Birds, Butterflies and Orchids on another good day in the Cacín.
 |
| Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti). |
I met John Webster at the Cortijo de Tajar hotel just off the A92 at exit 203 and we headed out on to the fields starting by checking the ditches on the Eastern side of the local patch.
As we left the car we had fleeting views of a Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) as it flew away from us and then I picked up a new species for my local patch a Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) which flew through high and off towards the Rio Genil.
A little further along the ditch we had nice views of a
Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), several
Greenfinches (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and
Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus),
Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis),
Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita),
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis),
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus),
Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and
White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
 |
| Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius). |
We checked the two small drainage pools where we had cracking views of a male
Bluethroat with a full blue throat, along with a couple of
Reed Buntings (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus) which flew away low and rapidly.
On our way back up to the car we picked up a single Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata).
We moved on and had a look along the lower stretch of the Arroyo Vilano and soon bumped the list up with Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).
 |
| Almond flowers. |
We moved on around to the higher stretch of the Arroyo seeing several
Iberian Magpies (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cyanus) on the way and down by the water we had a rather rough looking
Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) which was part way through its moult as looking rather shabby.
We also had several more Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail, Little Ringed Plovers and Green Sandpipers on this upper stretch.
Our next stop was on the central fields where we looked for but did not find the Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), we did however have several Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula).
Again we moved on this time to the far fields where we found just a single male Little Bustard on the furthest point of the field.
We walked along the edge of the field watching a chap pick some very nice looking Asparagusand getting some much better views of the
Bustard and a nice male
Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).
 |
| Great Spotted Cuckoo's (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius). |
We left the Local Patch and headed for Balsa de Rigedor a small pool on the side of the A92 between Mesia and Moraleda adding
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) on the way.
Once at the lake we scanned the water and we soon counted 27 Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), 17 Northern Shovelers (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), 21 Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).
On the rotting branches around the margins there were dozens of
Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) basking in the sun and several
Small Whites (Artogeia rapae) and
Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria) flew under the near by Almonds.
In the same Almonds we saw several
Common Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita),
Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla) and a couple of
Song Thrushes (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos).
 |
| Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus). |
Our next stop was on the fields near Moraleda, we approached the site from the Northern tracks and parked near an area of old abandoned Almond groves and straight away I noticed that there were lots of butterflies on the wing including
Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus),
Bath (Pontia daplidice) and
Large Whites (Pieris brassicae),
Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera),
Province Hairstreak (Tomares ballus),
Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus),
Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and
Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).
As we started to walk amongst the Almonds we heard several
Great Spotted Cuckoo's (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius) approach and soon had views of two stunning birds sat in a nearby tree.
There were probably around 6 birds in the flock and all were calling loudly and at the same time we could also hear Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).
We walked out on a track where we picked up
Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae),
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and a single
Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) which flew over quickly.
 |
| Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri). |
In the groves we found several spikes of
Fan-lipped Orchid (Orchis conica) along with lots of
Field marigold (Calendula arvensis),
Common Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum),
Crown Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum var discolor),
Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule),
Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum),
Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata ssp pullata),
Western ramping-fumitory (Fumaria occidentalis) and
Southern Daisy (Bellis cordifolia).
We made our way steadily round the tracks until we reached Cortijo Capitana where we scanned the fields, on the way we had views of Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and amongst the Olives several Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and an Iberian Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus / capensis).
 |
| Fan-lipped Orchid (Orchis colina). |
Near the Cortijo we had several more butterflies including
Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera),
Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) and
Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) along with
Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea) and a calling
Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix).
We continued on the track and then down into the Cacín Valley via the bar in El Turro where we collected a sandwich for lunch later and had a coffee, in the town we had a group of House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).
We made a stop at a couple of points in the Pine woods on our way along the river and picked up
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs),
Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla) and both
Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and
Coal Tits (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) were heard and found several spikes of
Ophrys forestieri.
 |
| Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus). |
We moved on down to the bridge over the Rio Cacín where we checked the bushes and reedbeds where we added
Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común /
Cyanistes caeruleus), a single male
Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and a dark phase
Booted Eagle (
Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) which passed down the valley, this was followed a couple of minutes later by a female
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) which was moving back up to the lake and two
Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) which were circling over the pine woods.
We got back to the car and went up to the lake where we saw three
Marsh Harriers, two males and a female, on the water we saw more
Common Pochards,
Northern Shoveler,
Mallard,
Common Moorhens,
Eurasian Coot,
Little Grebe,
Little-ringed Plovers,
Green Sandpiper and a very smart
Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) on the muddy margins.
 |
| Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus). |
We moved on down the valley to the gorge and soon we were having great views of our first
Bonelli's Eagle (
Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) of the day, this bird was hunting over the fields over the fields above the gorge. In the same area we had distant but identifiable views of
Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura),
Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius),
Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and four
Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).
We retraced our way back down the valley and took the turning through Cacín but stopped by the river and had a walk, on the way up stream we picked up lots more
Blackcaps, another
Grey Wagtail and several
Whites,
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major),
Cetti's Warbler and
Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula). At the furthest point along the river I heard a call which confused me for a moment but then I saw a male of a
Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) which was a species I had not seen in the valley before. On the walk back we had very nice views of a singing male
Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus). We went up through Cacín and on to the ridge above picking up a second
Bonelli's Eagle which was sat on a pylon and being mobbed by several
Jackdaws.
 |
| Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus). |
Further along the road we parked and scanned the nearby ridges looking for raptors and as we watch two
Jacdaws come over a nearby hump we realized they were mobbing a female
Merlin (Esmerejón / Falco columbarius).
The Merlin dropped low and soon gave its pursuers the slip and on a slightly more distant ridge we picked up a nice pale phase Booted Eagle as it soared over the Olive trees.
We continued on along the road to Ventas and took the road towards Moraleda, on the way we had good but distant views of an adult Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) which was being mobbed by a Common Buzzard. Just a little further along the road we stopped near two abandoned buildings and had a couple of Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni) and then set off for the hotel picking up a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) in a road side tree which was the last bird of the day.
The total for the day was 82 species either seen or heard.
-Tethea-ocularis.jpg)
-Agrotis-puta-p.jpg)
