Cerro Hacho, Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

A wet morning and a slightly better afternoon with friends Karen and Robert from the UK.

Karen and Robert Day One.

 

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

I started the day with a quick check around the house before heading down to Huétor for Breakfast and then onward to Malaga Airport where I met friends Karen and Robert and welcomed them to a wet and cool Spain.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

We came back to the house and unloaded their stuff before heading down town for some lunch and to do some shopping in Mercodona, on the way there and back we had views of a European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), 2 Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and Karen managed to get some nice shots.

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

We returned to the house and then as it had stopped raining we decided to pop just up the road to Cerro Hacho where we parked and searched an area where I had seen our target Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus) yesterday but without any sun we only managed to find Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina), Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea) and Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Eruca (Eruca sativa) and Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus).

Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica).

We also saw and heard Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).

We returned to the car and went up to the top car park and turned around, on this part of the hill we found Italian Man (Orchis Italica), Southern Early Purple (Orchis olbienis), Giant (Himanthoglosum Robertiana), Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina) var. flavescens and Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera), Palmate Anemone (Anemone palmata), Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

As we dropped back down the hill the sun started to break through so we decided to return to the spot for the Hairstreak and after a short search we found at least 5 on the wing and a couple that sat for photo's.

Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus).

On our way back to the house we saw Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) heard, Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and at least 3 more Little Owls.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).