Sierra de Morena, Andujar, Jaen Province, Spain.

The last day in Sierra de Morena.

Ebird List for La Lancha.

 

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

We again had a nice easy start but headed straight up to the La Lancha area where we spent the next 7+ hours along the track down as far as and just passed the mainly abandoned Poblado de La Lancha village.

Brown Bluebell (Dipcadi serotinum).

Lesser Snapdragon (Misopates orontium).

We spent the first few hours right at the start of the main viewing area where we saw Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Griffon (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and Cinereous / European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus), Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti), a male Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) and a big female Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis) which did a big wide loop around us.

Cinereous / European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).

Cinereous / European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).

We also saw quite a few wildflowers including Brown Bluebell (Dipcadi serotinum), Lesser Snapdragon (Misopates orontium), Iberian Milk-vetch (Astragalus lusitanicus), Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata), Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), Gum (Cistus ladanifer) and Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Meadow Saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata) and Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum).

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

Other species were Red Deer (Ciervo común / Cervus elaphus), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua), Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) as the morning went on the low cloud, fog or whatever the correct term is rolled in and visibility was reduced to virtually nothing so we decided to have a drive down towards the dam and look for a couple of Orchids which another group of Brits (Kath, Steve and Mick) had told us about.

Oaks in the Mist.

French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) with a foggy back ground.

Art work done by Anna before the fog came in.

We got down there and again saw several spikes of Champagne (Orchis champagneuxii) and Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera), we also (from the directions from Kath) found a very smart spike of Pink Butterfly (Orchis papilionacea) and whilst searching for this we spotted a very smart spike of Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax).

Champagne Orchid (Orchis champagneuxii).

Champagne Orchid (Orchis champagneuxii).

Champagne Orchid (Orchis champagneuxii).

We also found Wild Grape (Muscari neglectum) and Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa), Palmate Anemone (Anemone palmata), Common Vetch (Vicia sativa), White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum), Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum baeticum) and Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

We headed back up to the main Lynx area but spent some time at another view point but with the same results but we did add Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla),Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and a fly over Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes).

Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis papilionacea).

We started to make our way back to La Caracola, on the way back we saw and heard Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla) and another Pink Butterfly Orchid which was surprising growing right on the edge of the Tarmac.

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax).

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax).

We returned to the digs and sorted out tomorrows breakfast times with Laura as I wanted to be off earlier than Anna and Charles as I was heading for Baza on the way home, on the way back to the house we saw a large patch of Palmate Anemone and later we again headed out for a nice meal.

Palmate Anemone (Anemone palmata).

Palmate Anemone (Anemone palmata).