Near Baza, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 1st April 26.

1x 2Watt LED, +5.

37°31'51.7"N 2°41'44.0"W

10 Moths of 5 Species.

Any corrections, PLEASE send me a comment on the post, thanks.

Licence from Junta de Andalucia.

8328 Nebula Ibericata.

7599 Perigune narbonea x4, 7932 Dyscia penulataria (Iberian Scalloped Bar) x2, 8328 Nebula Ibericata x1, 9279 Cleonymia baetica x2 and 9901 Anarta sodae x1.

9279 Cleonymia baetica.

9901 Anarta sodae.

Sierra de Huétor, Hernán-Valle area, Baza Area, Granada Province, Spain.

Out for a bit of Butterfly hunting and mopping up a few year ticks.

Ebird List for Sierra de Huétor.

Ebird List for Hernán-Valle area. 

Ebird List for Baza Area 1.

Ebird List for Baza Area 2. 

Ebird List for Barrio Conejo, Baza. 

 

I headed off early as I wanted to be in the Sierra de Huétor before dawn as I was hoping to at least hear a Tawny Owl (Cárabo Común / Strix aluco), as I stood by the car I could hear two birds calling distantly, when I started to get a little lighter one of the birds called much closer to me and then flew across the road and off into the Pine Woodlands.

As dawn came other species started to call including Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

The Sierra Nevada in the early morning sun.

I moved on and headed along the A92 past Guadix and then came off at Hernán-Valleand the out into the fields near there, I drove for just a few KM out to some farm buildings with a nice row of dead trees nearby and I soon found both of my targets for this site, Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas) and Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) along with Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) x3, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Thekla's (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), a nice ♂ Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas).

After returning to the N342 I continued on to a site in the Baza area where I parked and walked one of the dry Barrancos, new bird species seen on the walk out as it was still to cool for Butterflies were Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Greater Short-toed (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla) and Mediterranean Short-toed Lark (Terrera Marismena / Alaudala rufescens), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Dartford (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Western Subalpine (Curruca Carrasqueña Occidental / Curruca iberiae) and Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Curruca conspicillata), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Western Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia Occidental / Oenanthe hispanica) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

The Habitat.

and again.

Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Curruca conspicillata).

Western Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasqueña Occidental / Curruca iberiae) ♂.

I also had Stock Dove, Red-billed Chough, Crested and Thekla's Lark, Rock Sparrow and Common Linnet.

Western Dappled Whites (Euchloe crameri).

Western Dappled Whites (Euchloe crameri).

Bath White (Pontia daplidice).

At about the 3km mark I picked up my first butterfly, a Western Dappled (Euchloe crameri) x25 and Bath White (Pontia daplidice) which were followed by the first of 3x Spanish Greenish Black-tips (Euchloe bazae) which as it was still early settled a few times and allowed me to get some photo's, the other two were as usual much more active.

Spanish Greenish Black-tip (Euchloe bazae).

Spanish Greenish Black-tip (Euchloe bazae).

Spanish Greenish Black-tip (Euchloe bazae).

Spanish Greenish Black-tip (Euchloe bazae).

Spanish Greenish Black-tip (Euchloe bazae).

As I walked back towards the car I added Portuguese Dappled White (Euchloe tagis) x5 another good species as well as Large White (Pieris brassicae) x6, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x2, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x9, Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) x1, Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela maroccana), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Spiny-footed Lizard (Acanthodactylus erythrurus) and Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus).

Portuguese Dappled White (Euchloe tagis).

Portuguese Dappled White (Euchloe tagis).

Portuguese Dappled White (Euchloe tagis).

I reached the car and had some food and a drink before heading out onto the fields a little to the west where I saw more Carrion Crows, Large Whites x6, Clouded Yellow x4, Serrate Spurge (Euphorbia serrata), Ramping (Fumaria capreolata) and Fumaria densiflora, Adonis annua, Moricandia moricandioides and White Wallrocket (Diplotaxis erucoides).

 Serrate Spurge (Euphorbia serrata).

Fumaria densiflora.

Moricandia moricandioides.

White Wallrocket (Diplotaxis erucoides).

Large White (Pieris brassicae).

Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone).

.

On the drive down to the Rio Baza crossing I saw more Stock Doves and at the Rio there were Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Eurasian Hoopoe, Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris).

Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas).

Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas).

By now it was getting warm and I was knackered, so I headed for the Hotel where I chilled (fell asleep for 4 hours) and woke up just in time to head out and set my one LED Moth Light.

El Temple and the Cacín Valley, Granada Province, Spain.

Out for a days birding with Anne for the US.

 

We started the day by visiting a semi derelict Cortijo where we had a good number of Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula) and several Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Corn Buntings (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

We moved on and made our next stop near the village of La Malaha where we saw the first of many Corn Buntings (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra) as well as Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Corn Buntings (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

The next two and a half hours were spent on the tracks in the El Temple area where we added some nice species including a very nice immature Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) which was sat in a dead tree, a ♀ Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), a very nice ♂ Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which we watched calling, Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) which were only heard by me unfortunately, Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Calandra (Calandria Común / Melanocorypha calandra) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), Fan-lipped Orchids (Anacamptis collina) which were all pretty much over, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x4, Large White (Pieris brassicae) x2, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x2 and lots of Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).

We left the El Temple area and drove out through Ventas de Huélma seeing a mixed pair of Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas) onour way to a view point near Cortijo Ochíchar where there were a couple of very distant Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) but as there was a very cool wind we decided to drop into the Cacín Valley.

Just after we passed through the village we made a stop by the Rio Cacín where we spent some time finding some woodland / Riverside species including a pale Morph Booted Eagle which was sat in a tree, Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), House (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

We moved up the Valley and stopped at the Contrembalse, it was fairly quiet but we did find Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei) heard only, Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus) which was heard in the distance, White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

Our next stop was down at the Rio Cacín bridge where after parking we checked out a spot for a Eurasian Eagle Owl (Búho Real / Bubo bubo) which I was pleased to see sitting out on a distant crag, we also saw quite a few Iberian Magpies (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Long-tailed (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), heard Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and a couple of very bright ♂ Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) butterflies.

We were going to stop in the pine woodlands but the parking area was blocked by logs as the fallen trees from the storm in January are being cleared.

We continued on up to the crags below Moraleda where we made two stops picking up Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and a couple of ♂ Blue-rock Thrushes (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius).

Looking over to the Sierra Nevada from the Moraleda Fields.

Next we headed up onto the fields above El Turro seeing a nice ♂Montagu's Harrier which was in territorial disputes with a ♀ Western Marsh Harrier, out on the fields we added better views of a Eurasian Hoopoe, Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and a very smart Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus) before we reached the Motorway and called it a day.

Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus).

Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus).

Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

An afternoon walk around the loop.

Ebird List for Hacho.

Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica).

After a morning appointment up in Granada I felt I needed a walk, so I went up to Hacho where I parked at the Puddle and walked up to the top car park finding Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina), Giant (Himanthoglossum Robertiana), Italian Man (Orchis Italica) x5, Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera) x25+, Somber Bee (Ophrys lupercalis) x15+ mostly over and Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea) 40+, Bellis microcephala, Ramping Fumitory (Fumaria capreolata), White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum), Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri) x9 and a ♂ Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides) x1.

Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana).

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea).

I got back to the car and carried on around the first part of the loop, right by the Puddle I found my first Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) of the year and nearby the first of half a dozen Provence Hairstreaks (Tomares ballus).

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

Provence Hairstreaks (Tomares ballus).

Provence Hairstreaks (Tomares ballus).

As I continued on I also found Small White (Pieris rapae) x3, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x3, Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) x1, Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x5, Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica)  x6, lots of Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis) x200+, Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) x3, Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).

Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica).

Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Wild flowers included Cymbalaria-leaved Speedwell (Veronica cymbalaria), Eruca (Eruca sativa), Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna), Field Madder (Sherardia arvensis), Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Tassel Hyacinth (Muscari comosum), Mallow-leaved Storksbill (Erodium malacoides), Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus), Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), Serrate Spurge (Euphorbia serrata) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Serrate Spurge (Euphorbia serrata).

On the drive home I went nice and slowly past the old Olives where I saw just the one Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and my first Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) of the year.

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).