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Monday 26 August 2013

Along the old road in Sierra Nevada, Granada Province.

A morning in the woodlands looking for butterflies.

Dusky Heath (Ninfa de Esper / Coenonympha dorus).
I had a couple of hours to kill so I headed up on to the lower slopes of the Sierra Nevada looking for Butterflies and Dragonflies. I started off just below the Visitor Center on the old road down to Guejar-sierra. At the first I parked on the side of the road and had a wonder around a large area of grassland lined with Pine woodland and whilst I was there I picked up a few species of bird including a cracking male Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Coal Tits (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and a calling Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei). Whilst I was having a bimble around here I also saw quite a few species of butterfly, Tree Grayling (Neohipparchia statilinus) was by far the commonest species closely followed by Striped Grayling (Pseudotergumia fidia) and Oriental Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lupinnus).
Common Golden Ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii subsp algirica).
On a small rocky ridge on the sharp corner in the road I found the first of a few Dusky Heaths (Coenonympha dorus), Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto), Rock Grayling (Hipparchi alcyone), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) and Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera). On the main open area there were good numbers of Clouded Yellows (Colias Común / Colias corcea), Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina), Small Heaths (Coenonympha pamphilus F lyllus) and under the pines a couple of Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria).
Lower down I parked by the bridge which crosses the Rio Genil and dropped down below it on to the rocks to look for some dragons, straight away there were a small number of Common Golden Ringed Dragonflies (Cordulegaster boltonii subsp algirica) which were chasing around the over hanging Willow trees. I alsosaw a rather tatty Comma ("C" blanca / Polygomum c-album), a Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) and several Painted Lady's (Vanessa cardui). I then notice that one of the Golden Rings was settling regularly down on an area of brambles so I climbed down to the river side to try and get some shot.
Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) male.
On the way I disturbed a male Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) which soon came back to its perch and let me take a few shots. After a while the Golden Ring also came back and settled whilst it finished off it's last catch and allowed me to take a few pictures. In the same area I also saw Small White (Artogeia rapae), Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

nog steeds vlinders en libellen?