El Purche, Restaurante Ruta Del Purche and in Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning birding with friend Juan Perez in the Hills.

Ebird List for El Purche.

Looking North from my first stop.

After checking the Moth Light I set off and made my way around Granada and up into the Sierra Nevada and then out to El Purche, I was early so I checked out an area a KM or so from the point where I was meeting Juan.

One of the Locals chilling in the sun.

As I checked the Walnut (Juglans regia) groves and Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) bushes finding Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

A dark breasted Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

♂ Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

♂ Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

As it was getting closer to our meeting time I went to the spot and then checked that area out, here I saw the first of the day's Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius).

When Juan arrived, we did a walk-up through some Walnut Groves and then out across some grassland to the Hawthorn woods below a cliff which was still casting shadow over the woods, on the way up we saw good numbers of Eurasian Magpie, Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Black Redstart, European Robin and European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

♂ Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).

♂ Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).

Along the bottom of the cliffs in the Hawthorns we had a few hardy Ring Ouzels, which were still feeding in the cooler shaded areas, Sardinian Warbler and as we came back out into the sun, we started to find more as well as lots more Red-legged Partridge, Ring Ouzels, the first Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) of the day, Iberian Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Great, Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Woodlark, Common Chaffinch, the odd Cirl and flocks of Rock Buntings.

♂ Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

♂ Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

Down on the lower areas of fields along the side of the trees, we relocated the Iberian Grey Shrike I had seen earlier and added Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis). 

We reached the road and walked back towards the cars adding Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), more Woodlarks, House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and in the Pines near the car Eurasian Blue, Great, European Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus) and Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla).

European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris).

Juan then came up with the best idea of the day, he said did I like the thought of some food and a drink in Restaurante Ruta Del Purche, we went in and ordered a couple of bocadillo's, one of Chorizo and the other Morcilla which we split, these with a Tostarda beer went down extremely well.

We walked back to the cars and then headed to another spot a bit further up the hill, just as we were leaving we saw an immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), we arrived at a spot on the old road down towards Güéjar Sierra where we checked an area of Pinus sylvestris woodland with some more Hawthorn scrub but it was generally quiet, we only saw and heard Robin, Common Blackbird and Common Chaffinch so we walked back to the cars.

A rather Icy track up through the Pines.

At this point Juan headed off and I called Jayne's brother David back as he had tried to call whilst I was driving and as I spoke to him I had 3 Eurasian Siskin (Jilguero Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) fly past and a Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea) which was calling from the trees below me.

After we finished our call I headed off home and chilled.