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Thursday 12 August 2010

Sierra Humilladero, Mollina, Malaga Province.

Peace in the Pine woods,…..

Cicada’s (Tibicen plebejus).
….except for the deafening row from thousands of Cicada’s (Tibicen plebejus). Again we met at the Hotel Elsava, from there we went to a camp site just out of Mollina and started the walk around and over the Sierra del Humilladero. Just as we left the vehicle we passed a small pool of water where several Common Crossbills (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and a Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) were all having a drink. On the climb up several species of butterfly were seen including Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea), Mallow / False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae / tripolinus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla), Small White (Artogeia rapae), Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathsheba), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera). A couple of Dragonflies flew passed but remained as probable Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).
A view from the Sierra.
Out in the open near the highest point a couple of Rock Buntings (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) called as they flew off, along with Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).
The whole area looked as though it would be good for wildflowers and Orchids in the spring but everything was well burnt off at the time of the year. 
The Group.
During the decent down the other side of the Sierra I added Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blue Rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulga / Falco tinnunculus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Great Tit (Carbonero Común / Parus major), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) and Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).
Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathsheba).
Once back at the car we did the stretches and cool down and then made our way back to the hotel, on the way several Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) were seen perched on the roof of a farm building and two White Storks (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) were picked up dropping down into the two of Antequera. I collected the car and headed home adding Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), male Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) on the way.

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