Padul, El Temple and Cacín Valley, Granada Province, Spain.

A mornings birding with Juan and a bit more birding on the way home.

Ebird List for Padul.

First snows on Sierra Nevada.

I made my way up to Granada, on the way I started the list with Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and lots of White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

I drove out to meet Juan on the car park infront of the Restaurante Montesol near Padul, I arrived early and scanned the main lake picking up Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), one Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) which was perched and another flying out over the reed beds, Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Juan arrived and we set off around the lake to the left finding the first of lots of Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Up by the visitors centre Juan showed me a spot surrounded by trees and scrub which held loads of birds including loads more Blackcaps, Common Chiffchaff, House and several Spanish Sparrows (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), a couple of Reed Warblers (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), a Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) flew through trying to catch one of the Blackcaps in a fig tree but left hungry and just before we retraced our steps a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) flew over head.

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

We walked back along the same track back to the turning to the bar but went straight on back on to the reserve and followed the boardwalk finding Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) calling but not seen, a single calling Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), several more Spotless Starlings and a few Common Starlings (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) mixed in with the flocks and up over the mountains we also had 3 Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and a smaller raptor but it was too distant for an ID.

At the end of the boardwalk we crossed the road and followed the newly cleared track along side the stream where we had at least 3 Water Pipits (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), a female Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and as we returned to the car we crossed several fields and added Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis) immature.

We reached the car and Juan headed off home and I took to the fields in the La Malaha area on the way home and had soon added Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

I crossed the area between Ventas de Huelma picking up Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) on the way over, an immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) from a view point and quite a few Desert Orange-tips (Colotis evagore) around the Wild Caper (Capparis spinosa).

Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis) immature.

I dropped through the town and then drove up to the Embalse, on the way I had a hunting juvenile Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis) over the Olives, when I reached the lake I parked and scannedwhat was left of the water finding high numbers of Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A short walk along the Arroyo.

 

Misty morning after the rains.

I parked down in the Arroyo and the walked out in the Mesia direction finding Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and around the small Allotment a Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and both Black (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Common Redstarts (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus).

First snow of the winter.

I cut along the track to the bridge over the Arroyo, on the way I had Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), quite a few Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Woodpigeons (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and a
White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

I walked down the road towards town and then cut back towards the bar finding Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and as I walked the last bit I could hear the Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) again but it took a while to find it and I only got on it as it headed off west.

Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) flying west.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

The Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) is still hanging around.

 

Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

I had been down to Mecodona and on the way back I had a quick look on the fields as whilst I was driving around the ring road I saw the Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) from a few days ago fly in and land on the same fields.

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

In the same area there were also several Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

La Linea, Cadiz Province, Spain.

A Spanish Lifer in from the East.

Olive-backed Pipit (Bisbita de Hodgson / Anthus hodgsoni).

I drove down to La Linea i some extreamly wet weather, as much as we need it I could have done with it later in the day but still I arrived before light and sat by the beach for it to stop raining and get light.

Olive-backed Pipit (Bisbita de Hodgson / Anthus hodgsoni).

I walked down to the area in Parque Princesa Sofía where the target bird an Olive-backed Pipit (Bisbita de Hodgson / Anthus hodgsoni) was last seen.
With directions from local English birder Ricky Owen I Walked around the areas of longer grass but I did not see the bird so I waked to another part of the Park where I heard and had a brief view of a Yellow-browed Warbler (Mosquitero Bilistado / Phylloscopus inornatus).

Olive-backed Pipit (Bisbita de Hodgson / Anthus hodgsoni).

The rain continued and I continued to search finding Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Olive-backed Pipit (Bisbita de Hodgson / Anthus hodgsoni).

After a while I sent a message to Ricky to say that I had seen the Yellow-browed Warbler but had not found the Pipit, Ricky returned the message and said he would come and check I was looking in the correct place.

After a short while Ricky arrived on his motor bike and confirmed I was in the right place and typically just a minute or two after he arrived the bird flew up from the long grass and showed well, I think it was so surprised to see Ricky with out Camera and Bins it wanted to check the ID.

Olive-backed Pipit (Bisbita de Hodgson / Anthus hodgsoni).

It showed well and then dropped down again, Ricky went back to work (Thank you Ricky for your help) and I walked back to the car in the rain and collected a chair and tripod and walked back again.

I spent the next 1.5 hours sat in the chair and waited for the bird to pop up again, after an hour and 10 mins it came up and spent some time preenng in the rain. I was happy with the views so I headed back to the car and made my way to Estapona where I dropped some idems off to a friend before driving back home.

Sierra de Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

A wet visit to the Sierra, my first in 18 months.

 

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica).

Monica, Ed and Myself drove up the Sierra, the weather was not very good so we decided to drive straight out to the furthest point on the Sierra Gordon side of the area, on the way we had quite a few Thekla Larks (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Red-billed Choughs (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), lots of Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), more than expected Black Wheatears (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and at least 4 Northern's (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

We reached the crags where we checked the areas of Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) bushes where we had views if not brief of several Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus), as well as a few Blackbirds (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Black Redstarts (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros). I do not expect the thrushes to hang around very long as the erry supple was almost all gone already and can only guess there were not many to begin with.

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

We turned around and at that point we had a few Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), a single Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and a Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) which was feeding in a sheltered spot by one of the Goat herders houses.

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica).

We went back down the hill passed Charca del Negro and then turned right and started to take our way towards the village of Salar so that we could check the other area of Hawthorn bushes but found even less berries and no birds. 

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

We continued on and had superb views of a large group of 30 or so male Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica) which just leasurly wandered up a slope infront of us and away, as we dropped down the hill we picked up Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and then in the more wooded areas Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

9.5KM stroll around the patch with Ed and Monica.

Ebird list for the day.

Morning Cloud.

Ed and I drove down to Huétor and we walked along a track out from the town towards the railway line and we soon started the list with Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotless Starlings (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and along one of the gaps in an Artichoke field Ed had a Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

On the rough fields to our left we found around 90 odd Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and on the opposite field the first of 27 Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and another couple of Stone Curlews.

Bath White (Pontia daplidice).

We continued on and found the first of at least 3 Whinchats (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), a Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) which came up from the irrigation channel and there were several White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), lots of Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and as we turned across the Asparagus fields to the road again a Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) did a fly through.

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

We walked up on to the railway bridge where we saw the winter flock of around 25 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), along with a group of Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) which were following a tractor which was also attracting good numbers of White Wagtails.

We took a track between the fields to keep off the road and had views of Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) which was sat up on a pylon and in amongst the feathery folage of the Asparagus a couple of Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) which dashed around making views difficult.

We got back to the road and continued on up to the bar finding Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and lots of Feral Pigeons (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia) on the old Cortijo.

Small White (Pieris rapae).

We walked out onto the bank of the Arroyo and crossed to the far side where we checked the Lucerne fields where we had a group of Zitting Cisticola's (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) chasing each other out into the reeds near the road, more Meadow Pipits, Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and at the far end near the allotment Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and along the rough track a Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Iberian  (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).

At this point Monica rang to say she was walking down to meet us so we turned around and headed back to the ar where we met her and took the track along the other side of the Arroyo and in the area where there were several fig trees we picked up Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), another Whinchat and several Blackcaps.

Desert Orange-tip (Colotis evagore).

We took the track again along the arroyo and once we reached the part with water we had Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and along the far stretch a couple of Desert Orange-tips (Colotis evagore).
We turned back towards the town and followed the irrigation channels flushing up a couple of Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and as we reached the left turn Ed picked up a Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) in flight so we headed along the track to the area where we thought it had landed, we soon found it and manged to get some shots before returning to the main track.

Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus).

As we continued on we saw the bird fly off west, we continued on back towards the car but added nothing else on the way.

Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) flying West.