Montes de Málaga - Lagar de Torrijos in Malaga Province and Cerro Hacho in Granada Province, Spain.

A morning woodland birding with Friends Barbara and Derek Etherton and an afternoon visit to the local Hill.

Ebird List for Montes de Malaga.

Ebird List for Hacho.

 

Looking out from our view point.

I was up early and on my way to meet Barbara and Derek at the Visitor Centre in Montes de Malaga by 06:20, I arrived at 07:45 to see Barbara and Derek were already there, we stood at the side of the Lagar de Torrijos, Ecomuseo for around 1.5 hours and had views of Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), European Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and the 3 main species we were looking for Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes) both ♂♀ were seen, Common Crossbills (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and a good number of Eurasian Siskin (Jilguero Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) most of which were heard as the flew over but we had good views of a couple of ♂ birds in some conifers above us.

Checking the Merlin App.

After we had seen all we thought we would in the area we decided to try and drive a loop but it was blocked after a little way as there were trees down after the storms.

We returned to the Centre and then headed for Colmenar and then to Bar Cafetería El Asturiano on a nearby industrial area.

European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus).

European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus).

Once we had finished our coffee and breakfast Barbara and Derek headed back towards the coast and I headed back to Loja, on the way I saw Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus).

Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus).

Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) ♀.

I came off the motorway at Loja and then went up to Cerro Hacho where I parked just off the main road and walked the south facing bank up to the quarry and the part of the way around the loop, as I did this I added Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) to the day list.

Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).

Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).

As well as the birds I saw Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), Giant (Himanthoglossum Robertiana) and Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia) and Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana).

Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia).

Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia).

Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna).

I returned to the car and on my way back to the house I stopped to get a photo of the Sierra Nevada and I also picked up a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Sierra Nevada.

Looking East, back towards the house.