Huétor Fields, Rio Genil, Huétor Fields and Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

Good Friday, well it was for a couple of reasons.

Just after Dawn.

I started the day with an early morning walk with Paqui which is always a pleasure, as we walked we chatted and watched the Sunrise over Sierra de Huétor as well as the amazing colony of around 14 Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) this is the max number of birds seen at the same time so there could be more.

Sierra Nevada.

As we walked we also saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♂.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♂.

Looking out east.

We turned around at the gate and walked back to the cars as Pagui needed to be back for her family but it was really lovely to walk with her again and have a chat and a laugh.

I also had to head off for an appointment but it was a quick but good consultation so I was soon back on the patch where I checked out both sides of the bridge over the Rio Genil at Huétor where I added a Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) which was chased out of the riverside trees out over the fields by the local Eurasian Magpies (Urraca Común / Pica pica), my first Common Swifts  (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) of the year, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Willow (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) ♂.

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) ♂.

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) ♂.

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) ♂.

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) ♀.

I then popped back up to the fields where I did the same walk as I had earlier with Paqui but actually spent most of my time there sat on my backside in the reeds watching the Monty's.

Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax).

Small White (Pieris rapae).

However, I did also have views of Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Small White (Pieris rapae).

Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) ♂.

Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) ♂.

Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) ♂.

Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla).

Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla).

After a while I went back up to the house and got a few jobs done, at around 18:00 I got a message from Paqui to see if I wanted to go for another walk but up on Hacho this time, so I arranged to meet her at my place and then we went off up to the parking spot near the puddle, we then walked up the hill finding quite a few spikes of Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana) and a single very pale Italian Man (Orchis Italica).

Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana).

We dropped back down to the car and then walked part of the way around the lower loop adding Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Conical (Neotinea conica), Pink Butterfly (Orchis papilionacea) not yet in flower, Southern Early Purple (Orchis olbienis),  Somber Bee (Ophrys lupercalis) over with, Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea), Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum), Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera), Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum) and Nonea vesicaria.

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

We returned to the car and then headed back to the house finding a roosting Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the base of one of the old Olive trees.