Cerro Hacho, Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

A stroll arond the lower loop.

Ebird List.

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

I parked by the dryed out puddle just above the Quarry and walked the loop in a clockwise direction, on the first stretch I started the butterfly list with a single Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus) and a couple of Green Hairstreaks (Callophrys rubi).

Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus).

Bird wise I started with Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes).

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

Further along the track I found a very nice fresh Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) and a single Portuguese Dappled White (Euchloe tagis) which was a new species for me at the site.

Portuguese Dappled White (Euchloe tagis).

Portuguese Dappled White (Euchloe tagis).

As I wandered on I added Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) as well as lots of spikes of over with Fan-lipped Orchids (Anacamptis collina) and just three almost over with Conicals (Neotinea conica).

Aphyllanthes monspliensis.

Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus).

Snake's Head Fritillary (Fritillaria  lusitanica).

As I went down the far side of the Quarry there were lots of spikes of Somber Bee Orchids (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) but they were almost all passed their best but there were still lots of good Southern Early Purple Orchids (Orchis olbienis) as well as a few Mirror (Ophrys speculum) and Aphyllanthes monspliensis, Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus) and Snake's Head Fritillary (Fritillaria  lusitanica).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

In the quarry I heard and then saw a male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), a singing male Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) and an unexpected for the spot a Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae).

Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).

Along the road I didn't see anything, as I walked back up to the car from the bins I picked up Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) along with Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenodes), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana) and  Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) before I reached the car and went home seeing a stunning Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus) and a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).