Veleta and El Purche in Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

Some high altitude sucess on the Sierra.

Sue and Dave, Day Fourteen.

Ebird List for Valeta.

Ebird List for Hoya de la Mora.

Ebird List for El Purche.

 

Sue and Dave at the Refugio.

We headed off up and around Granada to the Albergue Universitario de Sierra Nevada near the car park at Hoya De La Mora where we caught the Minibus up to a point at 3100m along the road up to Valeta, once there we checked out a side track starting the list off with Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Eurasian Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Western House Martins (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

We returned to the main track and walked up to the Refugio Vivac La Carihuela at 3205m, on the way we saw the first of at least 12 Alpine Accentors (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris) which showed well down to a couple of meters making me regret not taking my camera as I was carrying the bag with the food and water in it..

We spent some time at the Refugio seeing more Accentors as well as Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia).

Looking towards Veleta.

We dropped down to the side track again and as we looked over the edge an immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) came up and was seen flying off being mobbed by Red-billed Chough.

Sue in the Refugio.

In the same area as we waited we added Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) before we caught the bus back down to the Albergue where we had a coffee while Sue and Dave listened to the commentary of an important Adelaide Crows in AFL finals game.

Waiting for the bus and listening to the game.

In the area around the Albergue we picked up Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and  European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) which were new for the day list.

Dave getting some shots of the Stunning Scop's.

Getting some more shots of the Owl.

We dropped down the hill and then checked out the Walnut Groves up at El Purche where we did a short walk but managed to add several species including European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Spotted (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) and European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca),Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and then one of the best finds of the trip a beautiful grey morph Eurasian Scops Owl (Autillo Europeo / Otus scops) which when I picked up the shape in the tree I thought was going to be a European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) but pleased it wasn't as were Sue and Dave but again kicking myself for leaving the camera at home..

The Paella.

After spending a good while watching and photographing this stunning little bird we dropped down the hill and back to the house, later we went down town for a paella and a few drinks as it was Sue and Dave's last night.