Playa de Poniente, Charca de Suarez, Golf Los Moriscos 2, Río Guadalfeo, Otura, Contraembalse de los Bermejales and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A mornings Birding with Juan, Beatriz and Chika and then a few sites on the way Home.

Ebird List for Playa de Poniente.

Ebird List for Charca de Suarez.

Ebird List for Golf Los Moriscos 2.

Ebird List for Río Guadalfeo.

Ebird List for Otura.

Ebird List for Contraembalse de los Bermejales.

Ebird List for Huétor Fields.

 

I started the day by doing a sea watch from a point near Charca, I started at 08:00 and was joined by Juan Perez and Chika on the beach after a few minutes and we spent the next hour and a half seeing a good number of Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), 2x Great Skua (Págalo Grande / Stercorarius skua), Razorbill (Alca Común / Alca torda), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), 

Species seen on land included Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Laguna Alamo Blanca.

Juan took Chika back to Beatriz and I went back to the car and then to Charca where at 10:00 Antonio the Guard let us in and we headed toward the first of the screens, on the way there, in a tree by the entrance we saw the first 2 of 4 Mediterranean Chameleons (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) and from the screen just a few Mallards (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and a Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).

We crossed the new bridge and had a quick look in the southern hide overlooking Laguna del Taraje adding Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) before moving on.

Mallards (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

Our next stop was at the Alamo Blanca hide where we spent quite a while dodging the showers and seeing Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) and a Hybrid, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Western Swamp-hen (Calamón Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis) heard, Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), a Eurasian Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla) which was only heard whilst we were watching the main target species the Moustached Warbler (Carricerin Real / Acrocephalus melanopogon), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis),  Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) Hybrid with Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).

Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) Hybrid with Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).

Here we also saw Yellow flag-iris (Iris pseudacorus), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa), Southern Water Vole (Rata topera / Arvicola sapidus) and heard both Perez's (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and Stripe-less Tree Frog (Hyla meridionalis).

Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

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

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

From the Sugar Cane Hide Juan and I heard and the saw a Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) of the ssp azuricollis, White Wagtail, Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), we also had 8 Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) fly over and land on the main Laguna and on our way around to the main Laguna we had Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus).

Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia).

In the main hide we were joined by Beatriz and we added Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), a female Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), 10x Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Barn Swallow, Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Booted Eagle and Western Marsh Harrier.

Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger).

On the walk around to Laguna del Trébol we saw a party of Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and once we were in the hide we added Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Juan and Beatriz had a Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) but I missed it, Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), a male Eurasian Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).

Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).

Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).

Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).

On our way back to the Entrance we saw a single Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger), another Mediterranean Chameleon and our first Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops) of the day before we reached the Laguna del Lirio where we saw a Common Kingfisher and then back near the exit, where we waited for the guard to let us out Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) were seen.

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

I said goodbye to Juan and Beatriz before heading just along the coast a little way where I checked out the pool on the Golf Course finding Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), my first Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica) of the year, Sand and Eurasian Crag Martin and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).

Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

I returned to the car and started to head home but stopped along the Rio Guadalfeo where I watched an amazing pair of White-throated Dippers (Mirlo Acuático Europeo / Cinclus cinclus) nest building in an amazing location and also had at least another 4 Grey Wagtails before I again continued on towards Granada but turned and made my way to La Malaha stopping on the way to see some newly arrived Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni).

White-throated Dipper (Mirlo Acuático Europeo / Cinclus cinclus).

I continued on to Ventas de Huelma where I had some lunch and then across to Cacín and North up the Cacín Valley stopping at the Contraembalse de los Bermejales where I picked up 4 more Western Marsh Harriers, Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Teal, Little Grebe, Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) x1, Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) x3, Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) heard, Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Mistle (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).

Contraembalse de los Bermejales.

Just before getting home I made a quick visit to the Lucerne Fields to see if the Adult and Immature Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) where still around and as soon as I arrived I found them in their usual fields along with Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Eurasian (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).