Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Sierra Huétor and Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

Tuesday, 8 April 2025

Sierra Huétor and Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

A call in at Sierra de Huétor on the way home.

Karen and Robert Day Six.

Ebird List for Venta del Molinillo.

Western Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasqueña Occidental / Curruca iberiae).

We set off back towards Huétor Tajar but did a visit to Sierra Huétor on the way, we started at Venta del Molinillo with a short cold walk along the Arroyo de Prado Negro where we picked up Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

As we got back to the car Karen saw a small bird in the bushes there which turned out to be a very nice male Western Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasqueña Occidental / Curruca iberiae) and as we were putting the kit back in the car a flock of Eurasian Jays (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius) came over the road.

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

We moved just up the road into an area of Pine Trees where we found a couple of Orchids in flower, Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis) was the commonest but we did find a couple of spikes of Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis) along with Pardoglossum cheirifolium, Adonis vernalis, Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata), Wild Grape (Muscari neglectum) and Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca) and Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus).

Angel's tears Narcissus (Narcissus triandus).

Bird wise there was a calling Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus).

Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).

Looking over to the Sierra Nevada.

and again.

We moved on again and took the road / track through the center of the park, on the way out to Aparcamiento Zona Alfaguara we saw a small herd of youngish Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), thousands of the little yellow Angel's tears Narcissus (Narcissus triandus), Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1.

Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros).

Adonis vernalis.

Lesser Celendine (Ranunculus ficaria).

Once we got to the spot we parked and walked the track along the side of the arboretum finding Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) x2, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x2, Lesser Celendine (Ranunculus ficaria), more Adonis vernalis, Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala).

Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

We returned to the motorway and then carried on back to the house and dropped the cases and kit off before heading up to Cerro Hacho to look for Butterflies again, this time I drove up to the top car park and we walked back down to the junction and then I walked back up to collect the car and then caught up with Karen and Robert on the lower loop by the Puddles.

Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica).

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

As we walked down the hill we saw Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x1, Large (Pieris brassicae), Small (Pieris rapae) x7 and Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri) x13, Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x3, Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) x2, Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) x1, Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) x3, Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides) x5 and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x1.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

Orchids and wild flowers included Italian Man (Orchis Italica), Pink Butterfly (Orchis papilionacea), Southern Early Purple (Orchis olbienis), Giant (Himanthoglosum Robertiana), Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina) and Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina) var. flavescens, Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea), Somber Bee (Ophrys lupercalis), Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera) and Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum), Southern Red Bartsia (Parentucellia latifolia) and Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata).

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).

I parked just beyond the Puddle where Karen and Robert were watching the first of several Green Hairstreaks (Callophrys rubi) x6, an Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus) x1 and further along the track we saw Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus), Red Admiral x4, Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x4 and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus).

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

We dropped back down to the house seeing at least 3 Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the way, once there we chilled for the rest of the day and sat up on the terrace later for a while.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.

SIERRA de LOJA.

Tuesday, 8 April 2025

Sierra Huétor and Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

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