Rio Jándula and La Caracola, Jaen Province and Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

A crack at the Otters and another go at the Woodpeckers.

Looking down the Rio Jándula.

We had breakfast a little earlier this morning and went down to the Rio Jándula and drove straight down to the small bridge near the Dam, almost straight away we saw two Otters (Nutria / Lutra lutra) but they were already under the bridge and heading down the river so we only got distant views.

Otter (Nutria / Lutra lutra).

In the same area we had views of House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Iberian (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), a calling Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and several flocks of Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) which flew over in formation.

Gum Cistus (Cistus ladanifer).

Silene psammitis ??????

Silene psammitis ??????

Spotted Rockrose (Tuberaria guttata).

Steve went for a walk down stream a short way and I walked up the ruin on the hill on the far shore, on the way I saw several Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and a Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) which were sat looking cold on an overhead wire.

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor).

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor).

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor).

There were also quite a few wildflowers in bloom including Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris), Blue Hound's Tongue (Cynoglossum creticum), Brown Bluebell (Dipcadi serotinum), Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus), lof what I think could be Silene psammitis, Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum), Shepherds Needles (Scandix pecten-veneris), Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) and Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum).

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) male.

We dropped back to the main road and parked near the Área recreativa del Encinarejo where we were soon watching a nice male Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) which showed well for quite a while which was calling and drumming in a tall Eucalyptus.

Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

In the same area we had views of Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and a calling Scops Owl (Autillo Europeo / Otus scops).

Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea).

Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea).

We returned to La Caracola and spent a couple of hours in the hide where we picked up Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) but it was quiet so we packed up.

We left La Caracola and I drove Steve's car back to Huétor and then Steve headed off home and I had a walk along the fields but was equally quiet and I only added Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica).

Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica).

I went home and unloaded my kit before going up to Cerro Hacho to look for some spikes of Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica) that friends Linda and Jan had found a few days earlier on a walk there.

Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis papilionacea).

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).

I checked the area and soon found 5 spikes of this stunning plant which was new for me at this site, I also saw Pink Butterfly (Orchis papilionacea), Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea), Mirror (Ophrys speculum),  Giant (Himanthoglosum Robertiana) and Southern Early Purple Orchids (Orchis olbienis).