Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Contraembalse de los Bermejales and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Monday, 9 November 2026

Contraembalse de los Bermejales and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A visit to the empty Contraembalse and then a look at the fields with Paqui.

Ebird List for the Embalse.

The Contraembalse.

Paqui and I felt the need to go out into the countryside so we popped down the Cacín Valley to the Contraembalse de los Bermejales, I was surprised to find that the water was gone and there was just the water in the Rio Cacín flowing through the remains of the Embalse.

I guess they are hoping it will dry out enough to get it cleaned out before the birds start to breed, they tried last year but the Western Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) started building before they got to work and after I informed friend Juan who informed Medio Ambiente they postpone it.

The empty Embalse.

When we arrived we saw several Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) on the Rio below us.

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

We got the chairs set up and scanned the area for the next hour or so until the rain started, during this time we saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), a calling Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), an adult and an immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Thekla's (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), 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), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Eurasian Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), 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) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Other species seen and heard whilst there were Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta), Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Small White (Pieris rapae), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

On the way back up the valley heading towards Huétor we saw a smart looking Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) cross the road in front of us, we also had Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops).

A Rainbow as the rain moved off for a while.

Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Before heading back to Paqui's we checked the fields after we had quite a storm, we added Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) along with another Grey Heron, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, lots of White Wagtails, Common Linnet and European Goldfinch.