Cerro Hacho, Balsa de Regidor and Lucerne Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A nice walk around the Hacho Loop with friends Jan and Garry then a quick look at Balsa de Regidor and down the Fields.

Ebird List for Balsa de Regidor.
Ebird List for the Fields.

 

Almond Tree (Prunus dulcis) blossom.

I started the day with a nice walk around the lower loop of Cerro Hacho with my neighbours and friends  Jan and Garry, we parked at the puddle car park and then did a loop from there.

Almond Tree (Prunus dulcis) blossom.

On the way we found Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana).

We also saw Giant (Himanthoglossum Robertiana) and Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis), Almond Tree (Prunus dulcis), Cymbalaria-leaved Speedwell (Veronica cymbalaria), Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris),  

On the way back to the house we made a stop at the top of the Realenga road where we took some photo's of the Snow on the Sierra Nevada, as we drove to the house we had brief views of a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) in one of the ancient Olive trees and a Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops) under them.

Sierra Nevada.

I dropped Jan and Garry off then went for a quick look at Balsa de Regidor where it was fairly quiet, I did find Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Woodpigeon, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Sardinian and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Blackcap, House (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and Squirting Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium).

Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

I went up through Mesia out onto the Lucerne fields where I did a short walk and bumped into Paqui again and we had a chat about the wildlife and camera's, whilst there I saw Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Iberian (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Little Owl, Crested Lark, Sardinian Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) before heading back up to the house. 

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae).