Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Charca Suarez, Turtle Dove Alley, Cerro Gordo and El Temple, Granada Province, Spain.

Sunday 20 September 2020

Charca Suarez, Turtle Dove Alley, Cerro Gordo and El Temple, Granada Province, Spain.

Reptiles, Butterflies and Birds.

Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).

We set off for the coast and arrived at Charca in good time, we made our way straight to the best area for Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon), on the way we had White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and then when we got to the spot the first of at least 5 Chameleon's.

Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).

We got lots of photo's before going back to the car, on the way I had a quick look in the hide finding Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata).

Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).

We drove around to the area known as Turtle Dove Alley but it has become nothing more than a dumping ground so we did not stay in the area long but before we turned right at the end we saw Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) and after we turned we had Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon).

We also had a few butterflies mostly nectering on the Lucerne fields, species included Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Small White (Pieris rapae), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides baeticus), Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and a few Plain Tigers (Danaus chrysippus).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

Once we all had photographs of the Tigers we moved on to Cerro Gordo where we checked the slopes for Two-tailed Pashsa (Charaxes jasius), we saw several but they all just flew straight passed and away.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

There was also a Vagrant Emperor's (Anax ephippiger) zipping up and down the road and a Red-Rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) which was calling from on a wire next to the road.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

I had a walk up to the bar adding House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

We drove back North and finished off the day out on the fields near La Malaha, as we drove out on the fields we had Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) 2 female and one male, 2x Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

We also had lots of Bath Whites, Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and on the way back to the house we had a couple of Ocellated Lizards (Timon lepidus).