Barranco de San Juan, Sierra Nevada, Granada Province.

Endemic Plants and Butterflies.

 

Nevada Houseleek (Sempervivum vicentei).

After a last minute decision to go up the Sierra Nevada, Yogi and I set off from the car park at 2500 meters near the barrier stopping traffic proceeding towards the summit. 

We walked out towards the top of Barranco de San Juan, almost the first thing seen was a cracking ♂ Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Roquero Rojo / Monticola saxatilis) which flew past and perched on a rocky outcrop below the track. 

Amongst the scree above the track there were a lot of Nevada Houseleek (Sempervivum vicentei), Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Lysimachia ephemerum and Lotus glareosus.

Spring Gentian (Gentiana sierrae).

We walked on around several rocky bends in the track picking up Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido / Apus pallidus), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) and Eurasian Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes). 

Several of the endemic Apollo's (Parnassius apollo  subsp nevadensis) flew over the slopes, along with good numbers of Silver-studded Blues (Plebejus argus), a couple of Purple-shot Coppers (Lycaena alciphron) and several of the very rare Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania) flew by but would not allow me to get a shot.

Butterwort (Pinguicula nevadensis).

Further on we came to the main plant site and area of wet gullies with low grass and other plants, here we found good numbers of Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna subsp sierrae), a few Gentiana alpina which were not quite in flower and a couple of the pale Gentiana boryi. Also here there were hundreds of plants of the insectivorous endemic Butterwort (Pinguicula nevadensis), Plantago nivalis, Campanula herminii and Starry Saxifrage (Saxifraga stellaris subsp alpigena).

Moonwort (Botrychium lunaria).

On the drier banks between the gullies I found Pale Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla xanthochlora), Potentilla nevadensis, Moonwort (Botrychium lunaria) and Loosewort (Pedicularis verticillata var caespitosa).

Starry Saxifrage (Saxifraga stellaris subsp alpigena).

It was at this point where it all went a bit pear shaped as Yogi, my tripod and I became one for a second and I ended up full length in one of the wettest gullies, twisting my ankle, knee and taking a bit of a winding. 

After a few minutes, I recovered and started the slow hobble back towards the car, looking rather peat coloured and wet.

Barranco de San Juan.

On the way we added several more plants to the list including the first Centranthus nevadensis I have found in a photographable position, Senecio pyrenaicus subsp granatensis, Meum athamanticum, Eryngium glaciale, Ptilotrichum spinosum, Silene rupestris, Arenaria imbricata and Arenaria pungens. 

A few more butterflies were also seen including Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea), Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) and Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

Yogi.

 I then meet up with three Spanish lads from up North in the Pico's who appeared to be catching and potting butterflies, I am pretty sure that this is an Illegal practice in any Natural Park, so I informed the barrier man in my worst Spanish, but he seemed to understand and made a swift phone call, so hopefully the situation was sorted later. 

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) ♂.

Just as I reached the car park another two butterflies were added, a single Cardinal Fritillary (argynnis Pandora) and a few of the endemic Nevada Blue (Plebicula golgus), both species were on a damp area of gravel taking on water and minerals. 

The bird list also grew slightly with Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer Domesticus), a Tawny Pipit (Bisbita campestre / Anthus campestris) with a bill full of grubs and finally I was seen off by a pair of cronking Northern Ravens (Cuervo / Corvus corax).

We both eventually made it back to the car, Yogi in better shape than me but by the look of his face we had both enjoyed it.