A morning with the birds and an afternoon looking for Orchids.
Ebird List for Fuente de Piedra.
Ebird List for Laguna Dulce.
Ebird List for Laguna Redonda.
Ebird List for Laguna de Capacete.
Ebird List for Laguna de Toro.
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| The full roadside pool. |
I started the day by driving over to Fuente de Piedra and parked, I started by checking the roadside pool on the left and the swampy area on the right, on the pool I saw
Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and a
Little Grebe (Zampullín Común /
Tachybaptus ruficollis) sat on a nest, Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta),
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus),
Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius),
Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus),
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus),
Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra),
Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) and in the marsh and along the boardwalk I picked up
Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), a singing
Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba),
Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).
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| Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus). |
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| Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus). |
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| Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus). |
From the Mirador overlooking the main Laguna I added
Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna),
Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus),
Ruff (Combatiente / Calidris pugnax),
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus),
Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax),
Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula),
Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and
Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major). |
| Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus). |
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| Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus). |
Around at the back hides I added
Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris), Common (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) and
Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina),
Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera),
White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala),
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia),
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo),
Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada),
Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti),
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and
Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum),
Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula),
Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis),
European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris),
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus),
Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra),
Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and Macroglossum stellatarum (Hummingbird Hawkmoth).
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| Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina). |
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| Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica). |
On my way back to the car I popped to the view point near the center where I had both of the year ticks for the day, Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica) and 4x Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus). |
| Lesser Flamingo's (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor). |
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| Lesser Flamingo's (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor). |
I finished at the main reserve and went into Fuente for some breakfast and then went to the back track and scanned the Laguna from the gap in the Tamarisks and saw two of the reported Lesser Flamingo (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor) and a couple of
Crested Larks (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata).
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| Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra). |
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| Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina). |
On my way around to Laguna Dulce I picked up a nice pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica)
Hollow Stemmed Asphodel (Asphodelus fistulosus) and
Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas). |
| Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina). |
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| Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina). |
From the hide at Laguna Dulce I picked up Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus),
Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus),
Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) and many of the species already seen.
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| Male Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca). |
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| Male Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra). |
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| Male Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) and Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina). |
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| male Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) and Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina). |
I moved on and went into Campillos and straight back out to check Laguna Redonda, Laguna de Capacete and Laguna de Toro all of which are along this road, I started at Laguna Redonda seeing a nice male Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca),
White-headed Duck,
Common and
Red-crested Pochard,
Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Calandra Lark (Calandria Común / Melanocorypha calandra) and
Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).  |
| Ring-necked Ducks (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris). |
Just down the road I did a quick check of Laguna de Capacete from the high rock which over looks it, the first birds I saw were a pair of Ring-necked Ducks (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris),
Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris),
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica),
Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae),
Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys
lupercalis),
Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum), Wild Grape Hyacinth (
Muscari neglectum),  |
| Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus), Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta) and Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus). |
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| Spotted Redshanks (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus). |
I continued on and after passing through a flooded part of the road I pulled over when a tractor that was in front of me flushed up some waders which looked interesting and turned out to be a passage group of 6x Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus).
My next stop was at the Observatorio de buitres en Peñarrubia but only managed to find European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Bath White (Pontia daplidice) and Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis) and Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).
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| Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica). |
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| Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica). |
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| Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica). |
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| Ophrys dyris. |
At this point the day changed to Orchids and I headed to Refugio De Juanar and did a bit of a walk and eventually found my target, a cracking spike of Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica) as well as Ophrys dyris,
Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys
lupercalis),
Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes),
European Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus) and
Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla).
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| Ophrys alpujata x Ophrys lupercalis. |
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| Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea). |
Heading back the way I had come seeing Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) on the way, I visited my last planned site of the day, well three sites very close to each other, at the first I found the spike of Ophrys alpujata x Ophrys lupercalis but it was looking a little worn.
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| Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax). |
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| Ophrys x Fernandii (Ophrys Speculun x Ophrys Bombiliflora). |
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| Ophrys x Fernandii (Ophrys Speculun x Ophrys Bombiliflora). |
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| Ophrys x Fernandii (Ophrys Speculun x Ophrys Bombiliflora). |
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| Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora). |
The last stop here was to look for the uncommon hybrid Ophrys x
Fernandii which has the parents Ophrys Speculun x
Ophrys Bombiliflora and in the same area I found Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora) and
Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).
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| Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla). |
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| Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla). |
I started to head home but thought I would come off to have a look at the plants of Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla)
I had seen a while ago and check if there were any of the Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica)
in flower and I was pleased to see around 40 spikes before heading home again.  |
| Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica). |
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| Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica). |
