Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: 2023-02-26

Saturday 4 March 2023

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

Out on the Patch again.

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Down on the Fields again, high lights were 19x Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), 2x Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Friday 3 March 2023

Sierra de Mijas, Malaga Province, Spain.

A brief visit to look for some Orchids but a bit early.

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax).

Steve and I were up early and down at the airport by 08.00 where I dropped him off to catch his flight back to the Uk, as always it was great to spend some time out and about again with Steve.

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax).

On my way back home I went via Sierra de Mijas to look for a few Orchids but it was generally quiet and I only found a few spikes of Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax) x5 and Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina) x12.

Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina).

Thursday 2 March 2023

El Temple, Cacín Valley and Sierra de Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

Out on the Plain, along the Valley and up the Hill.

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).

Steve and I headed out East along the A92 and then on to the fields, on the way there we had two Black-winged Kites (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), one near the junction at exit 225 and another a bit nearer to the fields.

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Once we were out on to the fields we picked up Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

As we dropped down on to the road we added Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), a male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra) and on another nearby track we picked up 14 Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) and our 3rd Black-winged Kite which flew in landed in a small Almond tree for a few seconds and then flew off before either of us reached the cameras which should have been with us, Muppets.

Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).

We returned to the main road and then onto more tracks finding more Great Spotted Cuckoo's which we spent quite a while trying to photograph, Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), 10+ Hoopoes (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), a Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and 2x Long-eared Owls (Búho Chico / Asio otus) which we dropped on luckily as we searched for more Cuckoo's.

Sierra Nevada from El Temple.

As we headed off the site we saw Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and a couple of male Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua).

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Steve decided that he wanted to spend the afternoon up on Sierra de Loja so we headed back to the motorway getting views of yet another Black-winged Kite on the way.

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

We went up the Sierra via the town and then drove out as far as the Casilla del Buitre where we turned around, on the way out we had 2x Golden Eagles (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), another Little Owl which was sat on a track side rock pile and a sizeable herd of Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) which behaved very well for the camera.

Three-leaved Crocus (Colchicum triphyllum).

Narcissus bugei.

Sierra Nevada Crocus (Crocus nevadensis).

At the furthest point we had several Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), a passing Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and as we dropped back down to Charca del Negro a couple of pairs of Black Wheatears (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and a good number of Three-leaved Crocus (Colchicum triphyllum).

On the crags around the Charca we found a couple of Sierra Nevada Crocus (Crocus nevadensis) and quite a few flowering Narcissus bugei.

The Moon from the lower Crags.

As we continued on down we added 2x Small Coppers (Lycaena phlaeas), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and down near the motorway several spikes of Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).

Later we went down to La Fabrica and in to Jose's bar for some food and a few drinks.

Wednesday 1 March 2023

Sierra Morena and La Caracola, Jaen Province, Spain.

Day Four, a morning in the Sunny but again cold Sierra Morena, the afternoon at the Caracola hide.

Iberian Lynx (lince iberico / Lynx pardina), our third sighting.

We were out early again, I started by going down to the hide and topping up the food as we planned to come back later to spend some time there and pay our bill!!! as I walked out there I could hear a calling Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) which was another of the target species.

Iberian Lynx (lince iberico / Lynx pardina).

Once out on sight we swapped places, Steve scanned from the Shelter and I went around the corner to the spot where he had seen the Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis) but I didn't find it so I walked back to the shelter and then on towards the lower shelters and Steve move to his usual spot.

Iberian Lynx (lince iberico / Lynx pardina).

As I walked I got some picture of a large Hoverfly type insect and Angel's tears Narcissus (Narcissus triandus), Jonquil (Narcissus jonquilla), Iberian Milk-vetch (Astragalus lusitanicus), Branched Asphodel (Asphodelus ramosus) and then as I reached the large fire break my eye was drawn to a movement under one of the Oaks which turned out to be a female Lynx which sat with its back to me and would not turn around.

Hooverfly type Species.

I wanted to get Steve on to it so I walked (as this body does not run unfortunately) back to the shelter and got his attention so we were soon back on site but the Lynx was on the move down the bank but we still managed to get some very nice views through the scope and some record shots.

Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) or Lynx food.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

During our time on site we also saw Griffon (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and Cinereous / European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Iberian (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti).

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

Info board at the Shelter.

After the Lynx disappeared we returned to the Shelter where we picked up a pair of Iberian Imperial Eagles, Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and a singing Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea).

Angel's tears Narcissus (Narcissus triandus).

Two happy but cold Lynx watchers.

Other species seen during the morning included Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua), Red Deer (Ciervo común / Cervus elaphus) and Fallow Deer (Gamo común / Dama dama).

Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus).

Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).

Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla).

We gave it until 13.00 and then headed to the bar back at the main road and took some food to the Hide where we set up and took some shots of what came in which included Common Chaffinch, Blue, Great and Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Robin, Blackbird, Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Iberian Magpie, Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and a Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis).