Contra-embalse de Bermejalis, Pine Wodland along GR-4304, Moraleda Crags, Balsa de Regidor, Rio Genil East and Huétor Lucerne Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Down into the Cacín Valley and worked my way home.

Ebird List for Contra-embalse de Bermejalis. 

Ebird List for Pine Wodland along GR-4304. 

Ebird List for Moraleda Crags. 

Ebird List for Balsa de Regidor. 

Ebird List for Rio Genil East. 

Ebird List for Huétor Lucerne Fields. 

 

Low water at the Contra-embalse de Bermejalis.

I headed down to the far edge of what I like to think of as the far end of my local patch to check out the Contra-embalse de Bermejalis, as I approached the site I saw two raptors, the first was a big ♀ Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) which was sitting up on a pylon and the other was a ♀ Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

Once I had parked, I set up the scope and scanned the reservoir, on the water and around the margins I found Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), several Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).

In the air and in the surrounding area, I also picked up Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and lots of Corn Buntings (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

After a while I drove around to the bridge over the Rio Cacín and walked up to the Dam, on the way I saw Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Mistle (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra).

When I got back to the car I checked the Rio but added nothing, just as I returned to the friend Bob pulled up, I hadn't seen Bob for a good while so It was great to have a chat and catch up.

My next stop was just a few KMs up the valley at a site in the Pine Woodlands where I checked both sides of the road finding Common Woodpigeon, Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker, Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian Magpie, Coal and Great Tit, 2x Woodlarks (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Thekla's Lark, Eurasian Crag Martin, Sardinian Warbler, Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Mistle and Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Common Chaffinch, European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and 2 Rock Buntings (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).

Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata) and Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina).

Further up the valley, I stopped again and checked out the crags near Moraleda adding Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) and Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) to the list before moving on to Balsa de Regidor, from the concrete pier I checked through and counted the wildfowl see nearly 80 Northern Shoveler, just 4 Mallard, 38 Common Pochard, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Little Grebe and more exciting was a sing winter plumage Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), a single Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Cetti's Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler, Common Blackbird and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

I headed back off to my patch where I spent a while on the banks of the Rio Genil to the East of the bridge, as I sat there I saw Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Mallard, Common Woodpigeon, Great Cormorant, Eurasian Blue and Great Tit, Crested Lark, Common Chiffchaff, Cetti's Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Eurasian Wren, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail, Common Chaffinch, Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch, European Serin, a couple of male Eurasian Siskins (Jilguero Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), White Wallrocket (Diplotaxis erucoides) and Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis).

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

I drove up through Huétor and out to the Walnut trees where I parked and walked the Lucerne fields and then on up the rather muddy Arroyo, new species were 3x Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), 2x Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), at least 6 Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) in amongst the more common Spotless flock, European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and as I walked past the car I had a nice ♂ Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).