Bobadilla, Arroyo Marin, Malaga Province and Sierra de Loja, Granada Province.

Birding on the fields, in the woodlands and up the mountains.

Day one with Bob Ruvolo from New York, USA.

Bob up on Sierra de Loja.

I met Bob at the AVE station just to the West of Antequera and we started birding almost straight away on an area rough grassland with a few reedbed stands. From the roadside we started the trip list off with Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), a female Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

We walked out on to the fields and around the reedy patches, we had good views of a flock of Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), several Reed Warblers (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and in the air there were good numbers of migrating hirundines which included Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).

Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).

On our way to our next site at Arroyo Marin we picked up Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

We arrived at Marin and walked along the river valley scanning the trees and bushes for passerines and soon picked up Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cyanus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), both Pied (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) and Spotted Flycatchers (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and at the far end of the valley bird of the day a very smart Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis) which moved through the pine trees on the river side bank.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

On the way back to the car we added Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes).

Some clouds from Sierra de Loja.

We again headed back towards Huétor and up on to our last spot Sierra de Loja, we started off by having a look at the small disused quarry were Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) were added to the list. Further up and beyond the crags we had nice views of Northern (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and Black Wheatears (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) as well as Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and Small White (Artogeia rapae).