Balsa de Regidor and Pico del Caballo (Sierra Nevada), Granada Province, Spain.

A short visit to Balsa de Regidor and a wonderful afternoon in Sierra Nevada with good friends.

Ebird List for Balsa de Regidor.

Ebird List for Pico del Caballo.

 

Balsa de Regidor.

I started the day with Breakfast at Combustibles Gómez and did a few tasks in Huétor before going to Balsa de Regidor where I met another birder who had done a walk around the lake and was just leaving but we had a brief chat.

On our way up and it only keeps getting better.

Whilst there I saw Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

I then made my way up to the village of Nigüelas where I met up with Friends Kiersten and Richard and we set off on a drive into the mountains to a spot which they new well, on my way I saw Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and Common Buzzard.

Looking up to the snow line.

Kiersten and Richard in their natural habitat.

Me, a attitudinal Migrant at slightly higher altitude than normal.

I was pleased we went in their 4x4 and that Richard was driving as it was quite a track but it was so worth it as the views on the way up were just amazing, on the drive up we saw Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Chiffchaff, Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and White Wagtail.

Bearded Vultures (Quebrantahuesos / Gypaetus barbatus).

Bearded Vultures (Quebrantahuesos / Gypaetus barbatus).

Bearded Vultures (Quebrantahuesos / Gypaetus barbatus).

Once we reached the final stop Kiersten got the coffee out and we spent a while scanning the crags and ridges and we were over the moon to see two distant adult looking Bearded Vultures (Quebrantahuesos / Gypaetus barbatus), after our coffee we walked along a trail and then on up to one of the amazing Acequia's which are Moorish designed irrigation channels built into the mountainsides carrying water down on to the lower agricultural areas.

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

We spent an hour or so standing by the Acequia watching the Vultures picking up bones and dropping them on a distant ridge, even though it was distant it was just brilliant to watch the behavior of the rare birds as well as seeing a passing group of Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) and more surprisingly a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) at this height in late November.

Looking down stream along the Acequia.

and looking up stream along the Acequia, up to the snow which feeds these channels.

On our way back down to the vehicle.

Looking out towards Sierra de Loja and home.

We returned to the vehicle and we started to head back down but fairly soon after leaving Kiersten shouted stop I have just seen something blue growing on the side of the track, when we checked we were very surprised to see half a dozen flowering Snow Gentian's (Gentiana sierrae) in flower.

Snow Gentian (Gentiana sierrae).

As we dropped further down we saw more Ibex, a single male Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius) and last new species of what was a great and unexpected day was a fine male Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura).

On the way back down.

We reached the town again and I said goodbye to Kiersten and Richard after  a superb visit to a great part of our Province, can't thank them enough as I would never have got there on my own.