Sierra de Loja and Presa y Meandros del Genil, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning birding on my favourite hill with Garry Pearson and an evening with Paqui at the Presa.

Ebird List for Sierra de Loja.

 

The Crags.

Garry and I headed down town where we had coffee and some breakfast before we headed off up my favourite bit of Mountain, we made the drive out to the far end without many stops but still added Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), a fine ♂ Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis). 

Out along the crags we had views of 2♂ Common Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis) as well as Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), several Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), a surprising Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica) which I can't remember seeing up along the crags, Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Western Black-eared (Collalba Rubia Occidental / Oenanthe hispanica) and Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Western Orphean (Curruca Mirlona Occidental / Curruca hortensis) and Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia).

Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura).

Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).

We dropped back down the hill, on the way we picked up a couple of surprising Great Spotted Cuckoo's (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) sat up in a Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Great Spotted Cuckoo's (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).

Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina).

Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae).

Other species seen during our time up there included Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae) x1, Bath (Pontia daplidice) x1 and Small White (Pieris rapae) x4, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)  x3, Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x2, Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra) x1, Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis) x23, Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe) x2, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x12, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x4 and Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus).

We returned to Huétor and Garry headed back off home to Almeria and I went back home where I spent the afternoon getting a few jobs done, then at 19:30 I pick Paqui up, we headed out to the Presa y Meandros del Genil where we spent a while sitting by the weir, then we had a short walk.

Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) ♂♀.

Species seen included European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) ♂♀, Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Black-crowned Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) x2, Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Barn Swallow and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Spotless Starling.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus).

Other species included Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) x1, Small White (Pieris rapae) x2, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x2, Iberian Barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and Delphinium halteratum.