Introduction to what is on the site and where to find it.

This site is well and truly still under construction and will be for quite some time. I intend over the next few months (years) to put as many species and as much information about Sierra de Loja on the site as I can.
At the moment if you click on the main title name (ie: Birds) you will be taken to a page where there is a list of the species I have recorded in the set area, I have no doubt these list are not a complete account of all the species recorded on the Sierra.
When you pass over the title names a drop down menu will appear and it gives you a list of further pages on the same subject.
Below the Home page icon there is some information on the areas I have include on the site, I have divided the region in to 6 ten KM square areas and use area numbers as reference to locations of some species in the main part of the site.


Sierra de Loja.

This is not a wildlife site that is on the tip of every bodies tongue but has been very popular with local Spanish naturalists for a long time and is starting to get well known by some of the English residents and visitors as well. It is in the Western side of the Province of Granada and lies to the south of the towns of Loja and Huetor Tajar and to the North of Zafarraya and Alhama de Granada.
The Highest point in the Sierra de Loja is the Summit of Cabras which is at 1642 meters, this is not the highest point in the area covered, this is at 1670 meters in the Sierra Gorda and both are in area three. The areas around these peaks are mainly made up of large swaths of Limestone pavement and on the lower slopes broom and herb scrub. There are several small pools or Charca's in the mountains; the best know is Charca del Negro.
Picture
Charca del Negro.
In the areas to the east of Zafarraya and south of Salar there are some larger areas of cerial crops grown, these fields can be quite large and are the breeding areas for the beautiful Montagu's Harrier. On the western and southern edges of the area there are some larger areas of Oak woodland with other small patches scattered between the Olive and Almond groves which cover massive areas. Other woodlands include pines on the northern slopes of the main sierra and mixed broad leaved along several of the water courses plus the plantations of Poplars planted as a quick growing cash crop.
In the south of the area there are some more areas of mountain, the western end of the Sierra de Alhama just creep into area five and this ridge is rich in wild flowers and Orchids.
Picture
View of the Northern slopes in low cloud.
_This small pool is rain water fed and is usually dry by August / September, some pools on the eastern slopes manage to retain some water all year but these are probably spring fed. Other water sources are the Rio Genil which runs through areas one and two and the Rio Frio also in area one. There area also many smaller Arroyos and barranco's all over the area which are just too numerous to name. There are also hundreds of man made depositos of varying sizes used for watering crops but also provide useful watering holes for many creatures.
In the Genil valley and around the town of Zafarraya the predominate habitat is agricultural land, many made up of small stripes of land laid down to many different crops. In the Huétor Tájar part of the valley the famous Asparagus is grown in large quantities, while in the south near Zafarraya huge areas are set to Tomatoes.

Picture
Agricultural area near Zafarraya.






Area One.











Area Three.











Area Five.






Area Two.











Area Four.   











Area Six.