Huétor Fields x3 sites, Rio Genil East and West, Rio Genil near Moraleda, Balsa de Regidor, Huétor Fields again, Granada Province, Spain.

Out on the Patch with Derek Etherton.

Ebird List for Town Fields.

Ebird List for Lucerne Fields.

Ebird List for Mesia cross track.

Ebird List for Rio Genil East.

Ebird List for Rio Genil West.

Ebird List for Rio Genil near Moraleda.

Ebird List for Balsa de Regidor.

Ebird List for Huétor Fields Airport.

Looking out to the Sierra Nevada from the Lucerne Fields.

I met Derek down at Combustibles Gómez where we had some breakfast and coffee before heading just a short way up the road to what I call the town fields, but it was fairly quiet as there were a couple of farmers working out in the area cutting the Asparagus tops.

We did however see a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Our next stop was up at the Lucerne fields where we parked at the Walnut Trees and then walked out as far as the gate, during the walk we saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), 8 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), 2x Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), 3 more Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Crested Lark, 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), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), House Sparrow, Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail, Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Common Linnet, European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata).

Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata).

Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata).

On our way off to another part of the area we stopped by the one remain Poplar plantation where we picked up a feeding Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

We did a short drive along another of the tracks after seeing a good number of Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and once we counted them we found there to be 51 birds along with Little Owl, Eurasian Magpie, Crested Lark, Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Dartford Warbler, Spotless Starling, Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), House Sparrow and European Serin.

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

From here we make our way through Huétor and then across the Rio Genil, we parked just the other side of the bridge and walked out to the spot where I have seen the Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) a couple of times recently but we were out of luck, we did however see Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Cetti's Warbler, Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Blackcap, Spotless Starling, Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin, Black Redstart, European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Waxbill, Grey and White Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch and European Serin.

Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus).

Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus).

Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus).

We returned to the car then decided to walk part of the western side of the bridge, almost straight away we picked up a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker but it was a few trees along the road and too far to sex the bird and it was soon off along the river and out of sight.

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus).

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus).

Our next stop was along the A92 near Loreta where we did a walk along the Genil again, things were fairly quiet but we did add Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes) and a couple of Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus).

Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).

Just up the road we called in at Balsa de Regidor to see if the escapee Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor) was still around, it was out on the water along with Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Mallard, Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).

Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).

Golden Eagles (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos).

We walked back to the car but then the Raptors started to arrive with a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and a Common Kestrel doing low flybys, next came a soaring pair of Golden Eagles and then a high flying Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).

We made our way back towards Huétor Fields to see if anything new had come in, we again saw the Little Bustards, the Black-winged Kites and on our way back to the Bar where we had another coffee before Derek headed off we had a single Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and a good flock of 21 European Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia).