Sierra Nevada, Granada Province.

Photographing Butterflies on the Old Road down the Sierra.

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

I dropped Jayne at the Sierra Nevada shopping Center and then went up to the Visitor Center and parked there whilst I checked an area of Thistles for Butterflies and found Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia), Escher's (Polyommatus escheri) and Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Large (Ochlodes venatus) and Small Skippers (Thymelicus sylvestris), Iberian Marbled (Melanargia lachesis) and Small Whites (Pieris rapae).

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) female.

Further down the road I stopped again by a very dry looking roadside meadow where I found Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Southern Mountain Argus (Aricia montensis), Blue Spotted (Satyrium spini) and False Ilex Hairstreaks (Satyrium esculi), Long-tailed (Lampides boeticus), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea) and a fly over Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus).

Green-veined White (Pieris napi).

On my way down to the Sanctuary hotel I stopped on the roadside and found a Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron) lower down the hill than I have ever seen one, Green-veined White (Pieris napi) and loads more Iberian Marbled Whites. 

Southern Mountain Argus (Aricia montensis).

Around the hotel entrance and along the road there I picked up Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Iberian Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius).

As well as Epipactis fageticola which was in flower and some over with spikes of Sword-leaved (Cephalanatera longifolia) and Small-leaved Helleborines (Epipactis microphylla) and Robust Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza elata), Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis), Old-mans Beard (Clematis vitalba), plus Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Common / Southern Blue, Iberian Marbled Whites, Small White, Long-tailed Blue, Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) and Marsh Fritillary.

Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus).

Further on there were more Epipactis fageticola, Marsh and High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe), Small White, Golden Oriole and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous).

At my last stop before I went to pick Jayne up was down on the side of the Rio Genel where I checked for insects puddling on the damp gravel and found Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Holly and Lange's Short-tailed Blues, Marsh Fritillary, Small Skipper, Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Small White, Common Golden Ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Hoverfly Species.

I met up with Jayne at the Shopping Center and then we had some lunch before doing some shopping and then headed home.

Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis) male.

Large Skipper (Ochlodes venatus).

Epipactis fageticola.

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).

Common Golden Ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii).

Common Golden Ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii).