Zapata, Guadalhorce, Malaga Province and around Sierra de Loja, Granada Province.

Granada Wildlifes Tour of Eastern Andalucia and beyond.

Day One of Eleven, pickup day.

After having a great night in Malaga Port and a good breakfast at the Hotel Las Vagas Jayne dropped me at the car hire company and I collected the minibus and then went and found Pam and John just down the road at there hotel before we headed off to Zapata to fill some time before the rest of the party arrived from the UK.

We parked up on the entrance road and whilst Pam got the paints out John and I had a walk long the track above te channel where we started the tour list off with Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), very smart Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) which saw us before we saw it so we only managed flight views, Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).

We then moved on to the area around what was the ford but due to high water levels and damage done during the winter we could not cross so we birded for  while on the near bank and saw Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Squacco Heron (Garcilla Cangrejera / Ardeola ralloides), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), a distant and then a few minute later a closer Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) as well as a Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) which we were shown by one of the ringers there.

Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).

Next we went back to Malaga airport and collected Mike, Nick, Judy, Mike and Lynda before popping over to the mouth of the Guadalhorce to scan the sea but due to the numbers of people on the beach it was quiet. We did however find a flock of 10 Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra), 9 females nd a single male flew in nd sat on the sea which was a most unexpected record for the time of the year. The only other bird of interest was a single Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus) which also had a fly around before going back on to the reserve.

We loaded up again and headed out of Malaga and then North towards Loja and on to a bit of waste ground near the motorway there which has a nice low steep bank at the one end with quite a few European Bee-eaters (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) nesting in it. Lynda picked up a pair of Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) up over the sierra above us and whilst watching these fine birds we also picked out several Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) soaring higher up and some Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and Red-billed Choughs (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) lower down

Pam drawing the heads of the Milk Thistles.

Amongst he surrounding Almonds and Olives we picked out Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

At a nearby site we had great views of several Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) as well as Bath (Blanqiverdosa / Pontia daplidice), Small (Pieris rapae) and Western Dappled Whites (Euchloe crameri) before we went and had a look at the lower quarry on Sierra de Loja. Here we found just Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) before we headed to the Cortijo de Tajar Hotel for the night.

Malaga City, Malaga Province.

A night in the city with Jayne.

We headed off down to Malaga with Brenda and Keith as they were flying back to the UK after a few days staying with us, once we had sorted the drop off at the airport we headed into the City for a bit of shopping before going to our hotel for the night. We decided to stay over as I was heading off on a 11 day tour next day and we would have had to drive back down again in the morning early. 

Once we had checked in we decided to have a walk out to the port and back through the gardens along the main coastal road, during this stroll I had views of Monk (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and Ring-necked Parakeets (Cotorra de Kramer / Psittacula Krameri), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

We returned to the hotel and changed before returning to the port, on the way there I had a bird fly along the beach about 20 meters away from me heading East which I was 100% sure was a Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus) but as the nearest possible popultion was several hundred KM north I can only think that it might be an escaped pet but there have been records in Granada Province in the past so who knows????

We continued on to the port where we had a great evening calling at a couple of bars and having a very nice meal.

Sierra Martilla, Zagra, Granada Province.

Visiting the Visigoths with Jayne, Brend and Keith.

Even though it was blowing a gale and looked like rain we decided to go and have a look for the graves and dolmans up on the nearby Sierra Martilla.

Here are just some general shots of the morning.

Torre del Mar, Malaga Province and Cerro Gordo, Granada Province.

A day on the costa with Jayne, Brenda and Keith.

Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius).

We started off by driving across country between Salar and Velez Malaga, on the way I saw Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Lesser Kestrel (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).

Once down in the town we had a stroll followed by some shopping, then Lunch and another walk. During this time I saw Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

Our next stop was a bit further along the coast at Cerro Gordo where we walked out on to the headland and down to the tower, here I found Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and Barn Swallows, Pallid and Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), House and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) as well as Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and a single Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius).

On the way home I only added a soaring Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor / Hieraetus faciatus) before we got back to the house.

Sierra de Loja and the upper Cacín Valley, Granada Province.

Birding with Erin and Brandt from America.

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

I met Erin and Brandt in Trabuco and we headed out on  road heading towards Sierra de Loja making a couple of stops before reaching the main entrance to the site. The first was just in some roadside woodland / Scrub where we started the day list with Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and at a nearby area of cereal fields we had great views of several Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica).

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) leaving.

Once we were up on the Sierra we started to add more new species, the first of these were in the lowest of the quarries and included Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

A little further along the track we made a stop when I heard several Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) calling from the pine trees, in the same area we also had Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), a fly through Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) and Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla).

Higher up we checked the next quarry area and the entrance track where Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) as well as Pyramidal Orchids (Anacamptis pyramidalia).

European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).

We continued on up the crags and out to the far side of the site but the wind grew as we went and made birding hard going as most species kept their heads down and if they did show it was briefly. However we managed display flight views of the uncommon Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), a fly over Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Iberian / Southern Grey (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) and Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).
We also had Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora) and Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides), for the butterflies and a male Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) which flew around on Charca Negra. As we drove up the hill we also saw single Montpellier (Malpolon monspessulanus) and Ladder Snake (Rhinechis scalaris).
Once we were off the site we went for a spot of lunch and then out on to the fields near to Moraleda where we boosted the list with Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis), Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus), Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) as well as Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) and Bath White (Pontia daplidice).

Relenga de Agicampe, Granada Province.

In an hour on the Terrace

Male Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Melodious Warblers (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and then later in the evening several views of the summering Red-necked Nightjar (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis).