La Linea, La Janda in Cadiz Province, Spain.

An afternoon's birding with Friend Ricky.

Ebird List for La Janda.

 

As the car was still with the mechanic overnight I was not able to get off anywhere near as early as I wanted but after a phone call from them just before 10:00 I loaded up and was on my way shortly afterwards.

On the way down to La Linea I picked up Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the poles at the bottom of the road, Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) along the coast near Malaga.

Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

I arrived at Sonia and Ricky's, Ricky and I soon headed out to do some birding and made our way around to the Benalup-Casas Viejas track into La Janda, at the start of the track we saw Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and lots of Squirting Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium).

We made another stop by a bend in the Rio Celemin, here we added Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Western Marsh Harrier, Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Western Swamp-hen (Calamón Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) heard only, Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Our next stop was on the bridge over the Rio Celemin where we scanned the reed beds and the fields finding Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

We moved just up the road to the woods / ringing area where we sat and had some lunch and saw or heard Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

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

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

Next we crossed to the main canal, passing through the wild Olives, then the farm and the Canal Secundario seeeing Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), 2 Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) and European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

When we met the main Canal we turned South and spent a good while checking the rice paddies on the right of the track, we recorded Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), another Black-winged Kite, Western Marsh Harrier, Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Spotted (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus) and Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis),  Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron, Little and Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Once we reached the main E5 we drove down to Tarifa and then back to Sonia and Ricky's where Sonia prepared us a cracking meal of Carrillada de Cerdo (Pig's Cheeks) which went down extremely well.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province.

A pain of a day.

 

I dropped the car down to the Mechanic's in Venta Neuva as the sump plug needed some work but I asked them not to start it unless they could finish as I was due to get off early on Thursday morning to go and see friends Sonia and Ricky for some birding.

I asked how things were going and they sent me a photo and said things had developed and it needs a new sump case and would not be ready until tomorrow at some point, not happy.

During the day at home whilst doing some jobs, I saw Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

 

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

A cracking day birding with Barbara and Derek Etherton.

Ebird List for the Fields.

Ebird List for the Sierra.

 

First frozen windscreen of the winter.

I was up and getting a few jobs done before I headed down to meet up with Barbara and Derek, when I got out to the car I was surprised to find the car was frozen and needed defrosting.

The frozen windscreen from inside.

I met Barbara and Derek and we started the day in the Bar at Combustibles Gómez with some coffee and breakfast, we were soon out birding on a nearby area of fields and enjoying views of some of the wintering Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) x10, an impressive 277+ Eurasian Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and the first Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) of the winter.

Eurasian Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).

Eurasian Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).

In the same area we also saw Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

The Town Fields.

Barbara and Derek enjoying the Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).

After a while we went up to the Lucerne fields, we parked at the usual spot where we added Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) x2, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

We drove slowly around to the Walnut trees where we stopped again and checked the fences and fields there, finding a decent sized flock of feeding Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), more Northern Lapwings, Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

On the way to Huétor we found a Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata) amongst the Asparagus and a nice Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) feeding in a dry channel before heading out to Sierra de Loja for some upland birding.

Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata).

Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata).

Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata).

I left my car at the service area and we drove up into the Pine woodlands where we found Common Woodpigeon, Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), White Wagtail, European Robin and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops).

Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops).

Along the crags and out on the tops we added European Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), a Dartford Warbler which sat up in the top of an almond bush, Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Iberian Magpie, Eurasian Hoopoe, Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Little Owl, Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and a couple of late Northern Wheatears (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) male.

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) male.

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) male.

We continued out towards Charca del Negro and then along the far crags picking up Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), a good number of Black Wheatears (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Meadow Pipit, a group of Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), European Greenfinch and Corn Buntings.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).

Once we were around the crags we dropped down into the Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) trees and soon found a good number of Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus), Common Blackbird, Black Redstarts, Common Chiffchaff, Sardinian Warbler and a couple of fly over Eurasian Siskin (Jilguero Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) which called several times.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).

Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).

Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).

We turned around and started to make our way back down the hill but spent a while parked by the puddle we stopped by on the way up but none of the Ouzels came down for a drink whilst we were there so we continued on, as we drove we saw our only Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) of the day, a single Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), as we dropped down the slopes off the tops we had a male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) down on the rocks below the track and our only butterfly of the day a Small White (Pieris rapae).

Looking out West from the Ouzel site.

Looking South to the Hawthorns.

Looking out west, one of my favourite views.

Further down on the way back to my car we saw lots of Late Crocus (Crocus serotinus) and a smart Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), once we reached the service area I put my stuff into my car and then after saying goodbye to Barbara and Derek I headed off home.

The hat triplets.

 

El Temple and the Cacín Valley, Granada Province, Spain.

A day's birding with Nikki from the Netherlands.

Ebird List for El Temple. 

Ebird List for Cortijo Ochíchar. 

Ebird List for Contraembalse de los Bermejales.

Ebird List for Rio Cacín South of El Turro.

Ebird List for Camino del Turro al Castillo y Chimeneas.

 

I headed up to Granada City where I met up with Nikki, we then we headed out towards the area near La Malaha where we sorted our kit out and started the list with Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Out on to the fields we went onto a track to the South of the road through the site and up to the oil pits, on the way we picked up Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Calandra Lark (Calandria Común / Melanocorypha calandra), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and loads of Corn Buntings (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Continuing on and did a loop back to the road and then crossed to the fields on the Northern side and after parking we picked up a nice male Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), a single Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) which Nikki heard but didn't see it and another calling Iberian Grey Shrike.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

We returned to the road and then took another track to the North finding more Black-bellied Sandgrouse but we only heard them, 7x Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), a very distant Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) which was sat on one of the taller pylons, Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), White Wagtails, Black Redstart, Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), and as we were leaving the area we saw a raptor being mobbed by several Eurasian Magpies which turned out to be a fine female Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus).

Female Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus).

Female Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus).

At the far end of the track we reached Chimeneas and then went to Ventas de Huelma were we had coffee and a tostarda in Restaurante Casa Luciano before continuing on along the road towards Cacín, we made a stop at the Arroyo de los Frailes where we saw Common Buzzard on one of the Pylons, Small White (Pieris rapae) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) before moving on through the Solar Desert to the Cortijo Ochíchar where we spent a while scanning the skies and the ridges.

Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).

Immediately we could see and hear a large mixed group of Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) x60+ and Western Jackdaws, as well as an immature Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti), Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) which passed distantly heading west, a heard only Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Black Redstart, European Stonechat,European Goldfinch and European Serin.

We again continued on and dropped into the Cacín Valley, just above the town of Cacín we saw a couple of late Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) x2 before going back North along the Valley up to the Contraembalse de los Bermejales, after parking we walked down to the shore line and scanned the lake finding Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) heard only, Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chiffchaff and White Wagtail.

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) female.

Just up the road we parked again and walked along the irrigation channel as far as the fence in front of the dam, during the walk we saw and heard Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Squirting Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium), Desert Orange-tip x3, Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x1, Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) x1, Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) x3 and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x1.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Once we returned to the car we checked the bridge and crags finding Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus) and Eurasian Blackcap before having some lunch by the car, as we ate I heard the calls of several Iberian Magpies (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) in the Pines behind us but apart from a few glimpses we didn't manage to get any tickable views so we moved on up the valley to another spot in the Pines.

In the pines we had a couple of Short-toed Treecreepers (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Chaffinch, European Goldfinch, Common Buzzard and another large flock of Iberian Magpies which showed much better.

The Immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).

The Immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).

After getting good views of the Magpies we headed up to El Turro and the up onto the ridge above the town and started to make our way back towards Granada but we soon came across a hunting immature Golden Eagle which showed very well.

We continued on but added nothing new before we reached the City where I dropped Nikki off after a good day's birding.