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

A repeat of yesterdays trip but with Bent Halfdan Pedersen from Denmark on his third trip with Granada Wildlife.

White-winged Tern (Fumarel Aliblanco / Chlidonias leucopterus).

Today we were not looking at plants as we were yesterday but Bent had sent me a short list of just two butterflies before he arrived so we were searching for Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenodes) and Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina). 

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

I had seen both species at this site the day before with Ellie and Alison so thought that we would start here and it soon payed off when we had the first of several Festoons but it took a while before we got one that sat nicely for the camera. 

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

As things warmed up we added Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Small (Artogeia rapae), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Bath Whites (Pontia daplidice) and then the first of a few Provence Orange-tip but none of which landed for Bents camera.

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

Whilst we were hunting the target species we also added Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius). 

Ophrys dyris.

In the scruby areas we also picked up a few orchids including Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea), Mirror (Ophrys speculum), Ophrys dyris, a surprising clump of Somber Bee (Ophrys fusca) and Small Woodcock Orchids (Ophrys picta) as well as several Brown Bluebells (Dipcadi serotinum).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca).

We moved on to a site nearby where we looked at a few more orchids including Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera), Pink Butterfly (Anacamptis papilionacea) and the hybrid Orchis x gennarii (O. papilionacea x O. champagneuxii).

Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius).

After a very nice sandwich in a nearby bar we headed up to Fuente de Piedra, we immediatley found the White-winged Tern (Fumarel Aliblanco / Chlidonias leucopterus) which had been on site for a few day. Also seen on the roadside pool were several Curlew Sandpipers (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus). 

Brown Bluebell (Jacinto bastardo / Dipcadi serotinum).

We moved around to the mirador and scanned through the flock of several hundred Greater Flamingo's and soon picked out 5 Lesser Flamingo's (Flamenco Enano / Phoenicopterus minor) a pair and a seperate group of 3. 

Around at the hides to the rear of the centre we upped the list with several new species including Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Red-crested (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina) and Common Pochards (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Great Reed Warbler (Carricero Tordal / Acrocephalus arundinaceus), Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus). 

Bent admiring the Pink Butterfly Orchids.

Other species included Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and several Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Once we were back at the car we made out way back down to Malaga and the I headed back home.

Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula).

Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).

White-winged Tern (Fumarel Aliblanco / Chlidonias leucopterus).