Puerto de la Ragua and South of Hernán-Valle in Granada Province, Spain.

Birding on our way back to Huétor.

Ebird List for Puerto de la Ragua.

Ebird List for site near Guadix.

 

Castell de Calahorra.

We packed our stuff and then went to the bar below the accommodation for breakfast and then headed back towards Granada but when we reached Calahorra we took the road up to Puerto de la Ragua, on the way we had Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) before we parked at the high pass, John and I had a walk whilst Pam did some drawing.

Castell de Calahorra.

We walked the track through the picnic area but it was fairly quiet and all we picked up Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater).

We the crossed the road on to the other side of the area where John picked up 3 birds on a bush which turned out to be a male and 2 female Citril Finches (Verderón Serrano / Carduelis citrinella) which were our main target species but before we could get closer for better views some guys on mountain bikes came rattling through and flushed them.

Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater).

On the same side of the road we also saw European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) before crossing back to the picnic area where Pam was still painting, we added Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and a single Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora). 

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) Female.

We all returned to the car and then headed back off down to the motorway and headed towards Guadix, we turned off the motorway and took the cross country route across to Hernán-Valle, on the way we picked up Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) x4, Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) and loads of Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) Female.

We headed back towards the house and after a brief stop for some lunch and a coffee we got back and spent the afternoon chilling before going down town for some food.