Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 10th Nov 24.

15W Actinic on the terrace, +

27 Moths of 10 Species.

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

 

6830 Acherontia atropos (Death's Head Hawkmoth).

6496 Evergestis isatidalis x10, 6690a Palpita vitrealis x2, 6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) x1, 6830 Acherontia atropos (Death's Head Hawkmoth) x1, 8328 Nebula ibericata x3, 9206 Cucullia calendulae (Marigold Shark) x2, 9591 Agrochola lunosa (Lunar Underwing) x3, 9648 Aporophyla chioleuca x1,  9724 Polymixis lichenea (Feathered Ranunculus) x1, 10022 Mythimna l-album (L-Album Wainscot) x1, 9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut) x3 and 10096 Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing) x1.

9591 Agrochola lunosa (Lunar Underwing).

9648 Aporophyla chioleuca.

10022 Mythimna l-album (L-Album Wainscot).

9565 Agrochola lychnidis (Beaded Chestnut).

10096 Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing).

Charca del Suarez, Motril, Granada Province, Spain.

A mornings birding with friend Andy down on the coast.

 

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

I met Andy in Granada and we went down to the coast to visit the Charca del Suarez reserve which is unfortunately only open at very restrictive times, on the way we had a flock of several hundred Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) leaving a roost site and heading off south.

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).

Anyway after getting some breakfast we went in and did a loop around the hides starting at Alamo Blanco where we started the list with Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Western Swamp-hen (Calamón Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and a male Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) which Andy saw but unfortunately I missed it.

Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).

We walked to the hide overlooking the Northern end of Laguna del Taraje but it was very quiet and the light was awful so we moved on around to the main hide at Laguna de la Aneas but again the light was bad but we did see Common (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) and Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Red-knobbed (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), lots of Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta) x35+, a few Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x5, Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).

Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata).

Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata).

We  continued on again heading for Laguna del Trébol but we didn't add anything so we went to the hide on the opposite end of the same pool, on the way we heard a couple of Stripe-less Tree Frogs (Hyla meridionalis).

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

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

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

From the hide we had good views of a couple more Western Swamp-hen and heard at least 3 calling Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) but they all remained hidden.

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta).

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta).

At the final two hides we didn't add anything new so we headed off and called in at the area to the rear of the reserve to check the area after Juan Perez had told me that there had been some Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) butterflies seen and he was quite right as we managed to see 6 of the former and 2 of the latter as well as Small White (Pieris rapae) x5 and singles of both Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) before we headed back up to Granada.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

On the way back to the City, we saw a dark morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas) and a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Embalse de Cubillas and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A mornings birding with Juan, a new species for my Granada List and a Year tick.

Ebird List for the Embalse.

Ebird List for the Fields.

Cubillas in the Gloomy cloud.

I met Juan Pérez Contreras just before 08:00, we parked and started a few hours of successful birding which began almost instantly when we found a couple of very smart looking Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) sat up in a Walnut tree with several Common Chaffinches (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

In the same area we added Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Eurasian (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

At this point Javier Gómez González arrived and we went for a walk to another area where we found a few Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Mistle (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) Male.

We walked back towards the cars and just as we reached them we heard a call from the target species and within a minute or two we were watching a cracking male Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) which was a new Granada Province species for Juan and myself but Javier had seen it a few times and was also found the first record, a female earlier in the year.

Unfortunately the bird was flushed by some cyclists and walkers that came through the area, so we went for a walk a bit further along the road into some pine trees and added Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) Male.

We said bye to Javier and then went to another spot where we scanned the main Embalse seeing White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Muscovy Duck (Pato criollo / Cairina moschata), Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and a single Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

Just a little further along the margins we set up again and picked up Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) and during a short walk to another area of Damp woodland we saw Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata).

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

Juan stayed on at the Embalse for a while and I started to head home, on the way I saw Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) sat on different Pylons during the drive and then out on the fields I picked up Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and a good sized flock of Eurasian Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x2, Red Admiral x2, Small (Pieris rapae) x4 and Large White (Pieris brassicae) x1 but nothing else new.

Along the Rio Genil, Huétor Tajar and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A Chiffchaff filled walk along the Rio Genil and then out again along the Lucerne Fields.

Ebird List for the Rio Genil.

 

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) Male.

I started by parking just over the bridge on the Southern side of the Town and walking along the bank of the Genil for a few hundred meters and could soon tell that there had been a huge increase in the number of Common Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) with over 300 being seen during my walk, many of them were still singing which was nice.

I then added Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Eurasian (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) Female.

I walked back up to the road and then continued on through the fields for another couple of KMs seeing Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

A cloudy Sunset.

Later in the day I did a short walk but I didn't see anything of interest.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 7th Nov 24.

15W Actinic on the terrace, +12.5

39 Moths of 17 Species.

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

 

9370 Helicoverpa armigera (Scarce Bordered Straw).

1361 Zelleria oleastrella x1, 3842 Dichomeris acuminatus x2, 4432 Oxypteron schawerdai  x1, 6496 Evergestis isatidalis x3, 6690a Palpita vitrealis x9, 6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) x2, 7504 Watsonalla uncinula (Spiny Hook-tip) x1, 8328 Nebula ibericata x7, 8576 Eupithecia unedonata x1, 9370 Helicoverpa armigera (Scarce Bordered Straw) x1, 9460 Spodoptera exigua (Small Mottled Willow) x1, 9591 Agrochola lunosa (Lunar Underwing) x3, 9651 Aporophyla nigra (Black Rustic) x2, 9724 Polymixis lichenea (Feathered Ranunculus) x2, 9716 Trigonophora flammea (Flame Brocade) x1, 10212 Xestia xanthographa (Square-spot Rustic) x1 and 10343 Agrotis puta (Shuttle Shaped Dart) x1.

Sierra de Loja and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A Sunny but Windy and Cold visit to the Sierra.

Ebird List for the Sierra.

Ebird List for the Fields.

 

Looking south.

I left the house early and went for breakfast down in Huétor before heading along the motorway and then up the wonderful Sierra de Loja, my main objective was to get to the far side of the area to see if I could find the Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) and Alpine Accentors (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).

Looking to the East.

On the way over to the crags I picked up White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis).

Looking to the West.

I arrived in the area but it was surprisingly cold and windy with a heavy cloud over the ridges, I dropped down into the Hawthorn area where I found several Ring Ouzel of the ssp alpestris still feeding in the area but the wind made it difficult to get decent views.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) male of the ssp alpestris.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) male of the ssp alpestris.

Other species seen included a single Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes) which I was not expecting this high at this time of the year, Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Song (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus).

Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes).

Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes).

I started to make my way back toward the upper crags where I spent a couple of hours searching for the Alpine Accentors we saw a few days ago but I only managed flight views but it was of 5 birds instead of the 2 we saw last time.

Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).

I headed back down the hill adding Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), Small White (Pieris rapae) before heading over to Huétor Fields.  

European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

I did a walk from my normal parking spot out to the crossroads and then back again picking up Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 6th Nov 24.

15W Actinic on the terrace, +11

35 Moths of 16 Species.

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

 

3842 Dichomeris acuminatus.

1655 Ethmia bipunctella x1, 3842 Dichomeris acuminatus x1, 4432 Oxypteron schawerdai  x1, 6496 Evergestis isatidalis x4, 6604 Pyrausta aurata x1, 6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) x3, 8328 Nebula ibericata x4, 8576 Eupithecia unedonata x1, 9056 Autographa gamma (Silver Y) x1, 9206 Cucullia calendulae (Marigold Shark) x1, 9433 Caradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow) x1, 9460 Spodoptera exigua (Small Mottled Willow) x1, 9591 Agrochola lunosa (Lunar Underwing) x11, 9648 Aporophyla chioleuca x1, 9724 Polymixis lichenea (Feathered Ranunculus) x1 and 10326 Eucoptocnemis optabilis x2.

6604 Pyrausta aurata.

8576 Eupithecia unedonata.

9056 Autographa gamma (Silver Y).

9206 Cucullia calendulae (Marigold Shark).

9460 Spodoptera exigua (Small Mottled Willow).

9648 Aporophyla chioleuca.

9724 Polymixis lichenea (Feathered Ranunculus).

As I was checking the trap I also found an extra resident in the shape of an African Mantis (Sphodromantis viridis) which had no doubt reduced the Moth numbers during the night.

African Mantis (Sphodromantis viridis).