Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

A quick trip looking for the Bustards and Curlews.

Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) flock.

Just a quick 45 minutes out on the local patch looking for the Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) flock and to do a count on the Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) fields. I started by heading along the Arroya Vilano and as I was watching a distant Merlin (Esmerejón / Falco columbarius) which was sat on a stubble spike a flock of around 40-50 Little Bustards dropped in on to the fields right in front of me, giving me a few seconds to get a few landing shot. Also here there were good numbers of finches and sparrows including Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) and both House (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

In the same area there were also four species of lark, the comonest was by far Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) with at least 30 birds in a wintering flock, next came Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), then Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and finally Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae). As I drove around to the Curlew fields I added Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common (Urraca / Pica pica) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) to the mornings list.

Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).

On arriving at the Curlew fields I parked on the roadside and started to do a count and before long I reached 420 and just then a chap walked out from one of the far fileds and flushed the lot up so I headed off home. I also added Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulg aris), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) whilst here.

Finished off with 46 species in just under 45 minutes, not bad going considering the futhers point was only 8 minutes from the house.

Padul Nature Reserve, Granada Province.

A little bit of birding and then the Second Afternoon and Evening of Talks and Workshops.

Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).

I spent a shot while down on the fields before heading over to meet up with Juan Perez. I had a quick look at the Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) down near Huétor as they had been quite near the road earlier in the day but as soon as I pulled up they were away. Here I also saw several Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a few Common Starlings (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulg aris) mixed in with the flock, Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae). I still had a short while before I need to head to the city so I took the track out the back of the bar and had a look at the river, the first bird was a fairly well behaved Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) which allowed me to get a couple of shot of it, I the added Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) to the list.

Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

I ran out of time on the patch so I drove up to Juans place but had a real raptor fest on the way, by the time I arrived at his appartment I had counted 3x Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), 3xSparrowhawks (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), 4x Common Kestrels (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and singles of both Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) and Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) a nice set of list fillers.

Juan and I then made our way to Padul a hour and a half before our talks were dur to start so we had a look along the sewage filled canal and the hide areas. In the stream before it joins the main canal we had nice views of a Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), along with loads of Common Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla). We then followed the canal down to the hide but the water was so high that all we picked up were Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris). We retraced our steps back to the small bridge and had nice views of a winter plumaged Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) and a Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago). We then made our way up to the reserve centre and after a bit of a delay we both carried out out talks and workshops.

Padul Nature Reserve, Granada Province.

First Day of talks and workshops but with a Spanish Lifer in the break.

Today Juan Perez and I were heading to Padul to help with a course at the Nature Reserve Centre with some Spanish Student. I was the doing a talk and workshop and Juan was there to help me out as his talk was not until tomorrow and very greatful am I that he was there (THANKS JUAN). During the break between my talk and the workshop I went out into the car park for some air, it was just going dark and I was very pleased when two Woodcock (Chocha Perdiz / Scolopax rusticola) flew across in front of myself and one of the students as it was a new species for my Spanish List (long over due). The talk and workshop went well and we headed off home.

Huetor Fields, Granada Province.

A couple of hours on the local patch with friends from the ABS.

Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

I met up with David Hird and Micky Smith at the Hotel Cotijo de Tajar at just before 08:30 for a few hours birding on my local patch. We set off and headed for a field out on the Loja side of Huétor which the Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) have favored for the last few winters and soon found a small part of the flock there. I counted around 40 birds but that was with just a quick scan, on the same area we also saw Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), lots of Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) with a few Commons (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulg aris) scattered amongst the flock and huge numbers of White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba). 

From this spot we moved on to the river at the back of our local bar and had nice views of a couple of Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), lots of Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) up on the wires and plenty of finches down on the maze stubble including Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and  Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs). We moved on just a few hundred meters and parked by the edge of the barranco and had a walk to a small goat pen another couple of hundred meters along the river. Along this track we saw loads of Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) a nice male, Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla) and again lots of Common Chaffinches but no Bramblings (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla). Once back at the car we moved just a few meters down the road to where we found a large flock of finches and this time I managed to find just a single Brambling but the whole flock went up before I managed to get David and Micky on to it.

Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).

Our next stop was along the track to the railway bridge following the river again, new species along here included Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major),  Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis). 

With time ticking away we started to make our way back towards the bar along the river and then on down the road to the railway line where we checked the fields again so that Micky could find a Common Starling after missing all the one David and I had seen earlier, after a while he cracked it and found two or three in amongst lots of Spotless and a few Northern Lapwings. Whist Micky was searching David and I came up with just the one new species in the shape of a distant Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) sat out in the fields. Our last stop was down by the town where we had soon counted over 150 Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) out on their roost field, quite a sight!!

From here we headed back to the hotel and Micky and David headed off further North East to Puerto de la Ragua where they were hoping for the uncommon Citril Finch (Verderón Serrano / Carduelis citrinella). Hope to hear how they got on at some point in the future and I went back home to continue the prep for the upcoming talks at Padul. Thanks David and Micky for you company and some nice birding.

Huetor Fields, Granada Province.

A good bird on the local patch.

Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

Jayne and I were heading up to Granada to visit friends Juan Perez and his wife Beatriz, just as we were heading in to Huétor Jayne comes up with her line BIG BIRD. I could not see what she had seen so we turned around and parked on one of the tracks where I soon had a very nice Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) which was circling a ploughing tractor and looked as if it wanted to come down and feed amongst the good number of Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

I managed to get some distant shot before we continued up to Granada and spent a few hours with Juan and Beatriz. Jayne was working with Beatriz on her English and I was working with Juan on the up coming talks and workshops we had to do at Padul Nature Reserve at the end of the month.

El Faro, Fuengirola, Malaga Province.

A couple of hours sea watching and looking for waders.

Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Jayne and I wanted a few bits (a new heater) from down on the coast at Malaga, from Iceland and for box fillers to send out to our son Alan so we headed for Malaga and Fuengirola. After sorting the Malaga end of things I dropped Jayne at the Miramar centre and headed for the new sea watch hide at El Faro where I spent just over two hours looking out to sea. 

Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra).

On the walk along the coast to get there I picked up a few Ruddy Turnstones (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), a single Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba). 

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Once I reached the hide I soon picked up the five species of Gull I would expect, there were loads of Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) along with a single adult and an immature Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii).

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Whilst I was there four groups of  Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra) totalling around thirty flew past heading west, further out to sea I had a group of three Arctic Skuas (Págalo Parásito / Stercorarius parasiticus) which were landing on the sea and waiting for any passing Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) then giving them hell until they dropped any food they had. During the couple of hours I also saw two more single Arctics and at least three Great Skuas (Págalo Grande / Stercorarius skua) all passing West.

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Other species passing were loads of  Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), dozens of  Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) along with a single Cory's (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris diomedea). 

I then went and met Jayne and we finished off the shopping before heading home.

Zafarraya and Alhama areas, Malaga and Granada Provinces.

A day with Bob Wright and the Adalucian Bird Society.

Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella modularis).

I started out for the meeting point just beyond Venta de Zafarraya a little early which gave me the chance to have a quick look around the local fields just to the North of Huétor Tajar on the way, during the half hour or so I was there I saw good numbers of Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus),80+ Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), both Iberian (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Common Magpies (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).

Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).

I left the fields and headed down towards Zafarraya via Salar and the fields near Alhama, on the drive down I saw several flocks of Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and a Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) which sat in a dead tree along side the road.

I got to the meeting point and found a couple of car loads of birders there already, I got out of the car and immediately wanted to get back in, it was piggin freezing and it was not much better a little way along stood in the sun due to the cold wind. Anyway over the next half hour the rest of the larger than expected group turned up, half of how had not bother to let Bob know they were coming. The group was so large that it caused problems later in the day, Bob tried hard to keep every body together but when you have ten or twelve cars it is just getting silly to run in convoy and hope that every one will get to the next spot.

Anyway back to the birding, We set off a a nice lesurly pace along the old railway line and soon started to pick up good species, Bob had soon found us Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella modularis).

Just before we reached the tunnel a couple of birds flicked across the lower crags and they turned out to be Alpine Accentors (Acentor Alpino / Prunella modularis) which at this poing gave us distant but identifiable views, from here we also picked up a couple of Spanish Ibex (Cabra pyreaica hispanica) which were moving around on the higher crags, a Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) which got the butterfly list off to a start.
We then moved through the tunnel and as we looked back on to the crags above the exit we picked up a much closer Alpine Accentor feeding in the fishers and cracks along with a Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), several Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and a Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris). A little further on a soaring group of seven Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) came in to view, in this area we also saw Common Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus). We turned around and soon saw a nice Peregrine Falcon round the top of the crags and lower down we added Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) were added to the butterfly list.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Just as we reached the tunnel again we picked up the Accentor again but a different bird this time as it did not have a ring on which the bird earlier had, this one gave us the chance of a few photo's before it disappeared.  We went back through the tunnel and between the exit and the cars we added Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) and Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) to the growing day list.

We got into the cars and headed out to the area Bob knows as the Brambling wood but there were no Bramblings today, however we had nice views of Mistle Thrush, Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and a distant but huge flock of Red-billed Chough numbering around 200 birds. 

We again moved on but just up the road on to the fields heading towards Alhama de Granada, we parked on the roadside and scanned the fields where we eventually located the wanted flock of Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) with a few Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) in the mix. In this area we also saw Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Corn Bunting.

Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).

From here we headed to the Pantaneta de Alhama which was where it started to go wrong as we lost two of the cars from the center of the convoy and they did not find there way to the spot or manage to rejoin the group later. Bob tried hard to keep the group together but with so many cars it is hard work and then to get the hassle he got off one member was out of order.

Again back to the birding, we parked up and whilst a couple of the group tried contacting the lost members via mobile phones the rest of us went birding, on the lake we managed to add Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis). Some of the group then went and had coffee at the nearby bar whilst Bob, I and another chap went and checked out the woods, just out of the car park I found several well over with spikes of the uncommon Orchid Epipactis fageticola. Once we were in the woods we picked up a couple of Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) which were roosting on the far side of the reedbeds, a flock of Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus),

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and a calling but unseen Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus). We returned to the cars and headed off to our last stop in the woods at El Robledal, on the way we picked up a Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) for the list.
We parked up at the woods and did a circular walk through the mixed woodland where we were treated to some cracking views of a flock of Crested Tits (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus),along with both Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea) and Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) plus a Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) butterfly. We returned to the cars and Steve took me back to the start point (Thanks Steve) and I headed off home through some light snow!!!!!! 

Thanks for a great day Bob and for the Lift Steve. Bob post for this day can be found on his blog at http://www.birdingaxarquia2.blogspot.com.es/

Huétor Fields (the Local Patch), Granada Province.

Second Red Kite in a month.

Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

I set off for a couple of hours down on the local patch and decided to check out a couple of fields that I do not regularly check. It paid off nicely when I spotted a bird sat in a Lucerne field along with loads of Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) which turned out to be a Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), it had me guessing for a while as it was at distance and half buried in the Lucerne but after a few minutes the bird got up and flew around the area for a while before dropping back into a newly ploughed field nearby. In the same area there 20+ Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), a small group of Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and masses of White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

I moved on to the usual track along the river and then took the second half of the track down to the railway line, along here I picked up a couple of Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), a good sized flock of Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) before heading home.

Above Grazalema and On the way Home, Cadiz, Malaga and Granada Provinces.

A shorter than expected last day with Sue and Sam.

Male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius).

We started the day by taking Sam down to the bus and saying goodbye to him as we were going to be heading home before he got back from school and then paid a quick and very cold visit up to the top of the ridge above Grazalema, on the way up we stopped and took a few shots of a distant male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) and saw Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) at the same spot just below the town.
From the ridge carpark we had some more but distant views of the Ring Ouzels ( Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) we had seen a couple of days earlier along with several Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).
After freezing our bits off up on the ridge for a while we decided that we would call it a day very early on and went back down into the town and had a coffee before saying bye and thanks to Sue and heading straight back home. There were a few birds seen on the journey including a Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) just east of Dulce and a large flock of Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) near home.

Indiana, Cueva del Gato and Rio Guadiaro at Estacion de Benaojan, Malaga Province.

A day searching for late Dragonflies with Sue.

Mist during the walk to the bus.

Again we started off by getting Sam sorted and off to School on the bus before going back to the house and getting our kit together, Jayne decided on a days shopping around Ronda and Sue and I were going to spend a few hour along the Guadiaro Valley looking for Dragonflies. Our first stop was in the town to drop Jayne at the top of the main shopping street and then on to the River at Indiana where we parked just past the small bridge which which crosses the Arroya de la Arrayo, from the bridge we could see several Stripe-necked Terrapins (Mauremys leprosa) and a couple of very large Iberian Barbel (Luciobarbus comizo) feeding on the carcus of a dead Chicken. A Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) flushed up from the far bank of the main river Guadiaro and a couple of Grey Wagtails (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) flew towards us from the concrete wire just down stream.

Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum).

A little further along the Northern bank we flushed up a Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), heard a very vocal Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) several times, watched a pair of Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) flycatching from a nearby wire before reaching a small Poplar plantation where we saw several Crimson speckled footman (Utetheisa pulchella) which flushed up out of the grass whilst we were searching for mantis with out any luck. We walked back along the river towards the car but only moved a short distance down to the main road bridge over the river, from the end of a short track we walked a short distance up stream and added White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) to the bird list and started the Dragon list with Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Our second stop was at the car park along side the river near Cueva de Gato where we made our way out to the still collapsed but cross able bridge where we picked up more Cetti's Warblers, Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and another Grey Wagtail.

Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis).

Around on the pool below the entrance to the cave we saw several male Desert Darters (Sympetrum sinaiticum) and a single very dark Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis) along with Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Feral Pigeon (Columba livia), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius). Whilst we were hear we also added Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) and Andalucian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri) to the list.

Our last stop was down on the river Guadiaro just below Estacion de Benaojan where we checked out the area by the weir and then searched the reed beds on our way back to the car.
On our way to and near the wire we recorded Rock (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Cirl Buntings (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor). We spent some time sat by the wire scanning the reeds for dargonflies and soon added both Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) and on the way back towards the car boosted the list with Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii) and a single White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes) plus a spider in a tall broom bush but I will have to get Sue to give me the name of that one at some point. Birds on the leg of the walk included a single Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Grey Heron and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra). 

Autumn colours at the weir on the Guadiaro.

Once we were back at the car (rather later than planned) we motored quicker than planned to Ronda to pick up Jayne before heading back to Grazalema and collecting Sam from his dad at the center in Grazalema, whilst there several Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) passed over along with a single Black / Cinereous (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).

Once back at the house I had a wander around the garden and picked up Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Around Grazalema, Cadiz Province.

A day of being too late or early!!!

View along the walk at Villaluenga.

We started the day by getting young Sam ready and off to school on the bus which picks him up from the Venta near the house and then I had a quick look around the garden and and along the track near the house where I started the day list off with several Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) which were feeding in the gardens oaks.

Taking Sam down to the bus.

In the same area I also had Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and a more distant calling Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei). 

A little later we headed out on one of the local tracks to a place called Campobuches and then on a little further to a grassland spot just below some cliffs where we were hoping for a late flowering Narcissus cavanillesii but all we found were several seed heads (just too Late). 

I the area we did however get some very nice views of several Woodlarks (Totovia / Lullula arborea) which seem to be common this autumn, Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and a single Spanish Psammondromus (Psammondromus hispanicus).  

We walked around this site for a while and flushed up several insects from the grass including Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens), Wingless Iberian Mantis (apteramantis aptera) and several Clouded Yellows (Colias croceus) and a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui). 

Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea).

We made our way back up to the Grazalema road, on the way we saw a couple of new species for the day list including Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto). 

We then headed along the road towards Ubrique and turned along a track to a site just on the edge of a small village called Villaluenga, a short way along this track there was a gate across it so we parked and went for a walk.

Straight away I had stunning views of a Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) which messed around in a small shrub at the side of the track but never came on to a clear enough branch for me to get a shot. 

Also along this track we saw and heard several Common Crossbills (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and added both Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) to the butterfly list. 

Sue and Jayne on the Villaluenga walk.

On our way back towards Grazalema we called at a small Picnic site where Sue showed us a very active Hornets (Vespa crabro) nest in an old Oak tree, also growing in the Oak was a nice plant of Southern Polypody (Polypodium cambricum) and in the general area several well laden Hawthorns (Crataegus monogyna) along the stream bed.

Our next stop was on a roadside between Sue's house and Grazalema where we spent some time searching a large grassy field for the uncommon Autumn Lady's Tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) in an area where Sue had seen lots of spikes in 2012 but this year they had failed to flower completely, but they are a species which commonly does this if there is not enough rain early in the autumn.

We again continued on towards Grazalema and on the way had nice roadside views of a couple of male Blue-rock Thrushes (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) and a male Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) along with a dozen or so Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) circling over head.

Southern Polypody (Polypodium cambricum).

We passed through the town just stopping for some lunch on the way up to the pass at Puerto de las Palomas where we parked up and had a short walk down the hill checking the Pinsapo's on the way, we had intended to stake out the water trough near the car park but there were a couple of rather noisy birders there keeping all the birds away. 

On the way down we had several Ring Ouzels ( Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) which were holding back but clearly wanted to get to the water, also seen were Black Redstart, Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), a good sized flock of Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), a single Andalucian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri), lots of Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta), a couple of Brimstones (Gonepteryx rhamni), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Small Whites (Artogeia rapae) and a couple of Painted Lady's. 

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) from Sue's Terrace (not cropped).

We then dropped down into the town of Grazalema again and went into see Clive Muir at the Visitors Center on the main Car park. 

We spent some time there before collecting Sam and heading back to the house, I had a walk in the garden and then Sam and I repaired Sue's garden table before sitting out on the terrace where we watched a group of Griffon Vultures pass by very close to the house. 

Later we settled down to a nice meal and a couple of drinks.

Travelling to and near Grazalema, Cadiz Province.

A trip over to see friends Sue and Sam (Day One).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Jayne and I made a slightly later than planned start on out trip over to Grazalema to spend some time with good friends Sue and Sam and to check out a few bits of the local wildlife whilst there. On the way wepicked up a few species, the best of which were a female Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus), both male and female Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) and Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula).

Blue-rock Thrushe (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius).

Just before Campillos we made a quickly stop at Laguna Dulce but the wind was savage at the site as it had been all the way over and all the birds were tucked in to the reed beds and along the margins. I did however manage to see a good number of White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), lots of  Northern Shovelers (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Black-necked Grebes (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis),  Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

From here we continued our journey over to Sue's but stopped for a very very good menu del dia at a place next to the garden centre just before the main Marbella, Campillos, Sevilla and Ronda roundabout, €8:50 and the food was fantastic. 

We continued on and made our way along the road out to Sue's through the beautiful Cork Oak woodlands and were delayed slightly by a large group of Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) which circled low over the road, I stopped and we both had good views and I cracked off a few shots. Here we also had Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus). We arrived a Sue's a few minutes late and had a drink and a catch up chat, later I had a quick walk around the garden and found several new species for the day list including Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and a flight of three Hawfinches (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes).

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Later in the afternoon we drove down to Grazalema and collected Sam from the Visitor centre in the middle of the town where he had spent the time since school with his dad Clive.
On the way we saw a couple of male Blue-rock Thrushes (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), a male Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and lots more Griffon Vultures. We later headed back to Sue's and had something to eat and spent the evening talking and entertaning Sam.