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.

Sierra de Loja, Granada Province.

A few hour's sat at a quiet spot in the sierra with the camera and Ring Ouzels for company.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).

On the way up I drove straight out to the spot in a quiet valley right on the Southern side of the Sierra and set up a screen across the side of the car by some Hawthorn bushes and waited. I had seen several Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) as I arrived at the site and it did not take long for a male bird to come in to a small rose bush just to the side of where I had planned but I managed a couple of shots but there was some rusty old wire fencing across the bird so they were not great.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).

Before a nice female / 1st winter male came in to the top of the tree where I had put myself and stay long enough for me to get some decent shot. Also in the same area I saw Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax). After a few hours I got the folding chair out of the boot along with some cam-netting Alan had given me and sat in the shade along side the drinking pool near by where the Ouzels were coming down to drink and got some nice shots of male and female birds coming down for the water. They were joined by White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs). At around 13:00 things went quiet so I started to drop back down the hill, on the way up I had actually noted that there was no rubbish at all in the areas around the road and parking spots which is unusual in most places.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).

Whilst I was photographing the Ouzels I had been aware of lots (150+) men and women mountain bikers going along the road away in the distance (even though it was away in the distance I could still hear them clearly!!!) and whilst driving down I was shocked to see the amount of rubbish just discarded by the prats as they passed through this beautiful site. There were energy bar rappers, plastic bottles and other drink containers all the way down the hill, I just do not under stand why they come in to their beautiful countryside and do this?????

Rio Velez, Malaga Province.

Back at the Rio again, still good but not great!!

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta).

Jayne had to sort a few things for a parcel we were sending to Alan so we went back down to Torre and I dropped her off at the shopping centre before heading back out to the river, how things change. The only returning species were one of the two Bluethroats (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) seen a few days ago and the three weirdo's hanging around the bushes, but I pushed on ignoring the undesirables and checked out the reed beds around the beach pool and soon had nice views of a Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and a couple of Reed Warblers (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) which were still hanging around.

Female Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

In the area I also saw several species of Dragonfly, the commonest by far was the Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta), but these were joined by good numbers of Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea), both Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperors (Anax parthenope) and Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii). I then moved out on to the beach after getting brief views of a Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus) which flew in and landed on the shingle bar that seperated the pool from the sea.

Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus).

I got around there to find the bird had been flushed much further along the beach by a fisherman that had just turned up, I did how ever see a very nice female Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) in amongst the Eurasian Coots (Focha Común / Fulica atra) on the pool, also from here I added Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

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

Several flocks of Gulls moved on and off the pool whilst I was there and they were made up mainly of Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) but they were joined by smalled numbers of Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) plus a single 1st winter Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii). On the sea I only saw a few Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and several Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

I then started to head back to the car, on the way I added White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula). On the way home we only added Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and 2 Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Huétor Fields and near Moraleda, Granada Province.

A couple of hour local birding.

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

I started down by the bar and continued on along the raised bank on the Northern side of the Arroyo Vilano checking out the fields and Poplar plantations, on this first stretch I found Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Common Magpies (Urraca / Pica pica), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).

Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).

I continued on to the second stretch of track along the Arroya and soon lengthened the day list with Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus). I retraced my steps along this track and headed out on the track towards the Mesia road, on the fields and in the ditches I picked up a few more species including Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), both Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starlings (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulg aris) the latter seam quite common this autumn, Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

From here I headed out on to the fields near Moraleda and almost straight away located 12 Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) which got up out of a newly ploughed field near the disused Cortijo, also in this area I found Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), a late Tawny Pipit (Bisbita campestre / Anthus campestris), Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Sky (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and a newly arrived male Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus) which was quartering an Almond plantation near the road.

Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

I dropped back down to the A92 and quickly called in at the small pool near the Moraleda junction called Balsa de Rigedor but it was quite quiet and I only recorded Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) before heading home.

Travelling to and at Rio Velez, Malaga Province, Spain.

A cracking couple of hours at the river mouth.

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

I dropped Pippa and Jayne off in the town to have a look around the market and to wander around the shops whilst I went to the Rio Velez where on my last couple of visits I have seen very little but today was much better. I parked down near the pump house and except for a couple of the weirdo's that are usually hanging around here the place was quiet or so I though, after giving the first stretch of river a scan and picking up a few species for the day list including Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and a party of three Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola) which flew east west along the beach and out of sight.

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

As the Pratincoles disappeared another birder came down the river but he missed them and had not seen a great deal else, we had a chat and the moved on along the bank of the river and in to the reed area around the beach pool, in this area we had views of Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and both Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
At this point I stopped to get some views of the Dragonflies that were knocking around and the other chap wander off out towards the beach, the dragons included Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta), Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) and Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii).

Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus).

After a short while I made my way out of the reeds and caught up with the chap again and we flushed a female type Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) out of the Juncus tussucks and into the open on a shaft of Giant Reed along the track, we also saw several Common Waxbills (Estrilda astrild) at ths point we bumped into a German birder but apart from the Pratincoles he had not seen anything else of interest. 

I continued to try and get some shots of this bird while the other birder went on to the beach, after a while I again caught up with himand he told me that there was a dead Gull on the beach with some rings on so I went and removed them and have since sent them off to the coordinators. Out on the beach I picked up Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) and a couple of distant Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) before scanning the river and finding a group of migrating Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) along with a single House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and quite a few of the resident Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Yellow Crowned Bishop (Eucleptes afer).

The other birder then headed off and I continued on to the fields to the east of the river to check out the irrigation channels, during the walk around this area I picked up Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

I then moved back out on to the main river and almost straight away had great views of the first of two Western Ospreys (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) at the site, this first bird made several attempts to catch fish before resting on a nearby pylon where I got a few shots of it. After a while it started to fish again and just out of my sight behind the large stands of giant reeds it was successful and it flew of some distance inland with its catch, whist watching this bird fly off I heard a loud splash just behind me and a second bird had slipped in unseen and made a catch and followed the first one up river.
I then spent some time sat on a log trying to get some shots of the Bluethroat seen earlier but it did not cooperate and remain distant but it was joined by a much brighter male for a shot while but both birds stayed in cover.

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Whilst sitting here an immature male Yellow Crowned Bishop (Eucleptes afer) sat in a Juncus patch for a while and let me get a few shots as did a friendly Zitting Cisticola. One of the Ospreys then returned so I walked out the edge of the river to get some more flight shot and unexpectedly flushed a migrating Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix) from the Juncus and had brief views of a group of three male and a female Penduline Tits (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) which landed in the nearby Giant Reeds 

but before I got the camera around and on to them they flew off east. Other species seen around here included Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata). I was coming close to the end of the time I had before I picked the girls up so I took a short walk up river and picked off a few more species for a good day list including Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and a fly by Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis).

Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

After meeting the girls we went and had some lunch at one of the beach side bars, on the way Jayne pointed out a group of Monk Parakeets building a nest in one of the 1st line palm trees.

On the way home I added a couple more species to the list including Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

I finished the day with 68 species 62 of which were seen on the river which is probably the best total I have had at the site.