Playa de la Cagadilla and Cerro Gordo, Granada Province, Spain.

A dip down on the coast with Lynn and Steve.

Ebird List for Playa de la Cagadilla.

 

One of the wet areas on Playa de la Cagadilla.

I met Lynn and Steve down at Mercodona car park and we headed out towards Granada and then took the motorway south to a spot not too far from Charca de Suarez on Playa de la Cagadilla, we parked and walked along a track down to the beach seeing Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius).

Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius).

Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius).

Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius).

We found the beach pool where our target bird had been seen and we started to scan the area from a distance but could only find a couple of White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) an adult and an immature bird which had me hoping for a while, longer than it should have really.

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

Other species seen as we sat on the sand and scanned the pool were Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava) which were all passing to the west.

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

As the Wagtail was not there we moved on down the beach and checked out to sea, two smaller areas of water and some bigger pools, out to sea we had Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis) and Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

The larger pools.

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

Along the beach and around the pools we recorded Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), European Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), immature Eurasian Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

European Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Over head the whole time we were there we had good numbers of Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) all heading west along with a few Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica). 

We also had Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) x2♂, Blue / Common (Anax imperator) x2♂, Vagrant (Anax ephippiger) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x2♂ and x1♀, Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) x2♂, Red-veined (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x3♂ and x1♀ and Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) x5♂, Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).

Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra).

On our way back to the car we added Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), a  ♂ Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and a couple more Whinchats.

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore).

From here we went to a spot at the back of the Charca de Suarez nature reserve where we found a good number of Plain Tigers x20+, Monarch (Danaus plexippus) x1, Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) x1, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x1, Small White (Pieris rapae) x3, Desert Orange-tip x3, Blue / Common x1♂, Vagrant x 1 and Lesser Emperor x1♂, Long Skimmer x1♀, Red-veined Darter x1♂ and x1♀, Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

Our last stop of the day was further along the coast at Cerro Gordo  where after parkig we walked out to the Atalaya de Cerro Gordo finding Maritime Squill (Drimia maritima), Swallowtail, Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius), Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) x1♀, Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x5, Lesser Emperor x1♂ and Red-veined Darter x2♂ and x1♀.

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) ♀.

Maritime Squill (Drimia maritima).

Steve getting some shots of the Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius).

Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius).

Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius).

From here we headed back to Huétor and then I went home. 

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A couple of hours sat by a weed patch on the fields.

 

Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra).

I started the day by getting a few jobs done before heading up to Granada for a visit, on the way back home I returned via the fields and spent some time sat on the roadside watching what came into an area of weeds along the side of a Lucerne field.

Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra).

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♂.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

Species included European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis). 

Immature Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

Immature Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

Immature Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

Other species in the area were Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Eurasian (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), 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 Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

I also saw Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger), Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Small White (Pieris rapae), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Lang's Short-tailed (Leptotes pirithous) and Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and lots of Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella) moths.

European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Up on the Terrace with Lynn and Steve.

 

We decided to spend the day at the house due to the weather conditions, we sat up on the Terrace for a few hours seeing Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) x2, Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

A-341 NW of Zafarraya, Venta De La Leche in Granada Province and Laguna Chica in Malaga Provice, Spain.

Down along the western side of the Sierra de Loja with Lynn and Steve.

 

 Biarum arundanum.

I drove down to Lynn and Steve at there site near Rosario, on the way there I picked up 2 Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the wires before Huétor, Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula).

At the camp site I saw or heard Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

From the site we headed across country to the A-341 and went south towards Zafarra on the way we saw at least 15 to 20 Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Sardinian Warbler and Woodlark.

We stopped before the town to check a track but it was so dry and over grazed that we found very little in flower, there were none of the target Autumn Lady's Tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) which looking at the site was no surprise, we did find Biarum arundanum and Maritime Squill (Drimia maritima).

As we were walking we were met by Lucas Gutiérrez Jiménez who had also been looking for the Orchids but didn't find anything either, as we walked we also recorded Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), 25+ Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Long-tailed (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Sparrow, European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and a single Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x1.

As nice as it was to hear the bells on these Sheep and Goats they are the reason this area and so many others are left so degraded, totally cleared of all flowers and covered in poo which changes the soil greatly.

Nice well cover.

After some time we moved on and headed North to a spot Lynn and Steve had showed me earlier in the year along a track near Venta de la Leche (Strange name), we parked near a small pool and checked the reeds and the margins finding a single Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) x1♂, Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus).

Late Crocus (Crocus serotinus) which is the only thing that survived the Sheep and Goats.

Late Crocus (Crocus serotinus).

Late Crocus (Crocus serotinus).

We then walked the dry fields seeing lots of Late Crocus (Crocus serotinus), Common Woodpigeon, Griffon Vulture, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major),  Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Barn and Red-rumped Swallow, Western House Martin, Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Common Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Eurasian Jay, Spotless Starling, Crested (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Sardinian Warbler, Cirl Bunting, Common Chaffinch and European Goldfinch.

Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides).

Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides).

Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides).

Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto).

We also saw Southern Grizzled (Pyrgus malvoides) x3 and Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto) x1, a rather tatty Purple Hairstreak (Favonius Quercus iberica) x1, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x1♂, Small White (Pieris rapae) x2, Meadow Brown x 4 and lots of 10535 Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella) moths x30+.

Purple Hairstreak (Favonius Quercus iberica).

We continued on up the valley and after a drink in the Venta San Rafael in Venta del Rayo we headed for Laguna Chica which we hadn't been to for a good while, we parked and had some food before dropping down to a dry Laguna.

A very dry Laguna Chica.

Laguna Chica.

Steve photographing one of the male Migrant Spreadwing (Lestes barbarus).

We made our way through the Tamarisks out onto the dry pool area where we searched the marginal vegetation finding Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) x4♂, Migrant Spreadwing (Lestes barbarus) x4♂, Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) x1♂ and x1♀, Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x8+, Bath White (Pontia daplidice) x2, Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and back by the car I found a nest of European Hornets (Vespa crabro).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Migrant Spreadwing (Lestes barbarus).

Migrant Spreadwing (Lestes barbarus).

Migrant Spreadwing (Lestes barbarus).

We started to make our way back to the Camp site but called in at a small culvert which held a small trickle of water but added nothing new so we called it a day.