Embalse de Bermejalis, near Moraleda and Embalse de Cubillas

Out looking for orchids during the day and then some evening birding.

Ebird List for Embalse de Bermejalis.

Ebird List for Embalse de Cubillas.

Ebird List for Huétor Fields.

 

Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica).

I started the day by going to collect some logs and then I headed over to Restaurante La Abadía where I had some breakfast before meeting up with Friends Kiersten and Anne  for a day of Orchid hunting, we started by heading out to the Pine woodlands surrounding Embalse de Bermejalis where we parked and did a walk and straight away we were in amongst a good number of spikes of fresh looking Italian Man Orchids (Orchis Italica).

Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

In the same area we picked up Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera) in good numbers and lots of  Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis) but most were passed their best, my first Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus) of the year, Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus) and a calling Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

We walked on to a greener area on the edge of the Pines finding Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina), Giant (Himanthoglosum Robertiana) and Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum), White Asphodel (Asphodelus macrocarpus), White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum), Glandora prostrata subsp. prostrata, Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum) and Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus).

Ophrys x juanamarii.

Ophrys x juanamarii.

Ophrys x juanamarii.

In the same area we also saw and heard Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Eurasian Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

Hipocromatic Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Hipocromatic Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

We continued on walking and in another area of Pines we found many of the same plants but as we searched Kiersten called me over to look at what she thought were a hybrid of some sort and she was bang on, she had found 12 spikes of the stunning Ophrys x juanamarii,which has the parents Ophrys Tentredinifera X Ophrys Lupercalis.

Sawfly plant but it had a species of Solitary Bee sat on the lip.

We started to head back to the car and I then found a very smart looking Hipocromatic Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera) which I left Kiersten and Anne to photograph whilst I popped down the hill slight and on my way back up to them I came across another Sawfly plant but it had a species of Solitary Bee sat on the lip.

Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea).

Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea).

Once we were back at the car we headed to a spot near to Moraleda where we checked an area in an area of abandoned Almond trees, here we found several spikes of the beautiful Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea), many Bumble-bee (Ophrys bombyliflora), a single flowering Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea) and more Sawfly, Fan-lipped and Somber Bee.

Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora)

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

In the same area we had Bellis microcephala, Southern Red Bartsia (Parentucellia latifolia), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) x2 and Small White (Pieris rapae) x3.

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

We moved on again and headed up to Granada and then on to Embalse de Cubillas where our main target was the hybrid Ophrys x juarezi between Ophrys Dyris and Ophrys Lupercalis and after parking we soon found several spikes of Dyris and Lupercalis and then the Hybrid.

Ophrys dyris.

Ophrys x juarezi.

Ophrys x juarezi.

Ophrys x juarezi.

Other species seen in this area were more spikes of the rare Ophrys x juanamarii, Sawfly, Fan-lipped and Mirror Orchids, Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri) x4, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x2, Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).

Ophrys x juanamarii.

Ophrys x juanamarii and Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

We again returned to the car and headed back along the motorway to where we met and had some lunch before we headed off after a good and very enjoyable day.

A melanistic Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

A melanistic Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

I got home and shortly after arriving there I was joined by friend Garry Pearson from over in Almeria for a bit of birding, after having a coffee and a chat we headed down to the fields where we soon found Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and a flock of Eurasian Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus) including a melanistic bird.

A normal plumage Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

We continued walking along the track and in the weedy fields we found a group of 5 female Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) as well as Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

4 of the 5 female Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

We returned to the house and then later we went down town for some food and a drink in 3 Calles.