Arroyo Marin, Archidona and Fuente de Piedra, Malaga Province.

A day plant hunting with Ellie and Alison from Marbella.

I met Ellie and Alison at the start of a Valley near to Archidona where we were going to spend quite a long while checking the banks and track sides for wild flowers and orchids. In the area around the meeting point we started the list with Yellow Bee Orchid (Orquídea Abejera / Ophrys lutea), Ranunculus picatus subsp blepharicarpos, Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), Common Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum), Eruca (Eruca sativa), Fedia (Fedia cornucopiae), Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule), White Mustard (Sinapis alba), Mallow-leaved Storksbill (Erodium malacoides), Mediterranean Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum), Shepherds Needles (Scandix pecten-veneris), Southern Daisy (Bellis cordifolia), Field Madder (Sherardia arvensis), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata ssp pullata), Violet Cabbage (Moricandia moricandioides), Spring Rockcress (Arabis verna), Aristolochia paucinervis, Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Star Clover (Trifolium stellatum), Common Vetch (Vicia sativa), White Mignonette (Reseda Alba), Lathyus cicera, Yellow Vetch (Vicia lutea), Intermediate Periwinkle (Vinca difformis) and Mediterranean Catchfly (Silene colorata).

Birds in this area included Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes).

After quite a while we moved on to the furthest point along the valley where we found some more orchid species including Man (Orchis anthropophora), Dense-flowered (Neotinea maculata) and Mirror Orchids (Ophrys speculum subsp speculum) as well as Yellow Anemone (Anemone palmata), Fool's Watercress (Apium nodiflorum), Common Corn Salad (Valerianella locusta), Warty Spurge (Euphorbia squamigera) and Blue Hounds-tongue (Cynoglossum creticum).

In the same area we had Moroccan Orange-tip (Anthocharis belia), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus F lyllus), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Small (Artogeia rapae) and Large White (Pieris brassicae), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

Next we headed back along the track and called in at the first ruin where we found Prickly Poppy (Papaver argenone), Field marigold (Calendula arvensis), Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris) and Clouded Yellow (Colias Común / Colias corcea), Bath White (Blanqiverdosa / Pontia daplidice) and Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

A little further way along the valley we stopped again and picked up Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Iberian / Azure-winged Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cyanus) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops). Plants included Nonea  vesicaria, Naples Garlic (Allium neapolitanum), Andalusian Storksbill (Erodium recorderi), White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum) and White Bryany (Bryonia cretica).

From here we headed out of the valley to the opposite side of Archidona where we did a short walk through some Oak woodland and soon found a wonderful group of Pink Butterfly Orchids (Anacamptis papilionacea). A short walk later we had also 

recorded Orchis x gennarii (O. papilionacea x O. champagneuxii), Sawfly Orchid (Flor de avispa / Ophrys tenthredinifera subsp tenthredinifera), Southern Early Purple Orchid (Chupaeros / Androrchis Olbiensis), Southern Red Bartsia (Parentucellia latifolia), Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum), Adonis aestivalis subsp squarrosa and Yellow Gromwell (Neatostema apulum).

Next we headed up the motorway to Fuente de Piedra and checked the pool on the entrance road first and soon found a single Whiskered Tern (Fumarel Cariblanca / Chilidonias hybridus), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae). 

We parked and then walked around the reserve and out to the hides at the rear of the centre where we had good views of 3 White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis). As we were heading back along the road out of the reserve we scanned the pool and found the species we had come for a moulting White-winged Tern (Fumarel Aliblanco / Chlidonias leucopterus) which was feeding low over the water. From here we headed back to Archidona where I dropped Ellie and Alison back to there hotel before heading home myself.

Photographs from the top: Lathyus cicera, Violet Cabbage (Moricandia moricandioides), Tragopogon angustifolius, Common Vetch (Vicia sativa), Blue Hounds-tongue (Cynoglossum creticum), White Mustard (Sinapis alba), Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata ssp pullata), Prickly Poppy (Papaver argenone), Man Orchid (Orchis anthropophora), Yellow Bee Orchid (Orquídea Abejera / Ophrys lutea), Naples Garlic (Allium neapolitanum), Pink Butterfly Orchid (Anacamptis papilionacea), Orchis x gennarii (O. papilionacea x O. champagneuxii), Southern Red Bartsia (Parentucellia latifolia), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) and 2x White-winged Tern (Fumarel Aliblanco / Chlidonias leucopterus).