Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A quick visit to the fields.

Ebird List for the Town Fields.

The first of the Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

I started by checking out the works along the Arroyo Vilano, on the way I had the two regular Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

The second Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the next post.

The second Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

As it is looking like they have pretty much finished the Arroyo destruction and reinstated a track to get up to my usual parking spot, I went up there and scanned the Lucerne fields for a while adding Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

On the way down to Huétor from the crossroads, I picked up Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

Distant Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

I popped into town and did a bit of shopping before heading back home via the town fields, where I soon located 11 of the wintering Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which have been a tad elusive recently due to the amount of disturbance this year, almost 200 Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Little Owl, Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Magpie, European Stonechat, White Wagtail and Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis).

I returned to the house and caught up with a few repairs before chilling later. 

El Temple and the Cacín Valley, Granada Province, Spain.

A day out with friend Polly.

 

I started the day with breakfast at Combustibles Gómez before driving up to Restaurante La Abadía near Padul where I had another coffee before meeting up with Polly.

We headed out onto the area known as El Temple to the West of Granada, along the main road through the centre of the area we started the list with Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Further along the road we took to the tracks and soon added Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) x8, Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra). 

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

We crossed to the opposite side of the road through the site and checked some more fields, finding the first of several Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) which was quite a pale bird, Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Calandra Lark (Calandria Común / Melanocorypha calandra), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x1 and Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella) moths.

We left the El Temple area and popped into Restaurante Casa Luciano where we had a drink and some food before heading along the GR-3310 towards Cacín, on the way we saw Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) and as we dropped into the village we saw a single Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore) x1.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

Once we were through Cacín we stopped by the Rio Cacín and then did a short walk finding Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Long-tailed (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) x3, Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Squirting Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium), Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) x3, Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) x1, Large (Pieris brassicae) x3+ and Small White (Pieris rapae) x14+.

Large White (Pieris brassicae).

Our net stop was up at the Contra-embalse de Bermejalis finding at least 10x Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), 5x Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), 1x Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti).

Looking over to Castillo de Tajarja.

A lone Oak.

We then did a drive across country back towards Granada and back to Restaurante La Abadía seeing a Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) on the way.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Walking back to the Mechanic's.

Ebird List for the walk to Huétor.

 

The cleaned out Arroyo Vilano.

I set off for the walk back down to Grúas Lechuga Mechanic's in Venta Neuva, on the section down to Huétor I recorded Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Iberian (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

I collected the car and returned home, I spent the rest of the day getting a few jobs done.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk back from the Mechanic's in Venta Nueva.

Ebird List for walk from the Mechanic's to Huétor.

Ebird List for walk from Huétor to the house.

 

I started the day by going down to Venta Nueva where I dropped the car off at Grúas Lechuga Mechanic's and walked back to the house via Huétor.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

On the first part of the walk to Huétor I recorded Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

I walked up through town and after having a coffee in Cafetería Florida I continued on across the fields up to the crossroads just passed the Arroyo Vilano where I turned left, during this part of the walk I picked up Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and several Corn Buntings (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Along the fields and the newly cleaned out Arroyo as far as the bar, I added Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus canariensis), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

Bidens aurea.

Bidens aurea.

The final part of the walk from the bar up to the house, I finished the day's list off with Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Small White (Pieris rapae) x1, Squirting Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium) and Bidens aurea.

Squirting Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium).

Albrighton in Shropshire, Britain, Malaga in Malaga Province and near Huétor Tajar in Granada Province, Spain.

Travelling back Home to Spain.

 

I was up and about early and packed, at about 10:15 Mom and John took me up to the railway station where I said goodbye to them both after having a very nice stay with them again, thanks to you both.

I got the train to Birmingham Airport where I caught my flight back to Malaga where good friend Derek picked me up and took me back to his place where I caught up with Barbara and enjoyed a very nice curry with them both before heading back home.

The only problem all day was on the way back to the house when the rare passenger side window dropped into the door meaning it was a cool, noisy drive home. 

Near Bridgnorth, Shropshire, Britain.

Out for a Carvery with Jayne's Family.

 

I spent the morning at Mom's, but I did go for a walk up to Donington churchyard to put some flowers on Jayne's plaque, later 10 of us went over to the Punch Bowl Pub near Bridgnorth for a Carvery.

After saying bye to the family, I returned to Mom's and we had a quiet evening.