Baza Area, Granada Province, Spain.

Visiting a second area for the Black-tip.

Karen and Robert Day Five.

 

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica).

We set off for a second site I was given for the Spanish Greenish Black-tip (Euchloe bazae), as it happened we took a rather more cross country / adventurous route that we thought it would be but in a way it paid off as we saw some good birds in the more agricultural areas on the way.

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica).

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica).

As we drove we checked a couple of the Irrigation pools finding a good number of Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), a single Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica).

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica).

Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica).

Along one of the tracks we crossed the Rio Baza and it still had some wet areas and muddy patches where the local Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica)came down to collect building materials, in the same area we also saw Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus).

Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius).

We continued on taking tracks and changing the route along the way when it got too rough or we came up to Private signs, on the way through we saw Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Mediterranean Short-toed Lark (Terrera Marismena / Alaudala rufescens), Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Curruca conspicillata), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Spiny-footed Lizard (Acanthodactylus erythrurus), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).

I the area we were heading for we did a walk to a hilltop, we didn't find anymore Black-tips but did see Small (Pieris rapae), Portuguese Dappled (Euchloe tagis) and Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Western Black-eared (Collalba Rubia Occidental / Oenanthe hispanica) and Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and a more unexpected Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone).

Looking down from Collado de Clarín.

A bit of Snow up high.

We returned to the Motorway by a much more direct route and then went for something to eat at the hotel before we went for a drive into the Sierra de Baza and went up through the Pine woodlands to the Collado de Clarín, on the way we called in at the Cortijo Narvaez where we did a walk seeing Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra).

Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra).

Further up the hill we stopped at the Área recreativa Canaleja Alta where we saw Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).

Up at Collado de Clarín we heard a calling Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus) and found Blue Hedgehog Broom (Erinacea anthyllis), Viola alba and Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna).

Blue Hedgehog Broom (Erinacea anthyllis).

Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna).

We returned to the motorway and then back to the hotel were we chilled before we had some food and turned in. 

Viola alba.