Illora area, El Temple, the Cacín Valley, Balsa de Regidor in Granada Province, Spain.

Going to the wrong place in the mountains and then out on the plains and up the Valley.

Ebird List for El Temple.

Ebird List for Contraembalse de Bermejalis.

Ebird List for Balsa de Regidor.

 

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

I went to meet Lynn and Steve down in town and whilst I waited as I was a tad early I saw Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta).

Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta).

Lynn and Steve arrives and as the weather was not great we changed the plan slightly and headed for a spot in the hills near Illora where we were looking for Orchids, as we searched for the rare Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea) we found Giant (Himanthoglosum Robertiana) x1 finished, Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina) x25+ finished, Mirror (Ophrys speculum) x30+, Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera) x5, Small Woodcock (Ophrys picta) x8 and Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea) x80+ but no sign of the Lady's.

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

In the same area we also saw Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata), Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus), Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) and Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus).

Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).

As we hadn't found the target we decided to head for the El Temple area but we went a different route, we continued on up the hill and after a short way I saw a place that looked a bit familiar and I soon realised that we had been searching for the Lady Orchid a bend too early so I parked again and explained my mistake to Lynn and Steve.

Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea).

Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea).

Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea).

Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea).

After the expected bit of constructive stick we set off and within 5 minutes we found half a dozen spikes of the Lady Orchids which were in perfect condition, after getting some nice photo's we dropped back down to the motorway and went just a short distance towards Granada and then out onto the tracks on El Temple.

Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

On the Northern side of the area we had Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Nightingale, European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Crested (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and Calandra Lark (Calandria Común / Melanocorypha calandra).

We dropped down to the road getting some nice views of a couple of Great Spotted Cuckoo's (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) and then crossed on to the Southern side of the area, as we drove along the road we had a female Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) and a  male Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which cross the road and as we got level with it Steve managed to get a shot before it disappeared into crop.

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus).

Roemeria hybrida.

Roemeria sicula.

On the tracks over to Ventas de Huelma we added Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Blue Hound's Tongue (Cynoglossum creticum), Roemeria hybrida, Roemeria sicula, Red-horned Poppy (Glaucium corniculatum), Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), Corn Gromwell (Buglossoides arvensis), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum), and Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus) before calling in at Bernardo Restaurante for some lunch. 

Female Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathinerum).

We drove straight through the Solar Desert and down into the Cacín Valley then on up to the Contraembalse where we scanned the water, margins and the skies seeing Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Western Marsh Harrier, Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus), European Bee-eater, Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Barn Swallow, Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Crown Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa), Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x3, Large White (Pieris brassicae) x1 and a female Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathinerum) x1.

Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo).

Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo).

Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo).

We parked by the bridge over the Cacín and checked the crags nearby where Steve picked up the Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) which I had seen a few days earlier with Barbara and Derek Etherton, it was in a slightly different place and more out in the open. From the bridge and along the track we added Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Serin, European Goldfinch and a female European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

We then popped down to the Dam and checked the area there finding lots more Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea) and Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum), Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Long-tailed (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Great, Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Nightingale and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Male Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula).

Male Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula).

Our last stop of the day was up at Balsa de Regidor where we looked for the male Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) which had been around for a few days and we soon found it down at the far end of the Laguna but whilst we were there he came down with a group of Common Pochards (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina).

Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna).

We also had a single Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Mallard, Eurasian Coot, Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Cetti's and Sardinian Warbler, Common Blackbird, Common Nightingale, Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

We returned to the car and headed back to Huétor and then Lynn and Steve headed back to there camp site and I went home.

Fuente de Piedra, Laguna Dulce, Laguna Redonda, Laguna Capacete, Laguna de Toro in Malaga Province, Spain.

A second day out with Lynn and Steve but out west this time.

Ebird List for Fuente de Piedra,

Ebird List for Laguna Dulce.

Ebird List for Laguna Redonda.

Ebird List for Laguna Capacete.

 

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

I started the day by heading over to Lynn and Steve's site where they were staying and while I was stood there I heard and saw European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

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

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

We loaded up the kit and headed off to Fuente de Piedra where we parked and walked back along the road in to check the pool and marshy area, on the pool we found Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris), Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum).

At the far end of the pool we took the track to the left and around to the Boardwalk seeing at least 9 Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Anarhynchus alexandrinus), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Blue Hound's Tongue (Cynoglossum creticum), Crown Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum), Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris), Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Common Vetch (Vicia sativa) and Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

From the Boardwalk we had a single male Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) heard, Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

I walked back to the car and got the scope whilst Lynn and Steve went along the track following the Tamarisks where I rejoined them and we walked out to a spot where you can see through the Trees to the main Lagoon, on the walk around to the gap we saw Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua),  Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and from the gap we saw 1000s of Greater Flamingo's, Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus) and 3 flyover Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

We walked up to the Mirador del Cerro del Palo where we spent a while checking the lagoon and the margin's with the scope finding Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea) a year tick, Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Black Tern (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris).

Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris).

Next we went around to the hides looking over the fresh water pools, at the first screen overlooking the smaller of the pools we found another male and a singing Western Olivaceous Warbler (Zarcero bereber / Iduna opaca) which showed quite well from the Tamarisks on the far side of the pool.

From Observatorio El Laguneto we picked up 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), some flyover European Bee-eaters (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) and from the Observatorio de las Palomas we added Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and lots of Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).

After the numbers of people started to get a bit high we started to walk back to the Mirador, on the way we bumped into friend Andy Patterson and a couple of birders who were with him and had a chat before having a look for some Spotted Redshanks (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus) they had seen on their way in and after a minute or two I found one that was starting to get into summer plumage.

Lynn and Steve dropped back down to the track back around to the Boardwalk and I went back to the now over flowing car park to drop off the scope and then I rejoined them just as a Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus) flew over, on the loop back around to the main pool and then to the car we saw Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

The main breeding areas from Mirador de Cantarranas.

We left a very busy car park and headed around to Mirador de Cantarranas where it was quiet and we had nice views out over the main Lagoon out to the breeding colonies but within a couple of minutes the place was heaving so we pushed on around to Laguna Dulce seeing Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and at the hide at Laguna Dulce we found Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus) x2, Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x20+, Vagrant (Anax ephippiger) x1 and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x3.

Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger).

Whilst we were there we met Yeray Seminario of Birding the Strait who we chatted with and he kindly helped me with some info for an upcoming trip to the Canary Islands.

Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).

Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope).

Vagrant Emperors (Anax ephippiger).

Common Winter Damselfly (Sympecma fusca).

Our next stop was for some lunch in Campillos which was followed by an interesting visit to Laguna Redonda where there we a good number of Dragonflies on the wing as it had now warmed up nicely, species included Common Winter Damselfly (Sympecma fusca) x1, Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) x3, Lesser Emperor x2, more Vagrant Emperors x6+, lots Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii) 50+, Small and Large White (Pieris brassicae). 

Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii).

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).

On the main Laguna and on some flooded fields near by we saw Common Shelduck, Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Black-winged Stilt, Kentish and Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Whiskered Tern x5, Gull-billed Tern, Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) and Calandra Lark (Calandria Común / Melanocorypha calandra).

Black-crowned Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

Black-crowned Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

Just along the road we check the fairly quiet Laguna de Capacete but we still had a couple of Black-crowned Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) which were new for the year for me as well as a calling Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix) by the car.

Just down the road at Laguna de Toro there was a very smart Spotted Redshank and a single Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus).

Spotted Redshank (Archibebe Oscuro / Tringa erythropus).

From here we headed back to Lynn and Steve's van and then I headed off home where after dark I couple hear at least 2 Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) before I hit the pit well knackered but happy after a good days birding.