Refugio de Juanar, Ojen, Malaga Province.

Some more Orchids (39th and 40th species for the year).

Red Helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra).

Today I was lucky enough to find a couple of hours spare while Jayne and Barb were shopping down Fuengirola to visit the Refugio de Juanar. 

Red Helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra).

The main species I was looking for was Red Helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra) and after some searching I found a nice spike in good flower, most were still in bud. 

Bug Orchid (Orchis coriophora).

Also seen were a few spikes of Lange's Orchid (Orchis langei), a couple of Bug Orchids (Orchis coriophora), several well over with spikes of Barton's Orchids (Dactylorhiza insularis) and four nicely flowering Lizard Orchids (Himantoglossum hircinum). 

Epipactis tremolsii.

Birds included Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) and Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius). 

Epipactis tremolsii.

While I was wandering around the woods several butterflies were also recorded and they included Spanish Marbled White (Melanargia ines), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Spanish Gatekeeper (Lobito listado / Pyronia bathsheba), Small White (Artogeia rapae), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina) and Cleopatra (Cleopatra / Gonepteryx cleopatra). On the walk back to the car I found several spikes of Epipactis tremolsii flowering in some deep shade below the Sweet Chestnuts.

Donkey Sanctury and Fuente de Piedra, Malaga Province.

Refugio del Burrito.

Jayne and Barb.

Jayne, Barb and I travelled over to the Donkey Sanctuary near to Fuente de Piedra after two of the volunteers did a talk to the Ladies group in Trabuco. I am a bit sceptical about most of these sorts of things generally but this is based on a couple of badly run shelters in UK, I was not really looking forward to it.How wrong I was the place was great and I enjoyed the hour and a half we spent there wandering around fussing what appeared to be well looked after animals in some descent paddocks with plenty of shade and water. Some of the beasts just stood against trees not doing a lot but other were having a good dust bath or being scratched and pampered by the visitors. 

Jayne and Barb and a couple of Donkeys.

Later we went and had a quick look around the first couple of pools at Fuente where I picked up Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber), Avocet (Avoceta Común/ Recurvirostra avosetta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) and Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica).

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).