Guadalhorce Pools and Sierra de Mijas, Malaga Province, Spain.

Getting Lynn and Steve to Malaga for their flight home, meeting Derek Etherton for some birding and then later looking for Orchids with Kevin Wade.

Ebird List from Guadalhorce, 63 Species. 

Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

Lynn, Steve and I were up early and quickly on our way down to Malaga so that they were there for 08:00 ready for their flight back home to the UK.

Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

After saying goodbye to them I headed over to Desembocadura del Guadalhorce where I met up with Derek Etherton, as I walked down towards the entrance I picked up Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Crown Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum), Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae) and Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis).

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

We started by heading over to the eastern side of the reserve where we checked the two hides along that side, at the first one Observatorio de Laguna La Casilla, we saw Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Marbled Duck (Cerceta pardilla / Marmaronetta angustirostris), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

From the second, the Observatorio de Río Viejo we found Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Pied Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) heard only, Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

As we walked along the Río Viejo towards the sea we picked up Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), a dozen or so Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) and European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris).

Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).

From the Observatorio Espigón de Levante we saw at least 4x Balearic Shearwaters (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus), several Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), a group of Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) sat on the sea and large numbers of both Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) as well.

Male Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta).

As we walked along the beach we saw Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and as we turned back onto the reserve a couple of Meadow Pipits (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis).

Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata) and Ruff (Combatiente / Calidris pugnax).

We reached the hide overlooking Laguna Grande were we spent a while scanning the water seeing Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis), male Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra),  Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Common Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), Ruff (Combatiente / Calidris pugnax), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Chroicocephalus genei), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) and Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum) before it got a bit too busy and we headed off.

Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

From the last hide which looks over Laguna Escondida we saw Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala) and a newly arrived Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum).

Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).

The wind was bitter here so we decided to head back to the cars and then went for a coffee and a tostada at a bar Derek knew before we headed off.

Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata).

Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata).

I headed off up to the Sierra de Mijas where I was meeting up with Kevin Wade to search for some Orchids, unfortunately we didn't manage to find the target but we did find some very smart Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina) and Woodcock Orchids (Ophrys Scolopax) before I was forced to head home when the first signs of a rather nasty stomach bug started to show up.

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax).

Whilst there I also saw European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Large White (Pieris brassicae), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and as we reached the cars a very smart Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

El Purche and Pinos Genil in the Sierra Nevada, Granada, Spain.

A second go at getting to El Purche in the Sierra Nevada.

Ebird List for El Purche.

Ebird List for Pinos Genil.

 

Some well Camouflaged Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).

We headed out towards Granada but crossed the fields North of Huétor on the way where we picked up a group of 14 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) in the Lucerne before getting onto the A92 and then going around the City and off up to El Purche.

Veleta from El Purche.

We parked just off the road and walked the km or so up to the crags, on the way we saw Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Thekla's (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea).

We reached the crags and almost straight away we saw our first Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) and Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) but even though we saw 20 odd birds they were all very elusive.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) male.

Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus) male.

Other bird species seen included Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian Green (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Rock (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

As we walked we also saw Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Small White (Pieris rapae), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) and Lesser Celendine (Ranunculus ficaria).

Looking out to the North West.

Lynn and Steve with Veleta in the background.

We headed back towards the house but called in at Pinos Genil on the way hoping for but failing to find a White-throated Dipper (Mirlo Acuático Europeo / Cinclus cinclus) unfortunately.

Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).

Species seen included Domestic type Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Muscovy Duck (Pato criollo / Cairina moschata), Domestic and wild type Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti).

White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

We returned to the car and then tried to get back home but due to an accident on the main road down the Sierra we were held up for a while, eventually we got back and then later we went out for a meal to 3 Calles in Huétor before going home where Lynn and Steve got their packing done.

Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita).

La Lancha, Sierra de Andújar Park Natural, Jaen, Spain.

Our last day up at the shelter.

Ebird List for La Lancha.

 

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus).

We were up and after Breakfast we made our way out to the usual spot on La Lancha for the last time this trip, soon after arriving I went for a short walk which turned out to be even shorter than expected when I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye as a medium sized mammal disappeared into a Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) bush but I wasn't sure what it was.

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) with the Rabbit.

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) after coming out from under the rock behind it where he had lost the Rabbit.

I was close enough to get Lynn and Steve over and we all watched the bush but it still took us a while to confirm it was a Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) not the species I had hoped for but this guy kept us entertained for what must have been an hour in total.

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) resting after loosing the Rabbit.

He came out of the bush and then dropped down the hill slightly where it caught a young Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) but spent too much time playing with it, it managed to escape and hide under a large rock, not wanting to give up it's breakfast the Fox spent a long while digging under the bolder but eventually went up on top of it and just lay down which was when we left it to chill and returned to the shelter.

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) as he approached us along the road.

Lynn and I stayed there and Steve went for a walk in the opposite direction, after a while I looked back down the track to where we had been standing and the Fox was trotting towards us, when he saw me he froze for a second but then just kept coming and went right passed us and down to within a couple of meters of Steve who was walking back towards us. 

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) as he started to head off up the bank.

We thought he must be getting some great shots be his battery had gone flat on him just at the wrong moment as mine had yesterday but as it happened it didn't matter as the Fox allowed us to return to where he was and he just lay there less that 3 meters away.

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) as he had one last look back at us before disappearing into the bushes.

After a while he got up and went off up the bank searching for it's next meal, it was an extremely which gave us some incredible views and kept us totally enthralled until it continued on it's way.  

Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus).

Other species seen before we headed off back to the house included Cinereous (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus) and Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), 8222a Lythria sanguinaria and Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus).

8222a Lythria sanguinaria.

At around 16:00 we started to make our way back to the house and we got there just before dark.

Presa de El Encinarejo, Área recreativa del Encinarejo, La Lancha, Embalse del Jándula in the Sierra de Andújar Park Natural, Jaen, Spain.

An early start down at the river and then the rest of the day at the shelter.

Ebird List for Presa de El Encinarejo.

Ebird List for La Lancha.

Ebird List for Embalse del Jándula.

 

Looking down stream along the Rio Jándula.

Straight after Breakfast we headed down to the bridge over the Rio Jándula, as it started to get light the birds started to move including a 100+ Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), a single Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and a couple of Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum) which came out from under the bridge.

Otter (Nutria / Lutra lutra).

Much later than expected we started to see ripples and bubble trails coming up stream along the Rio but the Otter (Nutria / Lutra lutra) making them remained unseen until I managed to see just the head watching us up on the bridge from behind some branches between two large rocks but it soon disappeared of back down stream again.

Otter (Nutria / Lutra lutra).

A little later I went to the car and then took some photo's of a group of flowering Hoop-petticoat Daffodil (Narcissus bulbocodium) but it was bad timing, Lynn started to beckon me over as another Otter had shown up and was performing much better so I whizzed (well that might be an exaggeration) over and had some very nice views but at the moment the Otter came out onto a rock for just a few seconds my battery packed up, typical.

Hoop-petticoat Daffodil (Narcissus bulbocodium).

Other species seen by the Dam were Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Black Redstart, Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei).

After a while I left Lynn and Steve at the bridge and went just a little way along the Rio to a spot where Angus a guy we saw yesterday had see a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) but I hadn't found it by the time Lynn and Steve had walked down to me so we continued on to another nearby spot where almost straight away we heard calls and drumming from a male bird which flew from a dead tree stump and was followed by a female bird.

Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba).

As we walked around the area we saw the same or another Great Egret, 2x Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) male.

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) male.

Our next stop was back up at the Shelter where we had been for the last couple of days, on the way out we saw Fallow Deer (Gamo común / Dama dama), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) and Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti).

Fallow Deer (Gamo común / Dama dama).

Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).

Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).

Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti).

Once we were at the shelter we set up our chairs and started to scan the area seeing Red Deer (Ciervo común / Cervus elaphus), Mouflon (Moflon / Ovis orientalis), Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Andalucian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Cinereous (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus) and Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Iberian Imperial Eagle, Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Eurasian (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and Iberian  Magpie, Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata) and European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica).

Cinereous Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).

On a walk I did I met friend Álvaro from Wild Andalucia who was in the area looking for the Lynx as well, a bit after the met he rang me but the call didn't get though but a message did about the call, we assumed that he had seen something so we headed down towards the dam but soon found him watching a small group of Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), one of the males was seen climbing a small tree.

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

As we had come to this point we decided to carry on down to the dam and did the walk along the top of the deep valley below the dam, here we saw lots of Eurasian Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and heard a Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) call from the cliff opposite a couple of times before we returned to the car and headed back to the Shelter where we finished the day without any sightings of the Lynx.

Lynn and Steve down at the Dam.

The Dam and the Valley.

We returned to La Caracola for our final night there and had another nice meal before heading off to bed. 

La Caracola.