The Alhambra, Granada Province, Spain.

The release of the Aves de la Alhambra (Birds of the Alhambra).

 

I was pleased to be at the official release of this book in the amazing surroundings of the Palacio de Carlos V, which considering the weather was very well attended.

 

Javier Sánchez Gutiérrez, José María González Cachinero, Juan Pérez Contreras and Juan Ramón Fernández Cardenete.

The Three authors, José María González Cachinero, Juan Pérez Contreras and Juan Ramón Fernández Cardenete along with Javier Sánchez Gutiérrez, the Manager of the Garden Services de la Alhambra and Generalife presented the book, explaining its layout over a couple of hours and then took questions at the end.

 

One of the screens used during the talk.

 

It is very informative and of very good quality, not just the makeup of the book but the photo's, text and other information and to me is a very good price at just €18 for a hardback edition. 

There is a plan for an English version to be released in the future.

ISBN: 978-84-17518-28-8
Price: €18

As always, I was there early so I had a walk around the site, taking a few general shots of the architecture and the gardens.

Malaga Airport, Malaga Province and Huétor Fields and near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A quick trip to Malaga and then a quiet day.

Ebird List for the Terrace.

 

These three musicians and the three followers were the best thing about the Zoco.

I was up and out early as I had to return the hire car to Malaga and catch a bus back to Loja which leaves the Airport at 08:30, I dropped the car without any problems and was soon on the bus and back to Loja where a neighbour picked me up and bought me back to the house.

Once back home I sat up on the terrace for a short while then John and I popped down to Huétor to wash and fill my motor now it's back on the road, on our way back we came across the fields seeing a female type Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) on the grass at Huétor Tajar Airfield and as we returned to the house we added Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

We returned to the house and went up on to the Terrace where we spent a while seeing what was passing, whilst up there we saw Common (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) x3 and European Honey Buzzards (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus) x3, Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) x1 and Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra).

Later we went for a walk around the Andalusian Zoco but it was rather disappointing compared to the last time I went a few years ago, more of a tat market these days unfortunately, later we had a nice meal up on the terrace.

Fuengirola and Ronda, Malaga Province, Spain.*

A day out to Ronda.

I collected Brenda and Keith and we headed out along the coast and then inland up through the mountains on the winding road to the tourist town of Ronda, on the way I saw Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

We parking on the edge of town and walk the main street down to the Bull Ring having a coffee on the way, after having a look at the bull we went for a walk along the Alameda del Tajo around to the Puente Nuevo and on to Mirador de Aldehuela.

Next we went up into the town on the Southern side of the Tajo and walked to the Plaza de María Auxiliadora where we sat and listened to a guy there playing his Spanish Guitar which bought back some memories and when he started to play Memories of the Alhambra (one of Jayne's all time favourate pieces of music) the memories got a little overwhelming for a minute but they were good memories.

We continued on to Plaza Duquesa de Parcent where we sat for a while before heading back to the main street and had some lunch in Plaza Del Socorro before we returned to the car and then drove back to Fuengirola via Ardales and Malaga after a very nice day.

The Rambla, Valencia, Valencia Province, Spain.

A quick look at the Rambla, a drive into Valencia and an afternoon around the Oceanogràfic València.

Karen and Rob, Day Six.

Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba).

We packed and after Breakfast we headed just up the road to the Rambla and had a short walk along the track finding Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto), Rock (Hipparchi alcyone) and Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) and Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli).

Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia).

Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia).

Once we were done at the Rambla we drove towards Valencia picking up Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), 30+ Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).

Teira Batfish (Platax teira).

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Later, after checking in at the hotel we went for a visit to the Oceanogràfic center on the other side of the city, we had a nice walk around and apart from the captives we also saw Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

In the Tunnel.

We returned to the Hotel where we had a rest and then had what can only be discribed as a very rough Burger before turning in as we have a very early start in the morning.

Red Sea Aquarium.

Conjunto Arqueológico Baelo Claudia, Cueva del Moro in Sierra de Plata, La Janda, Barbate Marismas, Cadiz Province, Spain.

More birds, butterflies and Roman remains with Pam and John.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

We were off early and by 10.00 we were at the entrance to the Conjunto Arqueológico Baelo Claudia, on the way down we saw Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Collared (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Western Cattle (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Looking down on the Bolonia area from Sierra de Plata.

John looking for Swifts.

We dropped Pam off at the site before heading just up the road to Sierra de Plata where we spent some time checking the cliffs, caves and woods for birds and butterflies finding Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Small White (Pieris rapae), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) and a couple of gliding Monarchs (Danaus plexippus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

We didn't find any interesting Swifts, in fact we didn't see a single Swift so we dropped down to a lower level and took another track but we didn't do any better here so we returned to Baelo Claudia and went for a walk around the site for a while, it was very impressive but spoilt slightly for me by the amount of metal fences and barriers, I understand that lots of people don't respect signs saying keep off the monument but it could be done better.

Our next stop was going to be for some lunch at a roadside bar in Tahivilla but it was closed so we went up into the town it's self where we found a nice little bar in the main square and had a nice lunch, whilst we were sat there I saw a lady getting into her car with a hair colour that I recognized so I went over and had a quick chat with Eva Bratek (who I had not see for quite long time) as she was on her way to work.

We finish Lunch and went for a drive along the track which follows the Main Channel through La Janda, it was very quiet but we did see Common Stonechat, Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and on some flooded Rice Fields several Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus). 

Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

We left La Janda and made our way to the cliffs where the Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita) breed but as I had suspected they had already moved on so we did as well and made our way to the Barbate Saltpans.

Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita).

Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita).

We arrived and in the paddocks near the main road we saw at least 12 of the Ibis feeding amongst lots of Cattle, later in the shade of a tree we scanned the water finding Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons), Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and Greater Short-toed Larks (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla).

A very worn Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus).

Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla).

We left the site and made our way up to our hotel at Puerto Real where we settled in and then had a couple of drinks and something to eat, as we sat there we had good numbers of Common Swifts over head and fly overs by White Storks and two Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).

Villa Romana de Salar, Salar, Granada Province, Spain.

A visit to see the superb Roman Mosaics at Salar.

Their Website.

The dining room floor.

I had mentioned to Pam and John about a site near to us where there is an on going excavation of a Roman Villa and they were very Keen on visiting the place so I went on line and booked.

On the morning we met a very nice young lady who showed us around the three covered areas where we saw some of the most amazing Mosaics.

It was very well woth the €5 charge and more and I would recommend anyone in the area or visiting to prebook and visit.

John's Gambas Pil-Pil bubbling away nicely.

Later we went down to Huétor Tajar and had a meal, John really enjoyed his Gambas Pil-Pil.

Granada City, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk around the City.

We spent the morning having a nice walk around a busy city center, it was great to see so many tourists visiting this wonderful City.

We started by having a look around a few shops, the Cathedral and then had an Ice-cream at my favorite place on the via de Colon, Heladería Los Italianos.

We then walked up into Plaza Nueva and de Santa Anna and then walked back down to Plaza de Bib-rambla where we had a coffee in Cafetería / Churrería / Pizzería Alhambra  before heading back to the car and home.