Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Zafaraya area and Sierra de Loja's Western slopes, Granada Province.

Friday 19 April 2019

Zafaraya area and Sierra de Loja's Western slopes, Granada Province.

Butterflies, Orchids and Birds.

Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).

I made my down to Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and at the cliffs near Zafaraya where I stopped briefly a dozen or so Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and in the town House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).

Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).

I sorted the box and then drove back up the hill to Zafaraya and took the Loja road and stopped in an area of abandoned Almond Groves where as soon as I got out of the car I could hear several singing Bonelli's Warblers (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) in the Oaks at the to of the field so I went and had a look and got some good views as two males chased each other around me.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

As I walked around there were thousands of Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea) spikes as well as a few Mirror ( Ophrys speculum) and Conical (Neotinea conica).

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).

I walked further along the terraces and found good numbers of Giant (Himantoglossum robertiana), Pink Butterfly (Orchis Papillionacea) but most pleasing were two spikes of Man Orchid (Orchis anthropophora) which is a species I had not seen on this site for 10 years since a single spike stopped flowering.

Orphean Warbler (Curruca Mirlano / Sylvia hortensis).

There was also a singing male Orphean Warbler (Curruca Mirlano / Sylvia hortensis), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis Papillionacea).

Butterflies started to fly in the warmth and I soon found several species including Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Large White (Pieris brassicae), Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) and Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

Mirror Orchid ( Ophrys speculum).

I walked back to the car and then drove north to some fields where I sat in the car and watched 12+ Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), some of which came in quite close giving me the chance of some shots.

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

In the same area I had Corn Buntings, Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

My last stop was in the Almond Groves near to Moraleda where I checked a spot for some more Orchid species and found Bumblebee (Ophrys bombyliflora), Dark Spider (Ophrys incubacea), Somber Bee (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) and Sawfly Orchids (Ophrys tenthredinifera) as well as a couple of Common Kestrels (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), European Bee-eaters and a noisy Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).