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Tuesday 20 April 2021

Sierra de Loja and Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A day up on the Sierra and a short walk along the Arroyo.
 
Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica) Male.
I drove up on to the Sierra via the Service area and then right the way out passed the far crags and down into the furthest valley.
Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica) younger Male.
On the way over there I picked up Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) in the Pine woods, Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and a Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus).
Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica) Male.
In the last few pines there was a small flock of
Iberian  Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and up along the crags a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) sat on road side rocks and a trio of Thekla Larks (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).
Western Orphean Warbler (Curruca Mirlona / Sylvia hortensis) Male.
As I continued out across the tops I added Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and the first of several male Northern Wheatears (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) which were passing through the area as this one of the three species does not breed here.
Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).
Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).
I drove passed the far crags and out into the valley at the far end of the track where I could hear at least 4 male
Western Orphean Warblers (Curruca Mirlona / Sylvia hortensis) singing from the Oak trees, as well as several Woodchat Shrikes (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus) and a nice male Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans).
Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).
Andaluz Storksbill (Erodium primulaceum).
In the same area I found
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Andaluz Storksbill (Erodium primulaceum), Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus) and Southern Red Bartsia (Parentucellia latifolia).
Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica) Male.
Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica) Male.
Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica) female.
As I drove back towards the far crags I had views of Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and along the crags Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).
Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).
Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) immature.
Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).
I parked by Charca Negro and walked around the pools finding Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) and in the pool several Sharp-ribbed Salamanders (Pleurodeles waltl).
Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) Male.

Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia).

Iris Subbiflora.
Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).
I dropped just down the track to a small dell in the rock where I had a walk around finding my first
Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe) of the year as well as Erodium cheilanthifolium, Iris Subbiflora and Blue Hedgehog Broom (Erinacea anthyllis) flowering amongst the Limestone pavement.
Erodium cheilanthifolium.

Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) Male.

Also seen as I walked around were
Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Andalucian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri),  Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera),  Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), Linaria tristris, Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata) and Wild Peony (Paeonia broteri).
Andalucian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri) Female.
Andalucian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri) Male.
I continued on down the hill and Stopped along the crags to check the wild flowers finding
Chaenorhinum villosum subsp. granatensis, Buckler Mustard (Biscutella frutescens), Ranunculs spicatus ssp blepharicarpos, Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), Starry Clover (Trifolium stellatum), Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata) and Navelwort (Umbilicus rupestris).
Paeonia broteri.

Ornithogalum algeriense.
I drove up the narrow track to the middle quarry where I parked and had a walk back down the hill, along the way I found
Wild Tulip (Tulipa sylvestris), White Mignonette (Reseda Alba), Viola dementria, Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa), White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera) and a few spike of Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalia) which will need another couple of weeks before they will be in flower.
Dianthus boissieri ???????
Wild Tulip (Tulipa sylvestris).
As I walked I also had Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus).
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).
Small White (Pieris rapae).
Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia).
I finished on the hill and went for a walk along the edge of the Lucerne fields where I finished the day off with
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), a male Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) as well as Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia) and Small White (Pieris rapae).

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