Sierra de Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

Up my favourite hill for a day with Anita from Granada.

The view out West towards Archidona.

After an hour of pain with Rafa the Physio who is helping to sort my back out I met Anita at the Cortijo de Tajar where we had a Coffee / Tea before heading up onto Sierra de Loja for a look round.

The view East to Sierra Nevada.

It was somewhat cloudier than I had hoped but we still managed a few nice species including the uncommon Three-leaved Crocus (Colchicum triphyllum), lots of Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia), Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), Arisarum simorrhinum, Erodium primulaceum and Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).

Three-leaved Crocus (Colchicum triphyllum).

Three-leaved Crocus (Colchicum triphyllum).

Three-leaved Crocus (Colchicum triphyllum).

Birds were quiet but included Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus),  Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).

Erodium primulaceum.

Erodium primulaceum.

Fern Species.

Other species seen were Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).

Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

Back by the puddle.

Ebird List.

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

I parked by the Puddle on Hacho again to see what came down to have a drink and as on the last visit it was the Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) but this time there were two of then and they drank but then became very agitated, at first I thought it was me but then I saw a male Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) sat in one of the Pine trees.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Male.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Male.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Male.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Female.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Female.

Things went quiet after a while once the Squirrels cooled off and some more birds came down including a White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) which picked around on the edge of the water but all of a sudden the Squirrels kicked off again and then a big shadow came across the pool as the Sparrowhawk dived for the White Wagtail which thankfully slipped away into the Amond tree.

Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris).

Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).

Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Once things cleared the birds started to come back including 3 Bramblings (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater).

Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).

Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

Other species seen but that did not come in for the Camera included Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Song (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus),  Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Rock (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

As I was sat there I also saw a couple of Cleopatra's (Gonepteryx cleopatra) and a Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) Male.

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk along the Lucerne Fields and then out passed the Poplars.

Ebird List.

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla).

I went for a walk after popping to the Post Office, I parked by the Arroyo in my normal spot and walked out passed the Poplar plantation, highlights included Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), 2 big flocks of Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) totalling almost 300, Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), at least 39 Bramblings (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago).  Full list is on the link in the title. 

Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos).

Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk on the lower loop and then a couple of hours watching the birds coming in for a drink at the Puddle.

Ebird List.

 

Almond Blossom.

I started by going for a walk as the area where the puddle is was still in heavy shade, almost straight away I could hear Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and further along the track Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), several Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) and all around the site there were lots of signs of Wild Boar (Jabalí / Felis silvestris) including rooting, a wallow and lots of rubbing trees.

The Wallow.

Rubbing Tree.

At the furthest point of my walk I found several spikes of flowering Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) as well as a couple of Almond Trees covered in Blossom.

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

I walked back along the same route and parked the car in a slightly different spot from the last time which gave me a better angle on the surrounding Almond trees which paid off really well as I got some nice shot of the birds up off the mud.

Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).

As usual the first bird in was the Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), well infact 3 in total which spent the whole of my stake out chasing each other around the spot.

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) Male.

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) Male.

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) Male.

Next came a couple of very smart Red Squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris), Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) x2 Males, Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).

Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) Male.

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) Male.

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) Male.

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) Female.

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) Female.

I was getting some shots of a couple of Siskins (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), a larger shape dropped in next to them which turned out to be my first Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes) of the year putting me on 216.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Male.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Female.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Male.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Female.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Male.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Female.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) Female.

As I sat there more birds started to come in but not all stayed long enough to get the camera on them including Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).

Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).

Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes).

Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).

Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater).

Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

After a while I packed up and dropped back down to the parking spot amongst the Almonds where I had another walk to loosen up the legs after being sat for a bit and I found some spikes of Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea) and patches of the very small Erophila verna.

Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea).

Erophila verna.