Out Orchid hunting at a couple of sites and a walk with Paqui again later.
Ebird List for the fields.
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| Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea). |
I started the day by driving out to a spot in the direction of Granada, once I was on site I soon found 7 spikes of the uncommon
Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea) which were stunning, I also found
Mirror (Ophrys speculum),
Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea),
Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera),
Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata), Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus),
Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus),
Small-fruit Pheasant's-eye (Adonis microcarpa) and
Roemeria sicula.
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| Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea). |
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| Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum). |
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| Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea). |
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| Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea). |
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| Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera). |
Also seen were
Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula),
Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala),
Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla),
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris).
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| Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta). |
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| Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta). |
Back down the hill I spotted again where I had been with friends last year looking for the
Lady Orchids in the wrong place finding several some spikes of the
Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta),
Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Small White (
Pieris rapae),
Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) and several
Painted Lady's (Vanessa cardui).
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| Small-fruit Pheasant's-eye (Adonis microcarpa). |
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| Roemeria sicula. |
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| Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus). |
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| Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus). |
I moved on but went up the hill and the slightly longer route back to the A92, on the way I saw
Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster),
Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
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| Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora). |
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| Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora). |
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| Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora). |
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| Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora). |
I reached the motorway and then went to a site near Moraleda to check in on the Dark Spider (Ophrys incubacea) and Bumble-bee Orchids (Ophrys bombyliflora) which were both nicely in flower along with good numbers of
Mirror and
Yellow Bee.
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| Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea). |
Around this spot I also recorded
Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata),
Eurasian (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and
Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki),
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica),
Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia),
European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and
Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
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| The Sun through the Calima. |
I arrived to find the
Monty's were quite active and after a few scans I sorted out that there were at least 6♀ and 5♂ birds in the area as well as
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa),
Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus),
Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius),
Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus),
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua),
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla),
Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum),
Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola),
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Spanish (Yellow) (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and
White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba),
Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and at least 8+
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).
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| Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) ♂. |
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| Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) ♂. |
Back at the car I sat down near the end of the migrant fence picking up a couple of year list birds, a ♀
Whinchat (Tarabilla Norteña / Saxicola rubetra) and a
Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis).
At around 19:30 Paqui arrived, we again had a walk out to the gate and back, it might be my imagination but I think we used the translators a little less tonight, mostly because Paqui forgot her phone and mine wouldn't work 😃😃😃😃 but we still managed to chat and laugh before heading home.
