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Saturday 30 July 2016

Parapanda Folk Festival, Illora, Granada Province.

A late night listening to some superb music.

Jayne and I spent the evening, night and early hours in Illora listing to two exceptional bands which were playing at the 26th Parapanda folk Festival. The first were a group called Acetre and are normally based in Extremadura and they were followed by the Rodríguez Celtic Band who are from Granada City.

Friday 29 July 2016

Sierra Huétor, Granada Province.

A few hours along a river valley in Sierra Huétor.

Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Polyommatus albicans).
Sue, Sam, Carlos and I headed out to east around Granada and out to the far side of the Park where we parked and had a walk.
Large Pincertail (Onychogomphus uncatus).

SORRY, A RANT: The saddest part of today was how badly this stunning spot is treated by the people who visit it for a picnic, there was rubbish every where. I have heard people say that they do it because it keeps someone employed when they have to go and clean up. I think this is a just a sad excuse used by the lazy and ignorant, as I am sure the money spent on cleaning this mess up would be better used to employ someone in some other good way rather than being wasted on the unnecessary cleaning of garbage in the beautiful Spanish country side after these lazy people.
Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) Male.
OK RANT OVER and back to the wildlife. In the few hours we were there we only covered about 700m as there were so much to see. We started with some Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) x20+M & 14+F which were stunning in the sun, there we also some females along with Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) x5M & x6F, Western Spectre (Boyeria Irene) x3M and Common Golden Ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) x2M. 
Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) Female.
We moved out on to the meadows and I found a few more Dragons, a couple of male Large Pincertails (Onychogomphus uncatus) x2M, Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x1M and Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) x3M, in the same area we also had Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Tree (Hipparchia statilinus) and Great Banded Graylings (Brintesia circe), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus). 
Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).
We moved slowly along the river to a disused dam wall at the far end of an area of Hawthorn scrub, on our way through we added Berger's Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis), False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi), Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Polyommatus albicans), Wood White (Leptidea sinapis), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus), High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) and Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).
High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).
Birds seen included Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).
Mercury Bluet's (Coenagrion mercuriale).
We turned around and started to walk back towards the car and on the way added a Robberfly species, Mantis Species as well as Purple Hairstreak (Favonius Quercus), Comma (Polygonia c-album), Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Mercury Bluet's (Coenagrion mercuriale) x2M to the day list.
Robberfly species.
Once back at the car we drove back to the house via a bar in Alfacar where we had a late lunch and then went out on the evening to Loja.
Mantis Species.

Thursday 28 July 2016

Sierra Nevada, Granada Province.

An afternoon in the mountains out of the heat.

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).
Sue, Sam and Carlos had arrived yesterday for a short visit so we decided to head for the hills as the temperatures down near the house were hitting 40+.
Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma).
Our first stop was by the El Dornajo Visitor Center, whilst Jayne, Sue and Sam went and used the facilities and had a look around Carlos and I checked a roadside bank of thistles and soon started the Butterfly list with Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Southern (Polyommatus celina) and Adonis Blues (Lysandra bellargus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Oriental Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lupinnus), High Brown (Fabriciana adippe), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) and Cardinal Fritillaries (Argynnis pandora), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Silver-spotted (Hesperia comma) and Small Skippers (Thymelicus sylvestris), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), 15 species on one group of thistles, not a bad start.
Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).
We continued on up the hill and parked at the top car park where had some lunch at Ski Bobs hut before walking out on one of the nearby trails.
Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).
Almost straight away we were seeing Apollos (Parnassius apollo subsp nevadensis) but most were very tatty, we also saw Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Southern Mountain Argus (Aricia montensis), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus), a very tatty Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus) and Black Satyr (Satyrus actaea) before we reached the wet area of gullies.
Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).
On the way we also had Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).
Oriental Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lupinnus).
Wildflowers were also recorded in smaller numbers as most had gone over, we did find Nevada House Leek (Sempervivum minutum), Eryngium glaciale, Dianthus subacaulis ssp brachyanthus, Sideritis glacialis, Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Euphrasia willommii and others before we checked out the wet flushes.
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni).
Here we searched for and found Alpine Gentian (Gentiana alpina), Gentiana boryi, Gentianella tenella, Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris), Plantago nivalis, Pinguicola nevadensis, Whorled Lousewort (Pedicularis verticillata), Epilobium alsinifolium, Erigeron frigidus, Galium pyrenaicum and Saxifraga stellaris ssp alpigena as well as Niobe (Fabriciana niobe) and Southern Heath (Melitaea nevadensis), Nevada Blue and several different looking very small Grasshopper species.
Jayne on to of a large crag.
On our way back to the car we had views of Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Tawny Pipit (Bisbita campestre / Anthus campestris), Spanish Ibex (Cabra pyreaica hispanica), a female Nevada Bush-cricket (Pycnogaster inermis), Mountain Stone Grasshopper (Eumigus monticolus) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).
Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe).
As we were walking back I was pleased also to meet Adrià Miralles who is working in the park studying the Dragonflies and other wildlife.
Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).
Once we were back at the car we made our way back to the house, getting back about 20:00 after a good walk which got Jayne's 10,000 steps in easily.
Spanish Ibex (Cabra pyreaica hispanica).
Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).
Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).
Nevada Bush-cricket (Pycnogaster inermis).
Sue, Carlos, Jayne and Sam.
Unidentified Hopper.
Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris).
Another unidentified Hopper.
Yet another unidentified Hopper.
Alpine Gentian (Gentiana alpina).