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Friday 12 April 2013

Sierra Nevada, Granada Province.

A fantastic plant I have wanted to see for a long time.

Sierra Nevada Narcissus (Narcissus nevadensis).
Jayne and I travelled up to Granada to visit Juan Perez and Beatriz, Jayne stayed at their apartment with Beatriz, while Juan and I headed up to the Western slopes of Sierra Nevada. I had long wanted to see the extremely rare Sierra Nevada Narcissus (Narcissus nevadensis) and Juan had a pretty good idea of where it could be found having seen it some years ago.
Sierra Nevada Narcissus (Narcissus nevadensis).
We started the drive up into the Trevenquillo which takes you through some fantastic scenery, eventually we parked up and we continued on along the track on foot. Along here we picked up Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).
Three-leaved Crocus (Colchicum triphyllum).
We then turned off the track and we headed up the hill into an area of wet grass where Juan found lots of Narcissus nevadensis plants in bud and eventually in a sunnier patch we found several plants in full bloom.
We spent quite sometime photographing the plants and searching the area, during which time we found lots of Sierra Nevada Crocus (Crocus nevadensis) and a few plants of Three-leaved Crocus (Colchicum triphyllum).
Sierra Nevada Crocus (Crocus nevadensis).
Also seen were Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychlorus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).
We then made our way back to the car and headed back down towards the city through the Pine woods, on the way we made a stop to look at a single spike of Naked / Italian Man Orchid (Orchis italica) seen whilst driving past, in the area we also saw Ophrys forestieri, Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera) and Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina).
Naked / Italian Man Orchid (Orchis italica).
Next we went back down to Juan's, once we were there Beatriz suggested that we all went up into the city to a Spanish bar they knew well for something to eat and a drink. So we all went up in Beatriz's car and spent a very pleasant couple of hours wandering around the very busy city and visiting the bar where we did indeed have something to eat and drink before calling in at the Italian Ice-cream shop opposite the Cathedral. Later we made our way back to the car and then back to their apartment and then on wards home.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Unas grandes imágenes
Un gran saludo de un seguidor de tu blog

Bas. said...

Ja de lente is begonnen het sprinkt overal open,heerlijk.