Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Mollina area, Fuente de Piedra, near Archidona and Laguna Grande, Malaga Province, Spain.

Wednesday, 7 May 2025

Mollina area, Fuente de Piedra, near Archidona and Laguna Grande, Malaga Province, Spain.

Fields, Wetlands and Woodlands with some hits and misses.

Deb and Ian, Day Thirteen.

Ebird List for Mollina area.

Ebird List for Fuente de Piedra.

We headed over to the Mollina area early as we were hoping to see the Rufous-tailed Sceub Robin (Alzacola Rojizo / Cercotrichas galactotes) but unfortunately it has become much more difficult and we missed it.

We did however see European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 makes me laugh every time I go there.

Our next stop was at the Wednesday Market at the Saydo Hotel and the we went on to Fuente de Piedra, after parking we walked back along the road and checked the pool and wet area opposite seeing Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

We reached the far end of the pool and took the track around to the far end of the Boardwalk and then walked to the car park end, as we walked we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) x12+ and Dark Spreadwing (Lestes macrostigma) x35+.

The Boardwalk.

Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus).

Dark Spreadwing (Lestes macrostigma).

We continued on around the Tamarisks to the gap where we could look out onto the main Laguna seeing large numbers (1000s) more Greater Flamingo's, Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Common Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Anarhynchus alexandrinus), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), a single Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina).

Up at the Mirador we saw Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), before heading around to the Pools at the back where we added Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala) and Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Iberian Mirror Orchid (Ophrys Vernixia).

Hybrid Ophrys × innominata, (O. Speculum x O. Vernixia).

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera).

We started to head back East but cut off the A92 and went for a walk at a site near Archidona where we found several species of Orchid still in flower including Small Tongue (Serapias parviflora), Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea) x50+, Bee (Ophrys apifera) x1, Iberian Mirror Orchid (Ophrys Vernixia) x4 and what could be the Hybrid Ophrys × innominata, (O. Speculum x O. Vernixia) x2.

Black-eyed Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops).

Butterflies were also on the wing and we found Black-eyed Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops) x4, Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) x7, Small x18+, Large (Pieris brassicae) x3, Bath (Pontia daplidice) x6 and Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri) x5.

Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla).

Bird wise it was hard going in the wind but we did see and hear Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes) and European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta).

Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora).

The last stop of the day was just a short way along the motorway at Laguna Grande, I was surprised to find absolutely nothing on the water even though the Laguna was full but on a track nearby we discovered some more Orchids including Small Tongue x15+, Bumble-bee (Ophrys bombyliflora) x25+, Mirror (Ophrys speculum) x2, Small Woodcock (Ophrys picta) x18+ and Yellow Bee Orchid x50+.