El Turro and the Cacín Valley, Granada Province.

Quality and quantity (92 Species).

Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla).

Dave Jackson a birding friend for nearly 25 years and myself started the day in the Poplar plantaions near the village of Mesia where we heard several Golden Oriole's (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus) singing and saw a pair of Wryneck (Torceuello / Junx torquilla) displaying. Both Common (Urraca / Pica pica) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotraustes) were seen in the woods.

Next we headed to an area of mixed agricultural fields near Moraleda de Zafayona, the first birds seen were a female Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and Greater Short-toed Larks (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla) along with a Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix) calling in the near by crop field. Moving just a few hundred yards down the road and on to a track out into the fields the next bird seen was a fine male Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) in full breeding colours. Whilst we admired him four Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) did a fly past and several Great Spotted Cuckoos (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) chattered nosily in the nearby almond groves and whilst more Calandra and several Greater Short-toed Larks performed above us.

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

We then move further along the Cacín Valley picking up Bonelli's (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) and Short-toed Eagles (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia). At the Embalse de Cacín Green Shank (Archibebe Claro / Tringe nebularia), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and six Black winged Stilts (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) were all feeding on the muddy shore line. Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn (Golondrina Cumón / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) as well as Pallid (Vencejo Pálido / Apus pallidus), Common (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Alpine Swifts (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) all hawked for prey over the lake.
The next stop was Sierra de Loja for a few of the upland species. Rufous-Tailed Rock (Roquero Rojo / Monticola saxatilis) and Blue Rock Thrushes (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) and Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) were all added to the growing day list. Also seen were all three species of Wheatear, Black (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Black-eared (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica) and Northern (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) expected in the area, Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Campestris / Anthus campestris), Spectacled (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata) and Dartford Warblers (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata).

Rufous-Tailed Rock (Roquero Rojo / Monticola saxatilis).

We finished the day off back at the house with a drink and Red-necked Nighjars (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Camprimulgus ruficollis) calling in the olives.