Whilst out running this morning there were at least 2
Common Nightingale singing in the scrub alongside the Ronda-Algeciras road; also in full song were Blackcap, European Robin, Sardinian Warbler, Corn Bunting and Serin. There were also at least 2, possibly 3, Common Nightingale singing in the valley below Gaucin over the past couple of days. A good sighting today by Janys as she spotted a
Eurasian Hoopoe flying over the Plaza de Sant
o N
iño at about 11:30hrs! There were small groups (the same one several times, I suspect) of 10-20
European Bee-eater over the village throughout the day.
An adult
Egyptian Vulture was reported from Sierra Crestellina yesterday.
During the afternoon a visit to the west slope of El Hacho in warm, calm conditions proved surprisingly quiet although a Peregrine mobbing a Griffon Vulture was worth watching; presumably the vulture strayed too close to the falcon's (proposed?) nest site. Also seen were
27 Black Kite, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, at least 8 singing male Stonechat, Sardinian Warbler and Cirl Bunting.
There are plenty of orchids around at the moment with lots of
Mirror Ophrys and
Yellow Ophrys on the path up to El Hacho; last week there were these two species plus
Man Orchid and
Dull Ophrys along the 'Smugglers' path west of the village. Everywhere you go in the
campo there is a profusion of the plainly-named pretty
Barbary Nut.
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| Mirror Ophrys Ophrys ciliata |
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| Mirror Ophrys and Yellow Ophrys Ophrys lutea |
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| Mirror Ophrys |
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| Gorse and the view from El Hacho to Gibraltar and beyond |
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| Barbary Nut Gynandriris sisirynchium | |
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| Dull Ophrys Ophrys fusca |
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| Man Orchid Aceras anthropophorum |
Lovely blogg you have
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