Sierra Loja

After the unbearable heat of the week-end with temperatures on Saturday topping the 100F mark, Monday dawned with very low cloud and mist and this weather stayed with us all day.  Just the occasional break in the misty sky to reveal a hazy sun and the whole lot accompanied by quite strong breezes.  Indeed, so bad that neither Jenny nor I could get into the pool all day.  I suspect that had I tried to roll the cover back the wind would have picked it up and dropped it off, if we were lucky, somewhere down the mountainside.  What chance birding?

It would appear judging by John and Jenny Wainwright's last email received this morning, every chance of birding.  Lovely to be in a position where you get bored, put everything down and then shoot off up the Sierra Loja for some great birds.  And that is exactly what they did.  Indeed, I have just received another email from John in response to my weather report for yesterday where he states, "When we were up the top of the sierras we noticed the huge bank of cloud hanging over the mountains..I said to Jenny that it must be fairly humid under that lot."  

A magnificent Booted Eagle Aguililla Calzada  Hieraaetus pennatus  (JJW)

Yes, thanks John, that has really cheered me up.  Still there is always another day and, with luck, I might find something down at the Rio Velez on Friday, given that I seem to be otherwise occupied every day this week bar then.

Sierra Loja  Monday, 16th July 2012

A balmy 89F up the top but a very fresh wind also.  We were bored after making some plum jam, so we had tapas and headed for the sierras.  We saw nothing for the first part of the journey, even in the tree line there was a deafening silence.  So on up to the first cliff face and here our luck changed.  As we pulled up, a flash across the car bonnet and we had our first Alpine Swift of the day, soon to be followed by three more, a couple of Common Swifts and a House Martin were seen also here.  Two Common Kestrels were diving at each other above the ridge and we could hear the Chough before we spotted them low in the valley to our right and just as were getting back in the car a Scarce Swallowtail butterfly fluttered by.

As we drove up to the second bank of cliffs we spotted about seventy or so Choughs perching on the cliff-face.  Also here we saw Crag Martins, two Black Wheatears and Stonechats.   As we left the cliff area we spotted two Griffon Vultures in the distance and in the small shrubs and trees a Southern Grey Shrike, Black-eared Wheatears (all juveniles), a juvenile Woodchat Shrike, Thekla Larks and a Lesser Kestrel.

A heavily moulting Black-eared Wheatear Collalba Rubia Oenanthehispanica (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

Into the sub-station valley where we found Red-legged Partridge, a lone Barn Swallow, a Hoopoe, more Black-eared Wheatears and another Southern Grey Shrike.  As we approached the first of the wind turbines Jenny spotted a juvenile Rock Thrush; also in the area were Goldfinches
and Rock Sparrows.  Onto the Charco del Negra where there were Linnets, Goldfinches, Rock Sparrows, two juvenile Northern Wheatears and again Black-eared Wheatears. The pond itself is teeming with young frogs/toads and a few newts.

We then moved onto the fossil cave here we saw over two hundred Chough feeding in amongst the rocks. There were also here four Alpine Swifts (probably the ones from lower down), Common and Pallid Swifts, two Common Kestrels, Black Redstart, Red-legged Partridge and as we turned to retrace our steps we spotted a Booted Eagle perched on a cliff top where we saw the Rock Thrush on the group visit.  We drove slowly towards it until we were about three hundred metres away and in
between the cameras clicking away like mad we had stunning views of this beautiful raptor, even to the point where he took off, circled and disappeared into the sun.

The departing Short-toed Eagle  Culebrera Europea Circaetus gallicus  (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

We were in high spirits as we drove past the ponds and onto the plain area where we found Blue Rock Thrush, Black Redstart, Linnets, Woodchat Shrike, Goldfinches, Blackbird and another Northern Wheatear.  On the way down we spotted two male Ibex feeding in a small valley among the turbines and further down in the tree line we saw Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Azure-winged Magpie and Spotless Starling.

This area never stops amazing me and I am so glad that we live close to it to enjoy all its wildlife.

 Great report John and it just goes to show that no sooner do I mention the dearth of Northern Wheatears and they start turning up all over the place.  What do we say about the number nine bus?

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