Sierra de Loja, Granada Province.

Last day for the year list.

Sue, Sam, Jayne and I headed up the Sierra de Loja, driving straight over to the far side of Charca del Negro where we checked the crags and hawthorn bushes for birds. 

On the way we saw a very nice male Spanish Ibex (Cabra pyreaica hispanica), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).

As soon as we arrived amongst the hawthorns we had good numbers of Ring Ouzels ( Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus), Blackbirds (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), 3+ Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) and the biggest surprise was a single Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris) which flew calling from the trees up into the crags and out of sight.

We had a walk along the track and counted 20 / 30 Ring Ouzels, Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and 2x Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia). We parked and tried to get some shots of the Ouzels but managed just a distant shot. Whilst we were in the car Sue had views of the Fieldfare but I missed it this time.

We started to move back down the hill but called in at the Goat / Fossel Cave and took some shot of the Icicles which were coming down from the roof of the cave. In the same area we had a single Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella modularis), two more Black Wheatears, more Rock Buntings and Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

We next stopped at the pools and had a look at the nearby crags but we did not add anything new but the views were superb.

We dropped down to the lower slopes seeing Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and a fine Red Squirrel (Ardilla común / Sclurus vulgaris).

From here we went home and then on to friends Lesley and Allans for a few hours get to gether for the New Year.