Malaga in Malaga Province and Near Huéotr Tajar Granada Province, Spain.

A trip to the Garden Center and then back on the Terrace at home.

Ebird List for the Terrace.

 

We started the day with a drive down to Malaga where we visited one of the Garden Centers, during the drive there and back I saw 2x White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) sitting on the motorway lighting poles, Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas),  Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica).

Later up on the terrace we had the same immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) which had been knocking around for a few days as well as Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x2, Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) x2, Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) x1, Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) x1, Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) x1 and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina).

Near Huétor Tajar and Charca Suarez, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning Huétor, in the garden later and an evening in Charca looking at Moths. 

 

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) ♂.

We spent the morning down town doing a bit of shopping and then we went to Bar Florida for coffee and then back to the house where I spent a while checking the pool out seeing ♂ and ♀ Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) and a ♂ Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum).

♂ and ♀ Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

♂ and ♀ Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

♀ Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

Later I drove down to Charca Suarez to meet Miguel Olvera for a celebration of the Moth Recording on the reserve over the last 10 years, I spent a nice couple of hours there and met a few nice contacts before heading back home.

Checking one of the lights.

9462 Spodoptera littoralis (Mediterranean Brocade).

Huétor Fields and Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A couple of stops down the fields and then the rest of the birding from the terrace.

Ebird List for the Fields 1. 

Ebird List for the Fields 2.

Ebird List for the Terrace.

 

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

I started the morning with breakfast in Combustibles Gómez and then checked the fields just over the road where I found 7 of the wintering Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) along with Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) and Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra).

Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis).

Tree Pipits (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis).

I then went up to the Lucerne fields where I parked at the usual spot and then walked up to the Walnut trees where the clearing of the Arroyo was being cleared out and then walked back to the car, during this time I saw Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus canariensis), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Short-toed Snake Eagles (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).

Short-toed Snake Eagles (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).

Later we spent a few hours up on the terrace seeing a couple of migrating Short-toed Snake Eagles (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and 3x Booted Eagles (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula),Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), a female Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala).

Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) ♂.

Other species also seen included Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) x2, Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) x1♂, Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x1♂ and 1♀, Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) x1♂, Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) x1♂ and 1♀, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x2, Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) x3, Small White (Pieris rapae) x1, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x2 and Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica).

Puerto Deportivo de La Duquesa, Manilva, Málaga Province, Spain.

A day down on the Malaga Coast seeing John's Brother.

 

We were off to the SW heading to Puerto Deportivo de La Duquesa where we were making our now annual visit to an Irish Bar in the Port to Meet Bob (John's Brother) and his wife Val.

We spent a pleasant few hour's chatting, drinking and eating before we headed back to the house. 

Sierra Nevada and El Purche, Granada Province, Spain.

A drive up Sierra Nevada with Mom and John.

 

The view from Hoya de la Mora.

We went up to the Hoya De La Mora car park but called in at Hostal Restaurante El Desvio for a coffee and a tostarda.

We continued on up and had a look around the area where I saw 50+ Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus),  and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

On the way down we took a quick look at the El Purche area but I only saw Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto) x2, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x5, Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora) x18+, Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) x3 and Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x1.

We returned to the house and had a late lunch up on the terrace but it soon got too warm and we headed inside.

Later we headed down to Huétor for a drink or two and some tapas. 

Loja and Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk in Loja and chilling on the Terrace.

Ebird List for the Terrace.

 

We started the day with a walk around the Market in Loja and then did a bit of shopping before we headed back to the house and chilled up on the terrace, whilst up there we saw Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger), Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore), Small White (Pieris rapae), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), 24x European Honey Buzzards (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus), a pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Near Huétor Tajar and Riofrio, Granada Province, Spain.

Around the garden and along the Riofrio.

Ebird List for Near Huétor Tajar.

 

Mom and John at Riofrio.

As I was getting a few bit sorted early on I could again hear the Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) calling in the garden as well as the resident Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus),

Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti).

Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti).

Some of the Sturgeon kept for Riofrio Caviar.

Later in the morning we went down to Riofrio and after parking went for a short walk along the river and then checked out the fish farm pools, on the walk we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Cetti's Warbler, European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major),  Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),  House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).  

 Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).

 Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).

We returned to the house and went up on to the terrace for a while and chilled and again saw the same immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) as we did yesterday.

Later in the evening we went down to Tres Calles for a meal and a few drinks.