Hacho, Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

First flowering Orchids of the season.

Ebird List.

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

After a downer of a morning I eventually dragged myself out for a walk around the lower loop of Cerro Hacho just up the road, I parked and walked up around the quarry and then back again.

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana) not quite ready yet.

On the way I saw Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra).

Yellow Bee Orchids (Ophrys lutea).

I also found 20 or so spikes of Somber Bee Orchids (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) which were already in flower but the Giants (Himanthoglosum Robertiana) and Yellow Bees (Ophrys lutea) were nowhere near ready.

Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia).

I also saw lots of Broad-leaved Iris's (Iris planifolia) in flower and several of the Almond Trees had flowers on them.

El Purche, Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

Some targets in the mountains.

I left home and drove up through Granada City and then to a spot in the El Purche area where I parked and walked out into the Hawthorn and Rose bushes below the crags, almost striaght away I had the first of 6 Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).

As I walked on I had at least 3 male Yellowhammers (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) in a group of Buntings, there were almost certainly some females in the group but picking them out of the Cirl Buntings (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) as they flew away was not going to happen. 

Other species seen as I walked the loop back to the car included Song (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus),  Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

On the way back home I called and got a load of logs from Bobadilla and whilst I was loading the boot I saw hundreds of Woodpigeons, several Monk Parakeets (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and on the drive home a flock of Jackdaws (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) on a roadside bank.

Around Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk back from the Mechanic's.

Ebird List.

I dropped the car off at the Mechanic's in Ventanueva where they were going to hopefully fully reattach my rear bumper which has been held on to the car by Bailer twine for a few weeks now.

During the walk the highlights were Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), a Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and a nice male Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A short walk of the patch as it was piggin freezing.

Ebird List for the walk.

I did a short walk along the Lucerne fields, high lights were Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), a good number of Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops). The full list is on the link above.

Rambla Morales, Cabo de Gata Salinas, Los Norios in Almeria and Charca Suarez, Granada Province, Spain.

Second Spainsh Lifer in two days but not quite a stunning as yesterdays.

Ebird List from Charca by Vanessa.

 

The rain clouds moving away but there was still very cold wind.

I was off early and after passing through some drizzle on the way there I arrived at Rambla Morales where it was cold, cloudy and very windy but I still went and stood at the end of the main Lagoon at the end of the rambla and scanned through the Ducks looking for the Blue-winged Teal (Cerceta Aliazul / Anas discors) but without any luck.

Sun Rise.

In this area I did find Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Blue-winged Teal (Cerceta Aliazul / Anas discors).

Blue-winged Teal (Cerceta Aliazul / Anas discors).

After a while a chap who's name I didn't came along and said he had seen the Teal briefly further up the rambla where it narrows and most of the Ducks were gathered and after a while I managed to get views of the Teal with a group of Northern Shovelers.

Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta).

Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta).

In this area I aslo had views of Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Lesser Short-toed Lark (Terrera Marismena / Calandrella rufescens) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).

White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala) and a Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina).

White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), a Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and a female Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata).

After getting views of the Teal I waited there for a while but the bird stayed in the reeds so I went for a walk into the dry areas behind me finding at least 6 Trumpeter Finches (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus) but I didn't find the Eurasian Dotterels (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus) that good friend Juan Perez had seen a few days earlier.

Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).

Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).

Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus).

I walked back to the car and then had a drive along the Eastern side of the main Salinas where I struggled to find Slender-billed Gulls (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei) but I eventually found a small group of 5.

Stripe-less Tree Frog (Hyla meridionalis).

From here I went around Almeria to the pools of Los Norios, the last time I was there I thought the place had been cleaned up but it was not to last and it was back to being a grade one S**t hole again but I did managed to see plenty of Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and half a dozen Whiskered Terns (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus) which were a little more surprising.

Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) Male.

I headed further along the coast towards Charca Suarez where I was meeting Juan and Beatriz who were meeting two young ladies from America for a walk around the reserve, I arrived and we all met up and started the evening with a couple of Stripe-less Tree Frogs (Hyla meridionalis). 

Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

We walked up to the New Hide but I didn't add anyhing to the day list here but in the next one we had the first of several Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) and from the main Hide Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

After a while I headed off ahead of the others as I wanted to get some time in the hide where the Moustached Warbler (Carricerin Real / Acrocephalus melanopogon) had been seen previously but when I got to the first hide it was full so I went around to the far side of the pool where the hide was empty and I found a very nice male Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and then the Moustached but just for a few seconds before it disappeared again.

Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).

The other caught up with me and we went around to the next hide where we had more Ferruginous Ducks, a male Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera) and Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) before we made it to the exit just in time for Manu to let us out and lock up.

Castillo Sohail, Fuengirola, Guadalhorce, Malaga Province and Sierra de Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

A Spanish lifer down on the Malaga Coast.

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

I drove down to the Castillo Sohail on the Southern side of Fuengirola where I was hoping to see a fine male House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari), I arrived and found Luis Alberto Rodriguez already there but he had not found anything at this point.

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

House Bunting (Escribano sahariano / Emberiza sahari).

As I walked around I started the day list with Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

After about an hour or so another birder picked the bird up out on the grass to the SW of the Castle and after getting brief view it flew off down the slope and as I walked down to the area I met good friend Andy Patterson and we watched the bird for a while before Andy headed off and a short while later I went along the coast to Guadlahorce.

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).

Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus).

I parked by the Church and walked in towards the reserve, I crossed the bridge and to the hide over looking Laguna Escondida, on the way I saw Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and from the hide where I met Barbara, Barbara, Derek and Jerry I saw Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) but the Velvet Scoter (Negrón Especulado / Melanitta fusca) remained elusive.

Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).

I walked around to the hide over looking Laguna Grande finding Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata).

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

I walked back to the car and drove back towards the house but called in at Sierra de Loja and checked out the two lower Quarries and then drove up to the top bend, at all three sites I picked up Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and a nice Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

4 more Year birds.

I had a short walk along the Lucerne fields before I went to Loja to get my booster Covid Jab, I found good numbers of Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), half a dozen Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) and a Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) which had been around all winter. 

As I drove towards Loja I also found 20 or so Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) on their usual field near the town.

Near Alcázar de San Juan, Laguna Navaseca, Castilla la Mancha, Spain.

Travelling back home from the North.

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

I left Santo Domingo de Silos at 06.00 and headed south towards Aranda de Duero and a KM or so before I reached the Motorway south I had a Tawny Owl (Cárabo Común / Strix aluco) fly across the road in front of me and as I went South around Madrid I started to see Red Kites (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).

Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus).

My first birding stop was in a vast agricultural area in the area around Alcázar de San Juan where with the help of an Ebird report I found 4 Eurasian Dotterel (Chorlito Carambolo / Eudromias morinellus), several Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), 2x Stock Doves (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas) and a flock of around 40 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata) but as I watched these beautiful birds I could hear more calling in flight and over the next 10 minutes I watched more arrive until there were more than 100 birds in several groups on the cereal fields around me.

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata).

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Ganga Ibérica / Pterocles alchata).

In the same area there were a few Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis).

After a very sucessful start to the day I hit the road again and headed to Laguna Navaseca, on the way I saw Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).

I parked and started the walk around the agoon by having a look from the nearby hide where I was soon watching a fine male Ring-necked Duck (Porrón acollarado / Aythya collaris) which was my second of the year, at least 4 Ferruginous Ducks (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala).

I moved from the hide and walked down the righthand side of the pool along the road where I added Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), a group of 6x Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), 1x Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and from by the first screen on the far track I had a very vocal Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), 4x White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala) and an elusive male Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

A camera shy Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica).

I returned to the car and drove back home, as I was unpacking the car a Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) flew into the garden and called making it 177 for the year by the time I got home.