Driving back Home through Cadiz, Malaga and Granada Provinces, Spain.

We gave it a go but failed to find the Target unfortunately.

 

Waking up to strong wind and cloud we decided to call it and head back to Benalmádena seeing Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) on the way.

After saying bye to Andy and loading the kit into my car I headed back to the house and chilled for the rest of the day. 

Algeciras Area and back to the NW of Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Spain.

Our second day in search of the Desert Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus).

 

Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).

We started the day by going back to a spot where we had seen some Acacia bushes along side of the road, we arrived and parked but unfortunately the sun didn't come out during the time we were there and we didn't see any butterflies let alone the target.

Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).

Mediterranean Skipper (Gegenes nostrodamus).

Mediterranean Skipper (Gegenes nostrodamus).

We did record Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x3♂.

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

We checked out another area near this site and drove some tracks around a rather dodgy looking area of deserted buildings that had been used as a dumping ground by the locals, as we drove was picked up Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), a ♀ Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous).

Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous).

The cloud didn't appear to be lifting so we went back to the NW of Traifa and spent the rest of the day there getting better photographs of the species there which Included Zeller's (Borbo borbonica) x12, Mediterranean (Gegenes nostrodamus) x8 and False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus) x1, Small White (Pieris rapae) x2, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x7, Monarch (Danaus plexippus) x12+, Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) x6+, African Grass (Zizeeria knysna) x1, Long-tailed (Lampides boeticus) x2 and Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous) x3, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x3, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x3, Histrionic Cloak-and-dagger Bee (Thyreus histrionicus), Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea) and Red-veined Darter x3♂ x5♀.

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Asclepias curassavica the food plant of the Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

We continued to search the area but we didn't find any new species of butterfly but picked up Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x1♂, Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x1♂, Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) x3, a late European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum).

Later we returned to the hotel and chilled before having a few drinks and some food. 

Arroyo Hondo in Malaga Province and NW of Tarifa in Cadiz Province, Spain.

First day Butterfly hunting with Andy Tweed, in search of the Desert Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus).

 

After getting a few jobs done around the house (hearing Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) in the Olives) I drove down to Benalmádena, on the way down I saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica). 

I got to Benalmádena where I was leaving my car at Friend Andy Tweeds place before we continued on to the Tarifa area calling at Arroyo Hondo just up the road so that Andy could show me one of his local spots, here we saw Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia) x2, Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) x1, Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Spotless Starling.

 Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

 Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

We continued on seeing good numbers of Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) at several spots before we arrived at the area along the A-340 where we were looking for butterflies and we soon found the first Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) and Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

As we searched the area for the extremely rare Desert Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus) (without any real hard information) which Jon Dunn had seen somewhere in the area a few weeks earlier we picked up our first Mediterranean (Gegenes nostrodamus) x1 and Zeller's Skippers (Borbo borbonica) x5, Small (Pieris rapae) x3 and Large White (Pieris brassicae) x1, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x5, Lang's Short-tailed (Leptotes pirithous) x3 and Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) x1 butterfly wise as well as Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x3♂ and x5♀, Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella) moths, Oriental (Vespa orientalis) and European Hornet (Vespa crabro), Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) immature ♂, Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Sardinian Warbler and Spotless Starling.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar.

After a good while and plenty of searching for Acacia bushes / trees which we didn't find we moved just up the road to another spot and again searched the tracks side and meadows but only managed to see Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x1, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x2, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x2, Red-veined Darter x1♂ and x2♀, Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea), Sticky Fleabane (Dittrichia viscosa), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Sardinian Warbler and Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Mediterranean Skipper (Gegenes nostrodamus).

Another road and more searching but at least we found what looked like a kind of Acacia and we added Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) x4 and False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus) x1 to the list.

False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus).

False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus).

We also saw Monarchs x1, Painted Lady x2, Meadow Brown x3, Lesser Emperor x2♂, Red-veined Darter x1♂ and x4♀, Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) x8, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) x2, Griffon Vultures x2, Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola). 

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

It was getting on so we headed to the Hotel and then checked an area nearby where we saw more Zeller's Skippers x6, Monarchs x3, Plain Tiger x2, Painted Lady x1, Large White x1 and Clouded Yellow x2. 

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Back at the Hotel we had some beers and food and also saw a few Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) on the walls. 

Huétor Fields and Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Down on the fields for a walk and then a drink with Friends / Neighbors in the afternoon.

Ebird List.

 

I started the morning with a walk along the Lucerne fields, interesting species included Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), the first returning Eurasian Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) of the winter, Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra). 

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♂.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Later in the day I went up the road to have a chat and some cider with friends Jan and Garry, whilst chatting we saw the immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) x1♂, Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x1♂, Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x1♂ and Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) x2♂.