Contraembalse de Bermejalis, Contraembalse Presa, Balsa de Regidor and the Lucern Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Out along a very damp and muddy Cacín Valley and then on the Patch. 

Ebird List for Contraembalse de Bermejalis.

Ebird List for Contraembalse Presa.

Ebird List for Balsa de Regidor.

Ebird List for the Lucerne Fields.

 

Some snow up on Sierra de Loja.

I drove down to the Contraembalse de Bermejalis where after parking I got the scope set up and checked a raptor which was on one of the pylons which turned out to be a ♂ Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis).

Looking South down the Cacín Valley.

There was also a nice ♂ Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) sat in one of the Pines and a ♀ which came up out of the reeds and upset all the birds at the far end of the lake which made counting them easier.

Looking North to the Dam / Presa.

I was pleased to find that the ♂ Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) I had missed at Embalse del Cubillas a week or so ago had relocated here and was swimming around with a small group of 5 Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), a good number of Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), a squealing Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), 8 Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), the 2 Common Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) which were still on the mud, Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), a single Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

♂ Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) and Common Pochards (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina).

♂ Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) and Common Pochards (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina).

♂ Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) and Common Pochards (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina).

Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

On the margins and surroundings I also saw Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

The mud gets a tad sticky.

Contraembalse de Bermejalis.

I moved just up the road to the track that goes to the Dam but checked the Rio Cacín from the bridge finding Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Song Thrush, European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

I did a walk along the road and picked up another Grey Heron, 2x displaying Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Eurasian Blackcap.

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Next I moved back up the Valley to the Balsa de Regidor where It was damn cold, so I did my birding from the car which restricted the view a bit but I still recorded Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Mallard, Common Pochard, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and a winter plumage Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Green Sandpiper, Great Cormorant, Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove,Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), a good number of Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Chiffchaff, Cetti's Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler, Spotless Starling, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, European Goldfinch and European Serin.

It started to rain / sleet, so I headed back towards Huétor, by the time I got there the sun was out so I went to have a look along the Lucerne fields, the sun may have come out but it was still piggin cold so I did the birding from the car again.

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

As I scanned the fields, I picked up the usual pair of Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) which were new for the day before I went back to the house and got on with a few jobs.