Rio Pesquera, Zagra, Granada Province, Spain.

A return to a favourite site for us all.

Steve and Lynn, Day Three.

 

Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).

We headed out towards Zagra via a slightly roundabout way due to the roadworks on the road between Loja and Ventoros de San José but we were soon parked just above the Rio Pesquera where we started things off with two immature Purple Herons (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Corn (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

Purple Heron (Garza Imperial / Ardea purpurea).

We walked down to the water and went off down stream finding Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus), Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii), White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes), Epaulet (Orthetrum chrysostigma), Southern (Orthetrum brunneum) and Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) and masses of Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea).

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

Orange-winged (Trithemis kirbyi) male.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) male.

We turned around and headed back up towards the gorge adding African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua), Large (Pieris brassicae), Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Small White (Pieris rapae), Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) and Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura).

Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) female.

Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) male.

Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) female.

Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) female.

We passed through the gorge and continued on up stream finding some nice bird species which included an immature Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).

Mediterranean Bluet (Coenagrion caerulescens) male.

Mediterranean Bluet (Coenagrion caerulescens) teneral.

White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes).

Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) female.

Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) female.

Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) nymph.

As we walked the river we had several more species of Dragon and Damsel including Orange-winged (Trithemis kirbyi) and Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea) and an immature male Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) and several Copper Demoiselles (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) and several Mediterranean Bluet's (Coenagrion caerulescens).

African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna).

Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto).

Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) immature.

Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus).

Butterflies where also seen and they included Safflower (Pyrgus carthami) and Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides baeticus) and Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia). 

Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) male.

Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) male.

Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) male.

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) older female.

Other species we saw before we left included Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus), Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus), Small Fleabane (Pulicaria vulgaris), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus) and on the way home we added Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Steve getting shots of a Small Pincertail.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) Exuvia.