Hoya de Pedraza Botanical Garden, Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

An evening looking for Nightjars and watching the Stars.

Ebird List for the Gardens.

 

Sunset at the Botanical Gardens.

Paqui and I headed out towards Granada and then up to the parking area at the Pedraza Botanical Garden where we set the chairs up and waited for dusk.

As we sat there, we saw and heard Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and a very smart ♂ Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

As the light dropped a European Nightjar (Chotacabras Europeo / Caprimulgus europaeus) flew along the ridge above us and then called briefly a couple of times as it went darker, we also heard at least 3 different Eurasian Scops Owls (Autillo Europeo / Otus scops) calling in the same area before dropping back down the hill and going home to Huétor. 

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A late-evening visit to the Fields.

Ebird List for the Fields.

Stuffed Courgettes, SO GOOD.

I went down to Paqui's for lunch, as usual it was absolutely beautiful food which I enjoyed very much, later in the day we both met up again down on the fields.

I went down onto the fields once it started to cool down a little, where I set up the chairs and chilled watching the sun drop behind the hills out to the west before Paqui arrived

It was quiet when I first arrived except for a hunting Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), which looked nice against the orange sky.

The Fields at Dusk.

As Paqui was walking up towards where I was sitting, she pointed to my left as there was suddenly a group of 12 Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) flying in from the west; they spent a while circling above us and out over the fields before dropping in to roost on the ground.

Other species seen included European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

The rising Moon.

Presa y Meandros del Genil, Granada Province, Spain.

A visit to the Presa with Paqui.

Ebird List for the Presa.

Paqui and I headed out for an evening visit to the Presa after a busy day catching up with things around our houses.

We parked and then spent a while sat by the Rio Genil at the Presa, here we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) x3, Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild),  Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

After a while we went for a walk along the track recording Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), a Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

As we drove out of the site, we saw a couple of Red-necked Nightjars (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) on the track, there were at least 2 more at a spot near the Albergue Rural Cortijo del Guarda where we also had Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) and as the light dropped we heard a calling Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Back down the fields again, for a late visit.

Ebird List for the Fields.

I met Paqui down on the fields for a later visit, mostly to just chill and watch the stars; whilst there, we saw 2 Red-necked Nightjars (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) sat out on the warm tarmac, Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Spanish (Yellow) (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and we could hear lots of Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).