Sierra de Mijas, Coin, Malaga Province and Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

Shopping, Birds and Orchids.

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys scolopax).

Jayne and I headed off down the coast and then inland to Alaurín del la Torre where we visited a couple of charity shops hoping that Jayne may pick up some material for her patch work but we were unlucky this time. Our next stop was in the Pine woods on the North West corner of Sierra de Mijas where I was looking for Orchids, on the way up we saw a migrating Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba). 

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys scolopax).

In the wooded area I heard Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and saw Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) and Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus). 

Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).

In the grassland I found several Orchid species including some very nice spikes of Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys scolopax), Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis papilionacea), Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum) and Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera). There were also a few butterflies about, the commonest were African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna) and Bath White (Pontia daplidice), these were seen along with the odd Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and a single Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra). 

Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis papilionacea).

We then moved on up the road to a site a bit nearer to Coin but was very disappointed when I got there to find the the site had been ploughed up to produce a fire break. I did have a good search around but I could find very few of the Orchids which usually covered this area including some extremely rare species. 

African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna).

I did find a few Sawfly Orchids and singles of Ophrys dyris and Mirror Orchid. Other things of interest were a couple of Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenodes), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Large White (Pieris brassicae) and Clouded Yellow. We then dropped back down towards Malaga, calling at a garden center on the way to the Lario's Center in the City. 

African Grass Blue (Zizeeia knysna).

Later we headed back home and called at the flooded fields on the fields north of the town, straight away I located two of the Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca) that had turned upa few days ago, also see were Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), White (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and on the way back up to the house we saw Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

Ophrys Dyris.