Venta del Raya to Zafarraya, Granada Province.

A morning photographing Birds and Orchids with Ian Phillips and his sister.

Male Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

After sorting a few things in Loja I headed south through Zaffaraya to Puente Don Emanuel but found the place I want to visit was shut so I made my way back up over the ridge to a spot where I spent an hour or so before I met Ian watching several Montagu's Harrier's (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus). 

Female Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

In the same area I also had Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Collared (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and Turtle Doves (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei).

Male Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

I was meeting Ian and his Sister just down the valley, on the drive down I picked up Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes).

Male Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus).

I arrived a little early and checked the area around where I was parked and soon found Giant (Himantoglossum robertiana), Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea) and Conical Orchids (Neotinea conica), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) and Bath White (Pontia daplidice). 

Giant Orchid (Himantoglossum robertiana).

Birds seen and heard included Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Subalpine (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans), Bonelli's (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Western Orphean Warblers (Curruca Mirlano / Sylvia hortensis).

Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta).

Ian and his Sister arrived and we walked around the whole site building the Orchid list with Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina) but they were mostly over with, Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera), Pink Butterfly (Anacamptis papilionacea) with a very nice large group under the Almonds and Small Woodcock (Ophrys picta). 

Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea).

Butterflies were also boosted with Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) and Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

We moved back up the valley and checked an area of Oak Woodlands, bird wise we found Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) and the orchid and butterfly lists were boosted with Sword-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanatera longifolia), Dense-flowered (Neotinea maculata) and Southern Early Purple Orchids (Androrchis Olbiensis) and Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Small (Pieris rapae) and Large Whites (Pieris brassicae).

Conical Orchids (Neotinea conica).

Once we had checked these areas we made our way up to the spot where I had started the morning and watched the Montagu's Harriers again and they put on a nice show. 

Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta).

I left Ian and headed off home just stopping briefly to photograph some Corn Poppy's (Papaver rhoeas) growing below Sierra de Loja.

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).

Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).

Ian and his sister looking at the Pink Butterflies.

Sword-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanatera longifolia).

Sword-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanatera longifolia).

Dense-flowered Orchid (Neotinea maculata).

The Poppy field.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Records for the 15th April 2017.

15W Actinic on the terrace.

45 Moths of 21 Species.

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

1655 Ethmia bipunctella

Ran the 15watt Actinic in the garden again last night as it had warmed up again and had a decent amount of species for here amongst the Olives. They included 1525 Plutella xylostella (Diamond backed Moth) x1, 1648 Ethmia terminella x8, 1655 Ethmia bipunctella x3, 6488 Evergestis frumentalis x3, 7984 Phaiogramma  etruscaria x1, 8145 Idaea manicaria x2, 8328 Nebula ibericata x3, 8638 Lithostege griseata (Grey Carpet) x2, 8897 Minucia lunaris (Lunar-double Stripe) x1, 9056 Autographa gamma (Silver Y) x2, 9100 Acontia lucida (Pale Shoulder) x1, 9140 Eublemma ostrina (Purple Marbled) x1, 9207 Cucullia chamomillae (Chamomile Shark) x1, 9350 Synthymia fixa (The Gold Wing) x1, 9367 Heliothis peltigera (Bordered Straw) x1, 9425 Caradrina proxima x2, 9433 Caradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow) x1, 9436 Caradrina flavirena (Lorimer's Rustic) x5, 10003 Mythimna vitellina (The Delicate) x2, 10343 Agrotis puta (Shuttle Shaped Dart) x4 and 10346 Agrotis ipsilon (Dark Sword-grass) x1.

6488 Evergestis frumentalis

7984 Phaiogramma  etruscaria

8145 Idaea manicaria

8328 Nebula ibericata

8638 Lithostege griseata (Grey Carpet).

8897 Minucia lunaris (Lunar-double Stripe)

9056 Autographa gamma (Silver Y)

9207 Cucullia chamomillae (Chamomile Shark)

9350 Synthymia fixa (The Gold Wing)

9367 Heliothis peltigera (Bordered Straw)

9425 Caradrina proxima

9436 Caradrina flavirena (Lorimer's Rustic)

10003 Mythimna vitellina (The Delicate)

10346 Agrotis ipsilon (Dark Sword-grass).

9140 Eublemma ostrina (Purple Marbled)

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9370 Heliothis armigera (Scarce Bordered Straw).

9370 Heliothis armigera (Scarce Bordered Straw).

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Loja, Granada Province.

Semana Santa evening parade.

Some general Photographs.

Moraleda Fields and Sierra de Loja, Granada Province.

A days birding with Martin, Matt and Harry from the UK.

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

We started with a coffee in the Cortijo de Tajar before we headed out on to the fields near to Moreleda, on the way we had a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) sat on a chain link fence and in the Olives we added to the list off with European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), a calling Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and the first of several Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius). 

In the same area we checked a small area of grassland and soon found Bumblebee (Ophrys bombyliflora), Dark Spider (Ophrys incubacea), Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea), Mirror (Ophrys speculum) and Fan-lipped Orchids (Anacamptis collina).

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius).

Up amongst the Almond groves we had better views of Great Spotted Cuckoo as well as Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Crested Larks (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), a pair of Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) which flew before we got on to them and at least 3 possibly 6 Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis) which were only seen distantly in flight.

We continued on through the site finding a nest with well grown Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) chicks poking their heads out of the hole. As we made our way to the Ruin on the site we picked up Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia) and a pair of Rollers (Carraca / Coracias garrulus) which flew away towards the Cortijo but we failed to relocate them when we got there.

Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).

As we crossed the fields a Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) was seen calling and before we left the site we also had Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

After leaving the site we decided to move out to Sierra de Loja and after making our way down the A92 stopping in Loja to collect some food we went up on to the hill and parked on the track near the lower quarry and boosted the list with Dartford (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and Spectacled Warblers (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) and a soaring Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis) out over the Pine woods.

Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica).

From the quarry we drove quickly over to the far side of Charca del Negro to look at the cliffs, on the way we saw Northern (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and Black-eared Wheatears (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica).

On the cliffs we found a stunning newly arrived pair of Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis), Alpine (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) and Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus).

On the way down the hill we picked up Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater),  Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla) and several Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

We dropped off the mountain and went back to the Hotel where we had met, Thanks to Martin and the Lads for an interesting day.

Wide angle view of the far side of Sierra de Loja.

Cabra and Priego de Cordoba, Cordoba Province.

A visit to some Garden Centres in Cabra and being tourists in Priego.

Just some general shots from the day.

Padul, Granada Province.

Hot and sticky along the smelly channel.

I popped in to Padul again to see if any of the Spotted Crakes (Polluela Pintoja / Porzana porzana) were still around and after about 20 minutes I found just a single secritive bird which ran across a gap in the reeds a couple of time so quickly I did not get the camera on it.

Other species seen there were Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Reed (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Cetti's Warblers (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra).