Huétor Fields, Arroyo Vilano, Rio Cacín an Balsa de Regidor, Granada Province, Spain.

A run around the local area with Lynn and Steve.

Ebird List for the Fields. 

 

I started the day with a short walk along the ring road and then popped to see if the mechanic's were working so that I could pay them for the new shockers on the back of the car but they weren't there so I popped back into town for a coffee and then met Lynn and Steve at the car park next to Mercodona.

European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

From here we headed up to the fields where we parked by the Walnut Trees and walked back along the track to just past the Fig Tree, during the walk we recorded Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Our next stop was down at the town fields via Lynn and Steve's Motorhome, on the fields we saw a couple of the wintering Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) but they disappeared into a spud field before we could do a count.

Arroyo Vilano as it should look if the farmers didn't take all the water.

We went up along the Arroyo de Vilano by the bridge north of La Fabrica but there was no water so we continued on up the valley where there was still a flow as the farmers hadn't extracted everything this high up.

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) ♂.

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) ♂ and Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) ♂.

 Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) ♂.

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) ♂.

Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) ♂.

As we checked the area out we found Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) x1, Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) x1♂, Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x5♂, Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) x2♂, Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) x2♂, Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea) x3♂ and 1♀, Red-veined (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x1♀, Common (Sympetrum striolatum) x3♂ and 2♀ and Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) x2♂, Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) x4♂, False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus) x1, Lang's Short-tailed (Leptotes pirithous) x3 and Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) x2, Small White (Pieris rapae) x3, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x2, 8211 Rhodometra sacaria (The Vestal) x1 and 10535 Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella) x8.

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) ♂.

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) ♂.

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) ♀.

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) ♂.

False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus).

Other species included Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) ♂.

We decided to head for the Balsa de Regidor but called in at a crossing of the Rio Cacín near the village of Mesia where we had some lunch and then checked the river seeing a couple of Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) x2♂,  Southern Skimmer x2♂, Orange-winged Dropwing x2♂, Small White (Pieris rapae) x3, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Iberian  Magpie, Spotless Starling, Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Sparrow, Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and European Goldfinch.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♀.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♀.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♀.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♀.

We continued on again and parked at the Balsa de Regidor, we walked the eastern side of the lake where we saw Vagrant (Anax ephippiger) x1♂, Blue / Common x3♂ and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x8♂, Red-veined Darter x1♂ and Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) x2♂ and 1♀.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♂.

From the northern shore we added Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) x1♂, Lang's Short-tailed Blue x3,  Small White x3, Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens), Common Woodpigeon, Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) x5, Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum).

Desert Orange-tips (Colotis evagore) ♂ being eaten by a Wasp.

Desert Orange-tips (Colotis evagore) ♂.

Desert Orange-tips (Colotis evagore) ♂ and ♀.

Desert Orange-tips (Colotis evagore) ♂ and ♀.

We started to make our way back to the Motorhome but we made a stop on the way on the service road between the lake and the Mesia exit where we spent a while watching at least 40 odd Desert Orange-tips (Colotis evagore).

Near El Chorro, Rio Turón near Ardales and Laguna Dulce, Malaga Province, Spain.

Out and about looking for Dragon's with friends Lynn and Steve from the UK.

Ebird List for the Terrace.

Ebird List for Laguna Dulce.

 

During the night, at about 02:00 a new species paid a visit to the back Terrace, a Western Barn Owl (Lechuza Común / Tyto alba) which flew in and landed on the railings for a while.

I started the day by driving out to El Puerto del Jaral near Villanueva del Rosario where Lynn and Steve were staying, near their motorhome we heard Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), saw Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and as we were driving out to the motorway we had a couple of Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops) sat up on the wires and further on a  Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).

We made our way out to a spot near El Chorro where we were checking out a spot for Dragonflies, on the way we stopped at the far end of the Embalse de Guadalteba Dam seeing Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas) and Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) in the air, Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) in the Pines and Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis) and a Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) x1♂.

We continued on to the spot we had come to check but we didn't see anything Dragonfly wise but did find Griffon Vulture, Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), a ♀ looking European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and a  Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Our next stop was at a nearby Vulture Feeding station, just before we arrived we saw a large kettle of Griffon's but there we only a few at the actual feeding station, in the same area we picked up Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) ♀ before moving on to a couple of spots along the Rio Turón near Ardales.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) ♀.

We got to the first site and had some lunch before dropping down to the river where we spent a while checking the area out finding masses of Oriental Hornets (Vespa orientalis), Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis), Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum), Large White (Pieris brassicae), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Grayling (Hipparchia semele), Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

The Rio Turón.

Oriental Hornets (Vespa orientalis).

Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) ♂.

Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) ♂.

A tatty Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia). 

Grayling (Hipparchia semele).

At the second spot which was a little closer to Ardales we had Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii), Blue / Common Emperor and Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger), Migrant Spreadwing (Lestes barbarus), Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus), Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens), Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), another Desert Darter, Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Small White (Pieris rapae), Grayling, Meadow Brown, Small Fleabane (Pulicaria vulgaris), Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis), Cetti's Warbler, Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Steve along the second stretch of the Turón we visited.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) ♂.

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) ♂.

Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) ♂.

On the way back towards the house we called in at Laguna Dulce which still had water and a good number of birds including Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Ruff (Combatiente / Calidris pugnax), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Kestrel, Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), good numbers of Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) and many Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) winter ♂.

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) winter ♂.

Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

I dropped Lynn and Steve back to their Motorhome and then headed home.