Around Illora, Granada Province.

Second new Orchid of the year.

Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea).

I meet up with Beatriz Pérez Machado, Juan Pérez Contreras and Jose Luis Esteban Sanchez in the centre of Illora and we all jumped into Jose's car and headed out of town to a hill side just a few kms away. We parked and as soon as we were out of the motor we could see the first of the Orchids we had come for. A fine 70cm or so spike of Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea) and just a meter or so away there were four more spikes, one of which is in the photographs. 

Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea).

Whilst we were doing the photographs we picked up a male Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) calling from one of the taller Oaks, Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops). 

Juan and Beatriz looking at the Orchid.

Jose then led us through some spiky scrub and down a hill to see some very nice plants of Wild Tulip (Tulipa sylvestris) a lot were dried out but a couple were still good. 

Iberian Worm Lizard (Blanus cinereus).

Other wildflowers and orchids included Fan-lipped (Orchis collina) most were finished, Mirror (Ophrys speculum), Somber Bee (Ophrys fusca), Yellow Bee Orchids (Ophrys Lutea), Tragopogon hybridum, Ground-pine Germander (Teucrium pseudochamaepitys), Mediterranean Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), Mallow-leaved Bindweed (Convolvulus althaeoides) and Omphalodes commutata.

Large Psammodromus Lizard (Psammodromus hispanicus).

 

We then went on to a second site up on the side of Sierra Parapanda looking for Amphibians and reptiles; we found a nice medium sized Iberian Worm Lizard (Blanus cinereus) and a Large Psammodromus Lizard (Psammodromus hispanicus). 

The only Butterfly I actually noted was a nice Comma ("C" blanca / Polygomum c-album).

Comma ("C" blanca / Polygomum c-album).