Over the border, down on the Coast in Malaga Province looking for Orchids.
 |
| Ophrys x eliasii (O. lupercalis x O. speculum). |
I started the morning by driving down to the first of a couple of spots around Monda in Malaga Province, at the first spot I was looking for a hybrid which I haven't seen before but after visiting the spot a while ago with Kevin and Perry I recognised a clump of
Somber Bee Orchids (Ophrys
lupercalis) in someone's photo on Facebook, so I went for a look and found it.
 |
| Ophrys x eliasii (O. lupercalis x O. speculum). |
 |
| Ophrys x eliasii (O. lupercalis x O. speculum). |
I soon found the spot again, it was a difficult location to get a photo and even harder for a bit of a porker to get back down again however I came away unscathed and happy to have seen this beauty.
 |
| Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis). |
 |
| Ophrys x vanmunsterii (Ophrys Alpujata x O. Lupercalis). |
 |
| Ophrys alpujata. |
In the same area I picked found
Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys
lupercalis),
Ophrys x
vanmunsterii (Ophrys Alpujata x O. Lupercalis),
Ophrys alpujata, Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus),
Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Cut-leaved Lavender (Lavandula multifida), Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo EuroasiĂĄtico / Garrulus glandarius),
Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada),
Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo ComĂșn / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera ComĂșn / Parus major), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula),
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala),
Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleĂĄrtico / Troglodytes troglodytes),
European Greenfinch (VerderĂłn ComĂșn / Chloris chloris),
Common Chaffinch (PinzĂłn Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and
European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
 |
| Ophrys x diazii (O. alpujata × O. scolopax). |
 |
| Ophrys x diazii (O. alpujata × O. scolopax). |
The next stop was nearby, where I checked an area of Olive trees seeing several spikes of the Hybrid Ophrys x
diazii (O. alpujata × O. scolopax),
Ophrys alpujata, Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax), Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana),
Eurasian Jay and
Large White (Pieris brassicae) x5. |
| Ophrys alpujata. |
 |
| Ophrys alpujata. |
My third stop of the day was not far away near Guaro where I was very pleased to see a great number of Orchids including many Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica) along with
Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera),
Mirror (Ophrys speculum),
Somber Bee,
Conical (
Neotinea conica), Champagne (Orchis champagneuxii) and
Fan-lipped Orchid (
Anacamptis collina).
 |
| Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica). |
 |
| Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica). |
 |
| Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica). |
 |
| Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica). |
 |
| Champagne Orchid (Orchis champagneuxii). |
 |
| Champagne Orchid (Orchis champagneuxii). |
 |
| Champagne Orchid (Orchis champagneuxii). |
Also seen were
Yellow Anemone (Anemone palmata),
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus),
Clouded Apollo (
Parnassius mnemosyne) x1,
Small White (
Pieris rapae) x2,
Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) x2,
Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x1,
Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Common Blackbird (Mirlo ComĂșn / Turdus merula),
Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus),
House Sparrow (GorriĂłn ComĂșn / Passer domesticus) and
Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).
 |
| Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum). |
 |
| Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus). |
I returned to the car and saw an elderly guy at the end of the track putting up a sign to sell the land, which means this site very important site for a rare Orchid could be lost, unfortunately.  |
| Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla). |
 |
| Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla). |
 |
| Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla). |
 |
| Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera). |
I moved on again to another site where I found several spikes of Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla) which weren't in flower the last time I visited the area, today they were good, so I got some shot of them and also found spikes of
Sawfly and
Somber Bee Orchid.
 |
| Anacamptis x dafnii (Anacamptis collina x Orchis papilionacea) going over. |
 |
| Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax). |
My final stop of the day was in the Sierra de Mijas where I did a walk to look in on some spikes that I saw a couple of weeks ago, I first checked the hybrid
Anacamptis x dafnii (Anacamptis collina x Orchis papilionacea) which was now going past it's best, there were still plenty of
Woodcock Orchid some still in good condition, some pretty much over with Fan-lipped Orchid and several spikes of
Ophrys x castroviejoi (O. Speculum x O. Scolopax
), unfortunately some spikes had been damage after being rooted out by Wild Boar (JabalĂ / Felis silvestris).
 |
| Spanish Festoon. |
Other species seen here were Spanish Festoon x2, Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) x2, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x1, Eurasian Sparrowhawk (GavilĂĄn ComĂșn / Accipiter nisus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina ComĂșn / Hirundo rustica), Long-tailed Tit (Mito ComĂșn / Aegithalos caudatus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero ComĂșn / Phylloscopus collybita) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).
