Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

Saturday 24 February 2024

Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk around the Lower loop looking for Orchids.

Ebird List, 34 Species.

4 Orchid Species.

1 Butterfly Species.

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

It had been raining for most of the night and Morning so I was catching up with a few bits on the laptop and after messaging with good friend Sue Eatock about some Orchids she had seen over her way I found a bit of motivation to go for a walk and see if anything new was flowering on my patch.

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

I parked and walked the top end of the loop and cut across through what was left of the Pine woodlands after the recent forestry works and down on to the Northern side of the Quarry finding the first of a 100+ spikes of the variable Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) and 40 or so Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana), Snake's Head Fritillary (Fritillaria lusitanica), Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis) and Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).

Bird wise interesting species included Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus).

Southern Early Purple (Orchis olbienis).

On the top and far end of the loop I found a single Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) as well as more Somber Bee and Giant and added Southern Early Purple (Orchis olbienis) x2 and Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina) x6 including 2 spikes of the pale Variant flavescens.