The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Spent a pleasant 5 day break in Granada with Alison. Despite being a "non-birding" trip and not going out of the city I saw 40 species, the highlights being:-
c15 pairs of Lesser Kestrels nesting in a tower in La Alhambra
4 or 5 Pallid Swifts with the 1000's of Common Swifts
1 Hoopoe
Crag Martins, common
Red-rumped Swallows, common
1 Nightingale
1 Wheatear
3 Blue Rock Thrushes on walls of La Alhambra
4 Cetti's Warblers
1 Subalpine Warbler
Sardinian Warblers, common
2 Western Bonelli's Warblers
2 Firecrests
1 Pied Flycatcher
1 Woodchat Shrike
Spotless Starlings, common
Serins, common
Just shows, never go out without your bins!

_________________
Regards,

Andy.

Andy,
Having lived in Granada's neighbouring province of Almeria from 1999 to 2002, your post brings back many happy birding memories for me. I often visited Granada city and province on birding trips and I can vouch for the interesting variety of birdlife throughout the year. Apart from the magnificent Moorish La Alhambra itself- which should be on everyone's list of "must-see places before I die"-the nearby La Alpujarra mountain range (re Chris Stewart's "Driving over lemons")is a wonderful and underwatched birding area.
If your trip to Granada had been a few weeks later,you could well have enjoyed Bee-eater,Roller,Golden Oriole,Black-eared Wheatear,Alpine Swift and other migrants.The April butterfly list in the area is in excess of 30 species.
Once again,thanks for the memory.

Regards,

Freddy