Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Rio Jándula, La Caracola, Jaen Province, Spain.

Sunday 26 February 2023

Rio Jándula, La Caracola, Jaen Province, Spain.

Day one in the wonderful Sierra Morena.

Ebird List for Rio Jándula.

The Rio Jándula, looking down stream from the dam.

We set off for Andujar and the Sierra Morena where we were going to spend a few days looking for the fantastic Iberian Lynx (lince iberico / Lynx pardina), today however we were not going to the main track but went down to the Rio Jándula.

Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti).

On the way we picked up Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti).

We arrived at the River and parked so that we could sort the cameras and bin's out ready, once we were ready we looked up and the first thing we saw was a Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) butthere was another shape diving around by it's feet which when we got the bin's on it turned out to be our first Otter (Nutria / Lutra lutra) of the day.

A very bad shot of two Otter (Nutria / Lutra lutra).

As we were watching the Otter I heard the call of the bird I had hoped to see, a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) so I diverted from the Otter and did a short search but could not find it.

Hoop-petticoat Daffodil (Narcissus bulbocodium).

As we checked the area near the river bridge I heard the bird again a couple of times but again I couldn't find it but as we stood on the lower bridge we did add Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and then the first of 2 Iberian Imperial Eagles (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) which was being mobbed by a group of Ravens as it sat on a quite distant Pylon.

Meadow Saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata).

A few minutes later a second Iberian Imperial Egale flew in and landed on a Pylon a little closer, giving us amazing views through the scope and as we watched it we also had Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), Iberian Green (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

Steve above the Rio Jándula.

After the Eagle flew off I took the scope back up to the car and as I was putting it away the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker called again and as I turned around to I saw the bird right at the top of a Poplar tree but a few seconds later it was off again.

Presa de El Encinarejo.

We moved up to the other end of the river near the Presa de El Encinarejo, from the bridge we had views of Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).

On the bank on the far side of the bridge we checked the grasslands between the trees we found Brown Bluebell (Dipcadi serotinum), French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), Hoop-petticoat Daffodil (Narcissus bulbocodium) and Meadow Saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata).

Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).

After a while we decided to head for our accommodation at La Caracola and went into the hide where we saw Common Chaffinch, Blue, Great and Crested Tit, Robin, Blackbird, Greenfinch, Iberian Magpie, Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Sardinian Warbler, Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).