Huétor Tajar, Granada Province.

Garden visitors.

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) female.

Again I spent an hours or so in the hide and managed a few nice shots of some of the regular and common species including Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) at least 8 birds, Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) female.

Other birds seen or heard were Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) female.

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) male.

Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) male.

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) male.

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) female.

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) female.

Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) female.

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

South of Campillos, Fuente de Piedra, Malaga Province and El Jau, Granada Province.

A visit to a new spot and the unsuccessful chase for a couple of year ticks.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Jayne and I headed over to the west and into Malaga Province to visit a shop near Campillos and then we went to a spot nearby where we had great views of around 200 Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus). 

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Thanks to some info from Derek Etherton we were able to watch these huge birds close up as they were coming down to a feeding station where there were a few quite newly dropped pig carcasses for the to get there heads into !!!

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

In the same area we picked up Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Iberian / Southern Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and most surprising a very late female Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

We moved on to the fields to the south ad west of the almost dry Fuente de Piedra lake looking for a Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) which was probably the biggest hole in my year list at this point but we dipped but did see Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo). 

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

We popped in to the visitors centre where I had a quick look at the back lagoons from the mirador near the carpark and saw Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Around at the main mirador I scanned the main lagoon and soon found quite a few wintering Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus), quite a few more Greater Flamingo's, Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

We then left the reserve and headed to Salinas where we again had another really good menu del dia at the Hostal / Restaurante Mejias, on the way we saw Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

Tobacco Barn.

After enjoying lunch we headed up to Granada and then back out to Santafe where we were able to get the item we had hoped to collect from Campillos and then out on to the fields nearby where we looked around an area where there were lots of the old wooden Tabacco barns. 

Tobacco Barn.

In this area I was hoping to find a  Barn Owl (Lechuza Común / Tyto alba) but again I dipped so the year list remains at 297.

Tobacco Barn.

Inside a Tobacco Barn.

The setting sun through the Poplars.

A view over the fields.

Huétor Tajar, Granada Province.

Another couple of hours in the garden hide.

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) ♂.

I sat down on the lower terrace in the hide for a couple of hours and I was quite pleased with the results particularly when 8 Siskins (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) dropped in for a drink, the group was made up of 5♂♂ and 3♀♀.

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) ♀.

There were also good numbers of ♂♀ Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), ♂♀ Blackbirds (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), a Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), ♀ Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), ♂♀ House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and ♂♀ Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) all of which sat for the camera. 

Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

Other species seen or heard included Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), ♂ Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor). 

Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) ♀.

Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) ♀.

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) ♂.

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) ♂.

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) ♀.

♂ Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) ♀.

Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos).

Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) ♀.

Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

An hour or so in the garden hide.

 

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) female.

Later in the day I set the hide up and managed some shots of Eurasian Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus). I also heard and saw Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), European Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Eurasian Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), Eurasian Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) and a male Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum).

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) male.

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) female.

Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) male.

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) male.

Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) female.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 15th December 2017.

15W Actinic on the terrace.

4 Moth of 4 Species.

Any corrections, PLEASE send me a comment on the post, thanks.

Allophyes alfaroi.

The moth trap produced just 4 moths of 4 species, they included a new insect Allophyes alfaroi x1 along with Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut) x1, Nebula ibericata x1 and Rhodometra sacraria (The Vestal) x1.

Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).

Sierra de Loja and Huétor Tajar, Granada Province.

A day with 19 members from the Andalucian Bird Society.

I met Bob, Derek and Barbara, Jerry and Barbara, Christine and Paul, Elaine, Claudia, Ron, Maureen and John, Lindsay and Liz, Bob and Noreen, Peter and Helen and Mick at the Abades service area just off the A92 on the motorway heading towards Granada where we had a large flock of 77 Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) fly over the car park before the meeting started. Right on time we set off up the hill and made a brief stop at a pull in amongst the pines, as we got out of the cars I could hear a Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla) but we could not find it, we did however see Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), a small covey Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) which few through the trees, a tacking Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), 40+ Woodpigeons (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and a pair of Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) which crossed the track and showed well in a dead bush.

From this point we drove straight over to the far side of the site and parked just above the first of the Hawthorn bushes and walked south along the track where we soon picked up the first of 40 to 50 Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) some from both the Northern European and Pyrenean races. 

Along the crags above the track we had several Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) which were feeding in very close to the cliff faces at high speed and lower down on the rocks below there were both male and female Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), lots of Blackbirds (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) which were also taking advantage, Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

We dropped to bottom of the first gulley with crags on the left and a wide open upland meadow on the left, here we saw the first of a good number of Thekla Larks (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) one of which sat on a roadside rock for quite a while giving us time for good views. We also picked up a Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), both male and female Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), a male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) which sat amongst the Ring Ouzels on a lager rocky outcrop, Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and a couple of groups of Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) calling as they past over head.
The drivers walked back to the cars and then met the rest of the group slightly further along the track and the we all continued on foot again. All the time we were seeing more and more Ring Ouzels but as we reached the next area of Hawthorns I heard the call I had been hoping for, it came from a Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris) as it flushed off along with several Ringed Ouzels as we approached. I had bad views of the bird along with a couple of others in the group but others had a better veiw later as it sat briefly in a bush.
At the far end of this walk we scanned the cliffs and Derek eventually picked up a couple of very distant Alpine Accentors (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris) as they collected water from the leaking cracks in the cliffs.
Next a group of Red-billed Choughs (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) came in over a nearby ridge and whilst watching these Elaine had brief views of an immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) before it dropped out of sight over the ridge. In the same area we had a couple of Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) which were also drinking from cracks in the rocks, several Jackdaws (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) soaring in amongst the Red-billed Choughs and as we walked back towards the cars we watched Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) feeding on the dead thistle heads along the side the track, two or three Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) and several Song Thrushes (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) were in the tops of the Hawthorns, a single Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) which flew away up towards the top of the ridge, a Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) which was being mobbed by several Crag Martins and a male Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica) which ran across the fields below us. 
Once we reached the cars again we started to drive back down the hill but stopped briefly at the pools at Charca del Negro picking up Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).
Further down the hill we had an Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) sat on rusty fence post and rocks near the substation, a female Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) fly up and then perch on a small bush giving us some nice views, a Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) which flew across the track and under the track fence and several Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) which crossed the road and moved through the roadside Pine trees.
Our last stop on the way down was at the end of the track to the lower disused quarry where we checked the crags but found nothing new.
We collected the cars that had been left at the bottom of the hill and headed towards the Cortijo de Tajar where some of the group (more than expected!!!) were having a menu del dia, the rest of the group headed out to a spot on the Northern side of the town where they had their food and the walked a track out into the fields. After rather a longer than wanted lunch break we regrouped after loosing almost 2 hours birding time on the track where Derek told me about a female Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) and a Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) they had seen whilst we were away (packed lunches for everyone next year!!!!).
As we walked the track to catch up with the others we had an African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna), Bath White (Pontia daplidice) and several Small White (Pieris rapae). On the nearby chainlink fence we found good numbers of Serins (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), House Sparrows (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Goldfinches and a single Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus). A little further out on to the fields we scanned the ridges in the Asparagus, Garlic and other crop fields, we soon had the first of around a 100 or so Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and when a couple of dog flushed everthing in the area we had great views of several hundred Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) in amongst the Northern Lapwings and some calling but unseen Golden Plovers (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaria). On the far fields we heard and saw several Crested Larks (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).
We returned to the cars and went around to another spot on the western side of the site where we soon had good views of a group of 30 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which were soon joined by another 7 birds which flew in as we watched. The female Hen Harrier which had been seen earlier then put in another appearance and gave us good views before move across to the eastern side of the site. In the area we also saw several Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), a flying Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and a female Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus). Unfortunately I had to leave the group to there own devices just after 17:00 but hope everyone had a good day and enjoyed my local patch as much as I do.

El Faro, Fuengirola, Malaga Province.

A few hours down on the coast.

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

I dropped Jayne off in the centre of Fuengirola for a bit of shopping and went just along the coast to the beach and sea watch hide near the Lighthouse at El Faro.

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

Birds seen included 11 immature and 39 adult Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), 39 Balearic (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) and 6 Cory's Shearwaters (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris diomedea), 3 Great Skuas (Págalo Grande / Stercorarius skua), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) x1, Kentish (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) x3 and a single Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) which was carrying a couple of colour rings, Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).

Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) with colour rings.

Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus).

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

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

Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).