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Friday 18 December 2015

Travelling to Grazalema, Cadiz Province. Province's.

A visit to Ronda on the way to Sue and Sam's.

Cueva del Gato pool.
We had a leisurely start and headed over to Ronda, on the way we had the usual pair of Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) sat on a roof before we reached Huétor and a little further down the road several Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) with around 50 standing out on a newly ploughed field, Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), a couple of Common Kestrels (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) sat on the wires and both Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) which flushed up off the road. As we past around Huétor Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) were added and between Huétor and the Observatory Penarrubia I picked up Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and around 15 Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus).
Cueva del Gato pool.
Once we were past Campillos we pulled off at the raptor watch point Observatory Penarrubia where I found a couple of Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), several Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and down on the Embalse below there were several Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo). 
Railway bridge on way to pool.
We reached Ronda and had a nice walk around the town and then unsuccessfully looked for some where to have lunch and in the end went just out of the town to a place where we have had good food in the past and we were very happy yet again.
After a nice Lunch we drove out to Cueva del Gato and had a walk across the river to the pool below the cave, on the way we saw Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) as well as singles of Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui). 
Broad-leaved Iris (lirio de invierno / Juno / Iris planifolia).
We drove further on through Benaojan and Montejaque before making a short stop on the far side of Cerro de Tavizna, on the rocks there were lots Broad-leaved Iris (lirio de invierno / Juno / Iris planifolia) along with Southern Daisy (Bellis cordifolia), Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) and a very fresh looking Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychlorus). Birds included Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).
Our last stop before we arrived at Sue´s was just below her house on the Rio Campobuches area where we saw a single Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and Crested Tits (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus) and Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

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