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Saturday, 1 March 2025

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning in the Garden and then a lunch time walk on the fields.
Ebird List.
 
Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus) adult on the right.
I spent all morning in the garden, there is plenty to do as I have neglected it since last November but just after 13:00 I went for a short walk along the Lucerne fields where I saw the 2 Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus) which have been on site for most days during the winter, Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava) and Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).
Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) immature.
Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) Adult.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 28th Feb 25.
15W Actinic on the terrace, +8.5
11 Moth of  8 Species.
Any corrections PLEASE send me a comment on the post, thanks.
 
10037 Orthosia incerta (Clouded Drab).
6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) x1, 7926 Semiaspilates ochrearia (Yellow Belle) x1, 9433 Paradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow) x1, 10028 Mythimna sicula x1, 10037 Orthosia incerta (Clouded Drab) x1, 10226 Cerastis faceta x1, 10343 Agrotis puta (Shuttle Shaped Dart) x4 and 10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth) x1.
6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer).
9433 Paradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow).
10226 Cerastis faceta.
10029 Mythimna sicula.




10343 Agrotis puta (Shuttle Shaped Dart).

10343 Agrotis puta (Shuttle Shaped Dart).

 

Friday, 28 February 2025

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk around the Lucerne Fields.
Ebird List for the Fields. 

Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
I started the day by doing the House Work and spending a couple more hours in the gardening fighting the roses, mostly taking out a lot of dead growth after last summers water problem, at the end of it I think that the roses probably came out on top as my hands were shredded.
Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros).
Later as the rain had not yet arrived I went for a walk around the Lucerne Fields but started by walking up stream to the pool in the Arroyo on the way up and back to the car I saw Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x5M, Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) x1, Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris).
Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).
Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).
I got back to the car and then continued on around the Lucerne fields finding the 2 Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus) which were still feeding amongst the weeds on the once ploughed part of the fields, male and female Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) with the male displaying, Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Green-Striped (Euchloe belemia) x6, Large (Pieris brassicae) x2 and Small White (Pieris rapae) x25+.
Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia).
Small White (Pieris rapae).
I made my way back up to the house and not long after I arrived there the rain arrived but soon fizzled out to nothing much.
The approaching rain.

Thursday, 27 February 2025

Rio Genil West and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk along the Genil and then around the Lucerne Fields.
Ebird List for the Genil.
Ebird List for the Fields.
 
Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).
I started the day with a walk along the western stretch of the Rio Genil from the bridge in Huétor, as I walked I picked up a good number of domestic type Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser) and both domestic and wild types of Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).
Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) immature.
Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) adult.
Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) adult.
Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) adult.
Later I decided to go and have another walk, so I headed for the fields where I parked and walked the Lucerne field adding Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), the two wintering Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).
I also saw 
Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x4M, Small (Pieris rapae), Green-Striped (Euchloe belemia) x5 and Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri) x2, Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) x1F, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x1 and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x2, Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis) and Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum).
Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia).

Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).
Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) female.

Wednesday, 26 February 2025

Fuente de Piedra in Malaga Province and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning at the Laguna's and then back on the Patch.
Ebird List for Fuente.
 
A foggy start by the roadside Pool.
I started the morning with a visit to  Fuente de Piedra after getting info from Barbara and Derek Etherton about a Lesser Flamingo (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor) they had seen yesterday.
Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) in the Fog.
On the way over I went through areas of thick Fog and once I reached Fuente I decide to go for some breakfast before visiting the Laguna as the fog was quite thick. 
Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) in the Fog.
Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) in the Fog.
Once I arrived I parked and walked back to check the roadside pools out but the lingering fog made finding much quite difficult to start with but I did see Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).
Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).
On the opposite side of the road I checked the swampy looking area seeing several Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), singles of both Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), as well as Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and a couple of calling Water Rails (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus).
Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris).
I walked around to the boardwalk and out to the field at the far end, on the way I added Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris).
The pool from the Boardwalk.
Looking back along the Foggy Boardwalk.
Once I was back at the start of the Boardwalk I went back to the car and got the scope before taking the low track around to the seeing European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) and on the pool just before I went up to the Mirador Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula).
Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis).
Up at the Mirador I picked up several
Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) x4, Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), lots more Greater Flamingo's and the target Lesser Flamingo which was surprisingly easy to loose amongst the other birds, Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), more Northern Lapwing, a smaller number of European Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), several Little Stints (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) and a few Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).
Next I made my way around to the Hides where the fog was still lingering, however I still picked out
White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) and from the smaller pool Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera).
Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus).
As I walked back to the Mirador I had Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and back at the Mirador I picked up Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and two female type Western Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).
White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger).
I had a walk around to the front of the visitors center and checked the western end of the freshwater lagoon before dropping back down to the Roadside pool and swampy bit where I had Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) x2, Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia) x1 and European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) before heading to the car and around the the bar at the camping place for a coffee.
After having the stop I went just up the road and took the track to a spot where you can view the Flamingo's a little closer and found the Lesser again but the heat haze was horrendous which meant the photo's were dreadful but the bird is just about identifiable.
Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) and Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna).
Greater (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and Lesser Flamingo (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor).
Greater (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and Lesser Flamingo (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor).
Greater (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and Lesser Flamingo (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor).
After showing some Spanish birders the Lesser I went back to the car and headed back to Huétor where i did a bit of food shopping before having a walk around the Lucerne Fields where I picked up Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Northern Lapwing x2, Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) and Small White (Pieris rapae).
Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 25th Feb 25.
15W Actinic on the terrace, +5.5
4 Moth of 3 Species.
Any corrections PLEASE send me a comment on the post, thanks.
 
10343 Agrotis puta (Shuttle Shaped Dart).
10342 Agrotis catalaunalis (Grouville Dart) x1, 10343 Agrotis puta (Shuttle Shaped Dart) x1 and 10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth) x2.
10342 Agrotis catalaunalis (Grouville Dart).
10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth).

10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth).