Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Near Huétor Tajar, Loja to Zafarraya Road and Embalse de Bermejalis, Granada Province, Spain.

Thursday, 17 April 2025

Near Huétor Tajar, Loja to Zafarraya Road and Embalse de Bermejalis, Granada Province, Spain.

A day Orchid hunting with Friends Lynn and Steve from Cornwall.

Ebird List for Small Pool.

Ebird List for Embalse de Bermejalis.

Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

I started the day by setting up the washing machine for later, as I did this I had a calling Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the wires and a singing Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) in the garden.

I then went down to Huétor to meet Lynn and Steve, on the way and in Huétor I saw European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Nightingale, another Little Owl, Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).
When Lynn and Steve arrived we all headed out towards Loja and then south towards Zafarraya, out first stop was in an area of cereal fields where we sat on the side of a track and watched several Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), at least 4 males and a couple of females.

We also saw European Turtle Dove, Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), European Bee-eater, Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris), Crown Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum) and Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum).

Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis papilionacea).

We continued on South to a spot on the roadside where we had a cracking patch of Pink Butterfly Orchids (Orchis papilionacea) as well as lots of Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea), a few over with Somber Bee (Ophrys lupercalis), some Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum), Common (Asphodelus aestivus) and Hollow Stemmed Asphodel (Asphodelus fistulosus), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa) and Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata).

Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica).

Next stop was at a site which Lynn and Steve had been to before but was new for me, a nice natural pool which was surrounded by some nice Limestone Pavement areas which had quite a lot of very smart orchids including 100s if not 1000s of Yellow Bee Orchids as well as good numbers of Conical (Neotinea conica), Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera) most finished, Mirror, Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina) finished, Southern Early Purple (Orchis olbienis) and a couple of past their best Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Other species seen were Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum baeticum), Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata), Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Common Vetch (Vicia sativa), Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), Southern Red Bartsia (Parentucellia latifolia), 7926 Semiaspilates ochrearia (Yellow Belle), Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

Bird wise I was pleased to pickup 3 year ticks Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris) as well as Western Orphean (Curruca Mirlona Occidental / Curruca hortensis) and Garden Warblers (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin).

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).

Other species seen were Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) immature, Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) x2, Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Turtle Dove, Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater, Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), European Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Spotless Starling, Western Bonelli's (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).

Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica).

Our next stop was just a short way along the valley in an area of Oak woodland, here we found a single good spike of Sawfly Orchid under a large Oak tree, Late Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys ficalhoana) but not quite in flower yet, Mirror, Lizard (Himanthoglosum hircinum) leaves only, Conical, Southern Early Purple Orchid and Sword-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanathera longifolia), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Small Heath, Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides), Clouded Yellow, Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

Sword-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanathera longifolia).

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).

We dropped into Ventas de Zafarraya and got some lunch in Bar Pension Aquí Te Quiero Ver before going back up the Valley a short way to a hillside of abandoned Almonds, as we walked around we saw large patches of Pink Butterfly Orchids as well as more of the other species already seen plus a few spikes of Small Woodcock (Ophrys picta) and Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora) which were also new for the day.

Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis papilionacea).

Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta).

Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora).

In the same area Lynn and Steve had Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathinerum) and Meloe tuccius an Oil Beetle Species, I picked up Spanish Festoon, Western Orphean Warbler, Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla) and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

Meloe tuccius.

Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathinerum).

Steve getting stuck in to some Orchid photography.

Once we got back to the car we headed back to Ventas de Zafarraya and then onto Alhama de Granada and finally on wards to the Embalse de Bermejalis seeing a second Golden Eagle, a pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), we parked by the large inlet channel and then walked the Pine woodlands seeing good numbers of the beautiful Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica), Ophrys x juanamarii which were pretty much over with, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Short-toed Treecreeper, Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Western Bonelli's Warbler.