Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Around the Garden.

Ebird List for the Garden.

 

I started the day listening to the Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) which had turned up yesterday and lots of Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki).

Male Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

In the afternoon I checked out the pond finding a nice male Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma), a couple of Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) and a Darter species which shot off before I could get an ID.

Later in the afternoon Mom, John and I chilled up on the terrace where I recorded species included a female Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), an immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) and a couple of Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) along with Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) and Small White (Pieris rapae).

Maracena, Granada and near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A new bird for Granada Province and one for the Garden List.

 

Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita).

Before I went for an appointment in the city I went for a look at the Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita) from the reintroduction project in Austrian which had been around for a while.

Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita).

Whilst I was there I also saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops).

After the appointment I headed home calling in at Viveros Cambil where I got some plants for the pots back home. 

Whilst putting some new plants into pots I heard and then saw a Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) which was a new species for the garden.

Later in the day I drove down to Malaga Airport to pick Mom and John up who were coming over for a couple of weeks, on the way down I saw Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the fields and a Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) which flew over the Motorway near the Salar exit.

Fuente de Piedra, Malaga Province, Spain.

A good mornings birding with good friends Barbara, Derek and Andy.

Ebird List for Fuente de Piedra village.

Ebird List for Fuente de Piedra Reserve. 

 

A few of the Western House Martins (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum).

I was up and out earlish and reached the bar at Mollina where we had planned to meet to find it closed, so after messaging Barbara and Derek I headed to Fuente de Piedra village and found a bar that was open so we could have some breakfast and coffee before heading down to the reserve.

Western House Martins (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum).

As we were about to leave for the reserve we notice a large flock of Western House Martins (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum) with many of them being immature birds.

Western House Martins (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum).

We dropped down to the reserve and parked before walking around the low track to the Mirador, on the walk we saw and heard Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Western Orphean (Curruca Mirlona Occidental / Curruca hortensis) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops) and Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula).

The dry laguna from Mirador del Cerro del Palo.

Once we were up at the Mirador del Cerro del Palo we were soon joined by another good friend Andy Patterson and Sally, we all enjoyed views of an Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) which was sat on a post out on the main lake, 4x Black Storks (Cigüena Negra / Ciconia nigra) on the far shore and on the only wet area left we saw Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

In the bushes and in the air we added European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster) and Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus).

Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis).

After a while we walked around to the Observatorio El Laguneto overlooking the Lagunette Laguneto del Pueblo where we boosted the day list with Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris),  White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Western House and Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis). 

Derek, Barbara, Andy and the only one that doesn't creek when going for a walk Sally.

Later we spent some time watching the almost dry pool below the Observatorio de las Palomas finding Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), lots of Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x2 and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x5.

We returned to the cars checking the Mirador again on the way where we picked up Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and we finished the mornings list off with European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) and Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada) in the car park, Andy and I headed off home whilst Barbara and Derek continued birding. 

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Another unexpected bonus on the patch.

Ebird List for the Fields.

 

The start of more destruction.

I parked at my usual spot and walked the track along the fields to the point where the works in the Arroyo had started, on the way out I picked up Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Crested (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and Greater Short-toed Larks (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Willow (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Western Yellow Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava) of various forms, European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

I reached the Walnut trees but there was a large excavator working there, looks like there's going to be a major reshaping of the arroyo which I am sure won't do the local wildlife any good at all, the patch is getting a bit of a bashing at the moment as all the fields where the Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) bred have been cleared and covered with Olives, as if we needed more and I suspect the Lucerne may well disappear before too long.

I turned around and started to make my way back to the car and almost straight away I saw a medium sized Falcon drop onto the back Lucerne fields and when I got the bins on it I quickly realised that it was an adult dark morph Eleonora's Falcon (Halcón de Eleonora / Falco eleonorae) but as quickly as I got the ID sorted it was off and powering away to the west and was quickly out of sight.

Immature Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).

I continued on seeing an immature Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops) and a calling Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) in the Tamarisks near the car.

Immature Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).

I returned to the house and then later went for a walk along the Rio Genil to the SW of the town to check the area where I had seen a male Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor), I didn't see or hear the Woodpecker but I did see several new species for the day including Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus).

I returned to the house and then headed out for an evening of music with a friend from Loja, after having a few drinks we crashed at a friends house. 

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Another look at the Flooded Lucerne Fields.

Ebird List for the Fields. 

 

The flooded Lucerne Fields.

I got a few jobs done around the house and then popped down to the fields again to check the Lucerne fields which have been flooded over the last few days but I only saw the species I had been seeing over the last few days which included Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), lots of Western Yellow Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava) of different races and many Corn Buntings (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava).

Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava).

Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava).

Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava).

Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava).

Other species seen included Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x2, Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) x4 and Small White (Pieris rapae) x4. 

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).