Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Rest day, only day where we did no birding at all in sixty odd days.
Deb and Ian, Day Thirty Seven.

Today was pretty much a rest day but we still got a few jobs sorted.
Deb and Ian made short work of a large dead Shrub I had been wanting to take out for a while and I got to work on repairing the irrigation system for the front yard.

Huétor Fields, Balsa de Regidor and Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning on the Patch with a surprise find.

Deb and I an, Day Thirty Six.

Ebird List for the Fields.

Ebird List for Sierra Nevada. 

 

We started the day with Breakfast up on the Terrace and then we popped down onto the fields for a walk, we parked and went a short way up stream along the mostly dry Arroyo but eventually the dry thistles made the track difficult so we turned around and headed back to the car.

Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Along the Arroyo we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), 3x Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

We continued on past the car and walked the track between the Lucerne fields and the Arroyo, on the way we saw the calling male Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) x2, Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Small White (Pieris rapae), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Our next stop was for Coffee in Bar El Cruse near Moraleada and we then continued on to Balsa de Regidor where we scanned the pool seeing Mallard, Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus) and Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops).

Small Red-eye (Erythromma viridulum).

Around the margin's we saw several Dragonfly species including Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii), Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathinerum), Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Dark Spreadwings (Lestes macrostigma).

Dark Spreadwings (Lestes macrostigma).

Dark Spreadwings (Lestes macrostigma).

Dark Spreadwings (Lestes macrostigma).

We got through the scrub to the concrete pier where we added Small Red-eye (Erythromma viridulum) and then found a bit of a surprising species, we saw a good number of Dark Spreadwings (Lestes macrostigma) with around 30 being seen.

We also had Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).

We popped back to the house and then went down town to do some shopping and chores, later we went back to the house and chilled. 

Later in the day we headed off to Granada where we were hoping to visit a site near the Alhambra for European Nightjar (Chotacabras Europeo / Caprimulgus europaeus) but when we neared the site we found the road was blocked so we headed for another area higher up in the Sierra Nevada.

Clouds forming above Valeta.

Once parked we waited and listened seeing and hearing Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus), Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and then as dusk arrived we heard at least 3 Eurasian Scops Owls (Autillo Europeo / Otus scops) but we didn't manage to see any but the European Nightjars which were also calling all around us did show on at least four occasions before we headed back to the house.

Near Trebujena, Marisma de Adventus and Presa de Bornos in Cadiz Province, Spain.

Targeting a few year ticks.

Deb and Ian, Day Thirty Six.

Ebird List for Near Trebujena. 

Ebird List for Marisma de Adventus 1.  

Ebird List for Marisma de Adventus 2.  

Ebird List for Presa de Bornos. 

 

Rufous-tailed Sceub Robin (Alzacola Rojizo / Cercotrichas galactotes).

We were out early and headed to a spot near Trebujena where we were hoping to catch up with the Rufous-tailed Sceub Robin (Alzacola Rojizo / Cercotrichas galactotes) which is becoming a more difficult to see species each year.

However today we were in luck as we had seen two birds before we had even stopped the car, as we turned into the spot where I usually park two birds popped up onto some dry thistle spikes right next to the track.

Collared Pratincoles (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola).

We had a few places to go today so as we had seen the birds within seconds we decided to head for our second spot which was down nearer to the Rio Guadalquivir, on the fields as we approached the area we saw several Collared Pratincoles (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola) in amongst some young Sunflower plants.

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata).

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata).

We turned of the road onto one of the tracks and parked a few hundred meters along it and before we had even got out of the car I could hear our second target of the day and within a few seconds we were watching the first of at least 17 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata) seen whilst we were there.

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

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

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Other species seen included Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Little (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Crested (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).

Dark Spreadwing (Lestes macrostigma).

Dark Spreadwing (Lestes macrostigma).

Whilst we were watching the Sandgrouse I picked up a few Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and several Dark Spreadwings (Lestes macrostigma) which was a nice surprise.

Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica).

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).

One of the ceramic plaques.

After a while we drove down to the far end of the track where there is one of the ceramic plaques which showed the Sandgrouse, as we did this we saw Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), a Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) and more Dark Spreadwings.

Dark Spreadwings (Lestes macrostigma).

Dark Spreadwings (Lestes macrostigma).

Just down the road we parked near the Pools just before the Rio Guadalquivir, the most amazing thing about this spot were the Swarms of Dark Spreadwings, there were 100s / if not 1000s along with some Red-veined Darters, Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii), Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) and Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum).

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon). 

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Small White (Pieris rapae).

Butterflies seen included Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Swallowtail (Papilio machaon). 

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

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

Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).

Bird wise we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris) x3, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse x2, Eurasian Stone Curlew x1, Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sternula albifrons), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Glossy Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill and European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

The Rio Guadalquivir.

I returned to the car and picked Deb and Ian up a little way along the road out to Esteros del Guadalquivir, as we drove we saw Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Anarhynchus alexandrinus), Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), Eurasian Spoonbill, Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Anarhynchus alexandrinus).

Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus).

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

We reached a point along the road where there were strimming gangs working so we turned around and started to make our way back towards the house taking the road passed Arco's de la Frontera and then down to the Presa de Bornos.

Presa de Bornos.

Looking down stream.

At this spot we parked and found a very nice shaded spot under some conifer trees and got the chairs out and watched what went passed.

Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Species included Glossy Ibis, Black-crowned Night, Purple and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little, Western Cattle and Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel, European Bee-eater, Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Barn and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and eventually we had a 20 second or so view of 2 White-rumped Swifts (Vencejo Cafre / Apus caffer) which came through with 3 Pallids (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus).

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica).

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica).

White-rumped Swifts (Vencejo Cafre / Apus caffer) very distant through a strong heat haze.

We packed away the chairs and headed back to the house and chilled for the evening up on the terrace. 

Osuna and Brazo del Este in Sevilla Province,

Heading out West for a couple of days.

Deb and Ian, Day Thirty Four.

Ebird List for Osuna.

Ebird List for Brazo del Este. 

 

We headed out west along the A92 towards Sevilla and came off for some breakfast at Restaurante El Algarrobo and also picked up several Alpine Swifts (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) on the cliffs on the other side of the motorway.

Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax).

We continued on to KM80 and took to the minor roads from there and we were soon up on the first of the Railway bridges that give views of the surrounding fields but it was fairly quiet and we only saw Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Calandra Lark (Calandria Común / Melanocorypha calandra) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Great Bustard (Avutarda Euroasiática / Otis tarda).

We dropped down off the bridge and drove the track out towards the Arroyo del Peinado, on the way we had a big bird flying towards us which turned out to be our only Great Bustard (Avutarda Euroasiática / Otis tarda) of the day. 

European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur).

Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

We also saw Western Orphean Warbler (Curruca Mirlona Occidental / Curruca hortensis) which was singing from some Olives, Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Nepeta tuberosa (Spanish Cat Mint).

Nepeta tuberosa (Spanish Cat Mint).

Dasyscolia ciliata, I think.

Out along the Arroyo we found good clumps of Nepeta tuberosa (Spanish Cat Mint), Artichoke Thistle (Cynara cardunculus) and saw Dasyscolia ciliata, several White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) which landed in the crops and disappeared completely, a smart Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

We turned around and made our way back but took the right turn up to the second bridge where we again parked and scanned the fields but again it was quiet and we soon moved on and turned left to go and check the farm buildings along the track.

Melanistic Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Melanistic Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

On the first ruin we found a strange melanistic Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and just a little further on we had a couple of European Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus), several Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui),and a Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops).

European Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus).

European Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus).

European Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus).

Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni).

We returned to the road and continued along it for a short way before turning right and then up over the third bridge and out to a nearby ruin where we saw a few more European Roller,  15+ more Lesser Kestrels, Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops) and out in the Olives near by Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei) heard.

Spanish Oyster Thistle (Scolymos hispanicus).

Fennelflower (Nigella papillosa).

Fennelflower (Nigella papillosa).

Wild Carrot (Daucus carota).

It was now getting hot so we decided to stat to make our way out to Braza del Este but on the way we made a roadside stop to photograph Fennelflower (Nigella papillosa), Spanish Oyster Thistle (Scolymos hispanicus) and Wild Carrot (Daucus carota).

The Falcon.

We reached Los Palacios y Villafranca and headed out towards the main birding area, as we drove we saw a falcon sat on one of the Pylons and straight away it looked odd so we turned around and came back to get some photo's, as we watched it, it just didn't have the jizz of a Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) but after asking a few good birders I have had mixed responses so at the moment it remain unidentified.

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

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

As we continued on out along the SE-9020 and on the channel which runs all the way along this road we had several Black-crowned Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea) and a calling Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus).

We turned right at the end of the road and drove the track from there but we saw very little along here which is usually the best area as it was pretty much dry and birdless, on the one small area of water we did find a Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), 3x Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and over head a couple of Black Kites.

Western Olivaceous Warbler (Zarcero bereber / Iduna opaca).

Western Olivaceous Warbler (Zarcero bereber / Iduna opaca).

Black-headed Weaver (Tejedor Cabecinegro / Ploceus melanocephalus).

Black-headed Weaver (Tejedor Cabecinegro / Ploceus melanocephalus) and nest.

We reached the sluices at the far end of this area where there was lots of water and took a track along a water filled channel where we saw Western Olivaceous Warbler (Zarcero bereber / Iduna opaca), Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Black-headed Weaver (Tejedor Cabecinegro / Ploceus melanocephalus), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) and masses of Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) female.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) male.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) bush.

We took a different track out which took us along another channel where we saw some male Black-headed Weaver, Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Lesser (Anax parthenope) and Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator).

Black-headed Weaver (Tejedor Cabecinegro / Ploceus melanocephalus) a male.

We drove over to Lebrija where we were staying, during the evening we went to Restaurante Miano where we had a very pleasant evening with some good food and a few beers.