El Purche and Pinos Genil in the Sierra Nevada, Granada, Spain.

A second go at getting to El Purche in the Sierra Nevada.

Ebird List for El Purche.

Ebird List for Pinos Genil.

 

Some well Camouflaged Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

We headed out towards Granada but crossed the fields North of Huétor on the way where we picked up a group of 14 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) in the Lucerne before getting onto the A92 and then going around the City and off up to El Purche.

Veleta from El Purche.

We parked just off the road and walked the km or so up to the crags, on the way we saw Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Thekla's (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea).

We reached the crags and almost straight away we saw our first Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) and Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) but even though we saw 20 odd birds they were all very elusive.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) male.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) male.

Other bird species seen included Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian Green (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Rock (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

As we walked we also saw Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Small White (Pieris rapae), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) and Lesser Celendine (Ranunculus ficaria).

Looking out to the North West.

Lynn and Steve with Veleta in the background.

We headed back towards the house but called in at Pinos Genil on the way hoping for but failing to find a White-throated Dipper (Mirlo Acuático Europeo / Cinclus cinclus) unfortunately.

Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

Species seen included Domestic type Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Muscovy Duck (Pato criollo / Cairina moschata), Domestic and wild type Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti).

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

We returned to the car and then tried to get back home but due to an accident on the main road down the Sierra we were held up for a while, eventually we got back and then later we went out for a meal to 3 Calles in Huétor before going home where Lynn and Steve got their packing done.

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).