Granada Province.

Somewhere else in the Sierra's.

A poppy field on the way.

I was meeting up with Juan and his wife Beatriz at a site out in the campo where we were going to look for some very rare orchids. We drove out on a dirt track for a few Kms and then walked along a path for around another 2.5 Kms before we reached the site. On the way we had some nice spikes of an orchid doing a good job of looking like Orchis mascula, a couple of Lizard Orchids (Himantoglossum hircinum) and a spike of Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta). 

Lizard Orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum).

At the main site we eventually found at least 12 spikes of Burnt Orchid (Orchis ustulata), some were still good but on most the lower flowers were past their best. Looking around we found that one of the many oak trees was covered in noise Black-headed Cardinal Beetles (Pyrochroa coccinea) which appeared to feeding on the fresh flowers.

Burnt Orchid (Orchis ustulata).

There were plenty of butterflies at the site including Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Cardinal Fritillary (argynnis Pandora), Cleopatra (Cleopatra / Gonepteryx cleopatra), Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea), Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina), Large White (Pieris brassicae), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenodes), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Small White (Artogeia rapae), Spanish Gatekeeper (Lobito listado / Pyronia bathsheba), Spanish Marbled White (Melanargia ines), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

Burnt Orchid (Orchis ustulata).

Birds were note abundant but we did pick up Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Robin (Petirrrojo / Erithacus rubecula), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido / Apus pallidus), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).

Black-headed Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea).

Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica). 

A stormy Sky on the way home.

Juan and Beatriz headed straight off as we reached the car but I stayed for a while and tried to get some shots of the butterflies with not alot of success but I did find a single spike of Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orquídea mariposa / Orchis papilionacea).