Now let me make
it clear - when you saw this page was called 'Birding in Spain', if
you are a 'hardened' bird watcher, you thought I must know what I'm
talking about.
 I
don't. Mick Richardson is the 'expert'. I met up with
Mick when we were staying in the house of a friend near Loja in
summer 2006. Mick is a Brit who moved out here and now spends
his days showing visitors around the wildlife areas nearby and
helping them see the native birds, insects, mammals and reptiles of
the area.
Here's a link to
Mick Richardson's contact details. Click on the Leaflet page for a
'Word' version.
What follows is
a report
Mick wrote about the first walk we did with him between 7.30 in the
morning and mid-day. Take a look at the photographs to see
what Mick helped us see that day. We'd have never managed
without his local knowledge and expertise.
Moraleda
de Zafayona, Rio Cacin and Fuente de las Pilas del Lobo, Granada
Province.
17th
August 2006.
Cloudy but dry, wind picking up on lake side part of
the walk. Heavy rain later.
07:30 to 12:00.
Site One,
Moraleda Ridge.
At this site we observed -
European Bee-eater (H),
Jackdaw, Crested Lark (H),
Barn Swallow, House Martin, Stonechat, Goldfinch, Spotless Starling,
Blue Rock Thrush (H),
House Sparrow, Feral
Pigeon, Lesser Kestrel, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Turtle Dove,
Sardinian Warbler,
Blackbird, Great Tit & Rock Sparrow
(H).
 The
European Bee-eater on the left and on the right a Stonechat.
Site Two,
Fuente de las Pilas del Lobo Circular Route.
In this area we observed, House
Martin,Barn Swallow, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Black
Bird, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Coot, Mallard, Pochard,
Little Grebe, Golden Oriole, Sardinian Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff,
Corn Bunting, Booted Eagle (Dark Phase), Hoopoe, European Bee-eater,
Woodchat Shrike, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Common Sandpiper,
Woodpigeon, Red-rumped Swallow, Common Magpie, Spotless Starling,
Cetti’s Warbler, Red-legged Partridge, Rock Dove, Azure-winged
Magpie Jay Turtle Dove Collared Dove & Serin.
The picture
below is the bridge over the Rio Cacin.
The picture left
is
Purple Loostrife and below is the Caper.
 
Below is the
Squirting Cucumber
Here is a
Swallowtail Caterpillar seen on weeds on a bridge
And here for
information is the fully developed Swallowtail. At this site
we saw
Purple Loostrife, Greater
Willow-herb, Vervain, Corn Mint, Fennel, Grass-poly, Caper,
Squirting Cucumber & Round-leaved Oak.
 
Below is the
Violet Drop-wing.
Here also are
photos of the
Iberian Pond Frog
Also seen here - a
Ladder Snake Skin and a Rabbit.
Also seen on this walk -
Pine Processionary Moth Nest & the Large
Psammodromus (picture above) the
Paper Wasp Nest (picture right).
|
