). 

European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

Once I reach Huétor I decided to go and have a look to see if the late European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) was still around, when I arrived there weren't any Doves around at all but after around 10 minutes several Eurasian Collared Dove started to turn up and a few minutes later the European Turtle came in and landed on the fence, then went down onto the ground and started to feed. 

European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).

European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

Other species included Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Rio Genil West of the Bridge and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk along the Rio Genil and the up to the fields to the north of the town.

Ebird List for the Rio Genil.

Ebird List for the Fields.

 

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

I started the Morning with a walk along the Rio Genil to the west of the bridge but through the fog I didn't manage to see much, however I did see and hear Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) domestic, Muscovy Duck (Pato criollo / Cairina moschata) domestic, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) domestic and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) by the bridge and as I walked Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Spotless Starling, Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and a quite unexpected Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

The Arroyo Vilano to the east of the road bridge, where it's a little more natural.

Later I drove out onto the fields as the fog had mostly cleared from there, I parked at the Walnut trees but instead of walking the Lucerne fields I went the other way along the Arroyo as far as the Railway Bridge.

Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

On the way I saw Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Woodpigeon, Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Eurasian Hoopoe, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Great Tit, Black Redstart, European Stonechat, Sardinian Warbler and Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Blackbird, loads of Iberian (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and a few Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Spotless Starling, Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Common Chaffinch, Common Linnet, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch and Corn Bunting.

European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

On the way back, I checked the Collared Doves in the Goat Yard and was surprised to see a European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) mixed in with a group of Doves. 

As I got back to the car, I scanned the fields and added the two resident Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

Vega de Granada and Embalse de Cubillas, Granada Province, Spain.

Birding solo to start but later with good friend Juan Perez.

Ebird List for Vega de Granada.

Ebird List for Embalse de Cubillas (woods).

Ebird List for Embalse de Cubillas (woods with Juan).

Ebird List for the Embalse.

 

The tree and Stubble fields.

After getting some information from Juan I headed to a spot in the Vega de Granada looking for Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) as it would put me on 348, just 2 short of my 350 species for the year target.

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

I arrived on site and after putting on a couple more layers as it was piggin freezing I went for a walk along a nearby track and checked out a couple of trees and stubble fields where Juan had sent me a pin for.

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

As I searched I found Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and in the top of the tree at least 2 possibly 4 stunning Brambling, thanks to Juan I am now just 2 short of 350.

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

My next stop was at the wood yard where I picked up a load of logs and then headed for Embalse de Cubillas where I parked on the roadside and scanned the bushes and trees adding Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra). 

After a while I walked along the road and bumped into Juan a bit earlier than I had expected, we did a walk into the Pine Woodlands and followed the Rio Cubillas to a spot where Javier Gómez González had seen up to 3 Goldcrest (Reyezuelo Sencillo / Regulus regulus) a week or so earlier, as we walked out we saw many of the species I had already recorded but added Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Eurasian Siskin (Jilguero Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) and a couple of calling Goldcrest which were difficult to see up in the tops of the pines but we did get good enough views of them through the bin's for an Id. 

We returned to the cars and went just up the road to a spot where we could see the Embalse well and spent a while scanning the water and the margins, along the shore we saw Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) domestic, a very nice female Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Mareca penelope) which is a species I have not seen in the province for a long time, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) and Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba),

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea). 

Further out on the water we saw more Common Pochard, a couple of Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and loads / 100s of Eurasian Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

After we had checked the place out well we headed off to our homes, by the time I got back home it was raining, so I got a tad damp unloading the logs.