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Saturday, 1 February 2025

Sierra Nevada (well almost) and Sierra de Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

Well not every day goes as planned and this one didn't.
Ebird List for Sierra de Loja.
 
Looking back to where were hoping to go.
We set off up towards Granada and then on wards towards El Purche where we were hoping to find some Ring Ouzels (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) but somewhere near Mirador de los Enamorados were we hit heavy traffic and were stuck in it for well over an hour before we started to move again but that was short lived and we hit traffic again just before the junction to El Purche.
Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).
We eventually reached the junction but found it impassable due to traffic coming from El Purche blocking it so we turned around and gave up and headed for Sierra de Loja instead.
Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).
Once there we drove quickly over to the area of Hawthorns where any Ouzels were going to be but we found all the trees cleared of Berries and no Ouzels.
Cueva Horadada.
We drove out passed my normal turning point to check the far Valley as far as the track went and then turned around and made our way back down the hill.
Cueva Horadada.
Species seen during the drive up and down included Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina),  European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
Three-leaved Crocus (Colchicum triphyllum).
Steve photographing the Three-leaved Crocus (Colchicum triphyllum).
We also had Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), Three-leaved Crocus (Colchicum triphyllum) and Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia).
Looking out West.
As far as we went.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 31st Jan 25.
15W Actinic on the terrace, +1
0 Moth of 0 Species.
Any corrections PLEASE send me a comment on the post, thanks.

Well I am told that negative records are valuable as well so here it is, no moths in the trap last night but at just +1 it wasn't really surprising.

Friday, 31 January 2025

El Temple, the Cacín Valley, near Moraleda and Balsa de Regidor, Granada Province, Spain.

Out on the fields at the far end of my regular patch and working our way back to the house.
Ebird List for El Temple. 
Ebird List for Contrembalse de Bermejalis.
Ebird List for Balsa de Regidor.

La Maroma.
We set off along the A92 and then into the area called El Temple to the West of Granada City, as we crossed the tracks in the first area we visited we started the day with a great find by Steve in the shape of a group of at least 8 winter plumage Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which were followed by Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Calandra (Calandria Común / Melanocorypha calandra) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).
Sierra Nevada.
Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis).
We made our way across to the nearest road through areas of Cereal, Almonds and Olives and as we drove we saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).
Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis).
We drove a short way along the central road and then took to another track where we had nice views of around 10 Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
We crossed to the far side of the site and did routes along a couple more tracks adding 3x Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and 2x Long-eared Owl (Búho Chico / Asio otus) which we found whilst searching for the Cuckoo's.
Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis).
Around El Temple we also saw Bath White (Pontia daplidice) x2, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x4, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).
Western Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).
Our next stop was at the bar in Ventas de Huelma where we had a coffee before heading to a view point on the road towards the village of Cacin where we only picked up a single Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) before we dropped down into the valley and then up to the Contraembalse de Bermejalis where we parked and scanned the lake finding Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) on the water.
Western Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).
In the air we watched 4x Western Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) as well as a fine looking Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis) which disappeared off down the valley.
Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis).
Other species seen included Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) which was heard in the trees opposite, Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and around by the dam Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and a Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla).
Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis).
We moved a little further up the Valley and checked some pines but didn't add anything new so we moved on up to the area near Moraleda but again added nothing new so we finished the day off at Balsa de Regidor where we found good numbers of both Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) and Northern Shovelers (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata) and a single Andalucian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri) but there was nothing else new so we headed back to the house and chilled with a very nice meal.

Thursday, 30 January 2025

Desembocadura y playa del Río Vélez, Playa y paseo marítimo in Torre del Mar, Malaga Province, Cerro Gordo and Charca de Suarez, Granada Province, Spain.

Down on the Malaga and Granada Coast with Lynn and Steve.
Day Two.
Ebird List for Desembocadura y playa del Río Vélez.
Ebird List for Torre del Mar.
Ebird List for Charca de Suárez.
 
Looking up the Rio Velez from the Hide.
We had a nice leisurely start to the day after Lynn and Steve's long day of travelling yesterday but we started by making our way down to the coast heading for the Rio Velez, on the way we went through some thick fog and once passed Zafarraya we had to put up with some very strong winds.
Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa).
White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).
As we drove we didn't see a lot apart from big numbers of White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) but once we reached the end of the Rio Velez we added a good number of new species, from the hide we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), White Wagtails and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).
Looking up the Rio Velez from the Beach.
Skeletal Remains of a Palm Tree.
Once down on the beach we had
Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and a distant pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas) before we returned to the car.
Steve photographing the Sanderlings (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).
Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).
Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).
As we were driving out we saw a nice female
Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta).
Immature Male Velvet Scoter (Negrón Especulado / Melanitta fusca).
Immature Male Velvet Scoter (Negrón Especulado / Melanitta fusca).
Immature Male Velvet Scoter (Negrón Especulado / Melanitta fusca).
Our next stop was ust up the coast at the Western end of Torre del Mar where after parking we walked to the beach in front of the Lighthouse where we had nice views of the immature Male
Velvet Scoter (Negrón Especulado / Melanitta fusca) which had been around for a few day and as we walked back towards the car we also picked up a female Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) which bravely sat getting thrashed around in one of the prom palm trees.
Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger).
Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger).

After this we called in at Caleta de Velez where we had some lunch and a quick look at the beach but only found a single Sanderling, a couple of Great Cormorant and plenty of both Lesser Black-backed and Yellow-legged Gulls but nothing else of interest.
We again moved on and came back down to the coast at Cerro Gordo but the wind was so strong we gave up almost straight away and returned to the car and made our way further along the coast with the intent of checking the areas around Charca but when we saw that the gate was open we decided to go into the reserve, on the way along the coast road Lynn had a group of 3 Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) on the roadside crags.
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).
Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) x Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).
Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) x Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).
Once in the reserve we first of all headed to the hide over looking Laguna Alamo Blanco, on the way we saw the first of 4x Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) and a couple of Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).
From the hide we had Mallard, Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Eurasian Coot and the hybrid between Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) x Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).
Laguna del Taraje.
We then checked the hide overlooking the northern end of Laguna del Taraje adding Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Northern Shoveler, Western Swamp-hen (Calamón Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and from the next screen a Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).
On our way to the main hide we had
Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris).
Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) Female.
Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) Female.
Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) Male.
From the main hide over looking Laguna de las Aneas we found Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), a female Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Northern Shoveler, Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata), Great Cormorant, Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus),  European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Eurasian Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Yellow-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta).
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).
Our next stop was at the first of the two hide at Laguna del Trébol and we had nice views of 3x Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca) and at least 3x Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum).
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).
The last stop on the reserve was at the other hide over looking the same laguna where we only picked up Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) before we left the reserve seeing a couple of Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria) to finish things off.
Yellow-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta).
We returned to the car and headed back to the house and saw one of the two regular Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) at the bottom of the road.

Wednesday, 29 January 2025

Malaga Airport, Malaga Province and Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

Friends arrive at Malaga and a walk around Hacho later.
Ebird List for Hacho.

Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia).
I started the Morning with a  few catch up jobs and the drove down to Malaga Airport to meet friends Lynn and Steve from the UK who where coming over for a few days wildlife watching, during the drive down I saw Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica).
All went well with the meeting and we were soon on our way back up to the house, we pulled off for a coffee at Rosario and then continued on, just before we arrived we picked up one of the regular Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) at the bottom of my road.
Giant Orchids (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).
After getting sorted and having a chat we decided to go and have a walk around the lower track at Cerro Hacho, after parking we did the loop in a clockwise direction starting the list with European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), a calling Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and lots of Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia) flowers.
Giant Orchids (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).
Up at the split in the track near the Quarry we found a good number of flowering Giant Orchids (Himanthoglosum Robertiana) my first Orchid of the year and as we walked on around the top end of the loop we added Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), European Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus) and Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).
Mediterranean Scorpion (Escorpión Amarillo / Buthus Occitanus).
As we started the walk down the Northern side Steve found a tiny little Mediterranean Scorpion (Escorpión Amarillo / Buthus Occitanus) and further on we picked up Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Eurasian Siskin (Jilguero Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), a fly through Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), a pair of Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) over the ridges on the Loja side and quite a few spikes of flowering Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri / lupercalis).
Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri / lupercalis).
The last stage of the walk was along the road back to the car seeing Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
Once we were back at the cars we headed back to the house, on the way we saw Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) and 3 more Little Owls.
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Later we headed out for a drink and food at 3 Calle's down in Huétor Tajar.