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Thursday 7 April 2022

Cerro Hacho, Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

An afternoon walk around the lower loop.

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).

After another morning of work on the house I decided to go for a walk so I drove just up the hill and parked just off the San José road where I walked up across the South facing slope finding Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri), White Asphodel (Asphodelus macrocarpus), Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea), Linaria tristris, Ranunculs spicatus ssp blepharicarpos, Ornithogalum algeriense, Spring Rockcress (Arabis verna), Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata), Field Madder (Sherardia arvensis), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), Southern Red Bartsia (Parentucellia latifolia), Hare's-foot Plantain (Plantago lagopus) and Bellis microcephala.
White Asphodel (Asphodelus macrocarpus).
White Asphodel (Asphodelus macrocarpus).
White Asphodel (Asphodelus macrocarpus) and Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli).
On these slopes I also had good numbers
Mirror (Ophrys speculum) and Yellow Bee Orchids (Ophrys lutea).
Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).
Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).
I continued on around the top of the Quarry and along the lower track apsssing the puddle where I was getting some nice bird shots during the winter and around the loop to the far sid of the quarry.
Ornithogalum algeriense.
Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata).
Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea).
On the way I picked up 2
Green Hairstreaks (Callophrys rubi), Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua), Iberis pectinata, Tassel Hyacinth (Muscari comosum), Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and my first European Bee-eaters (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) of the year.
Bellis microcephala.
Linaria tristris.
Iberis pectinata.
Around the far side of the walk there were hundreds of spikes of Southern Early Purple Orchids (Orchis olbienis), Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri), Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).
Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).
Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).
I reached the top edge of the quarry on the far side and cut across to the main track again, on the way I watched a very smart male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) singing from the crags and added Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera) and Giant Orchids (Himanthoglosum Robertiana), Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla) and Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata).
Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).
Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).
I returned to the car and went back to the house, on the way I saw a couple of Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and in the garden listened to a singing Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos).

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