Sierra Nevada, Granada Province.

Searching for more Butterflies in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Emma and Aiden, Day Two.

♂ Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

We started out from the hotel a little earlier than yesterday so that we had time to get to the spot to catch the minibus, in the car park we had great views of a nice ♂ Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) along with Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus). 

Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).

We got the minibus up to 3200m where we walked a train near by looking for Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris) but we did not find any did see Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and a soaring Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus). 

Sat photographing the Accentors (Taken by Emma or Aiden).

We returned to the main track and carried on up to the refuge building, on the way we recorded Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Large White (Pieris brassicae), Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) and Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum).

Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).

Plants seen included Eryngium bourgatii, Eryngium glaciale, Hard Fern (Polystrichum lonchitis), Carduus carlinoides subsp. hispanicus, Chaenorrhinum glareosum, Cerastium alpinum subsp. nevadense, Senecio nevadensis and Centranthus nevadensis.

Emma and Aiden at 3200m.

In the area around the refuge we had fantastic views of a couple of adult and an immature Alpine Accentors (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris) which gave amazing views and were to close to photograph for a lot of the time.

Searching for the Accentors.

We walked back down to the spot where we caught the minibus and then dropped back to the car and the down to another trail near the Ski Resort where we had some lunch before walking out on to the slopes seeing Oriental Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lupinnus), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Rock Grayling (Hipparchia alcyone), Small (Lycaena phlaeas) and Purple-shot Coppers (Lycaena alciphron), Small White (Pieris rapae), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Nevada (Polyommatus golgus), Lang's Short-tailed (Leptotes pirithous), Silver-studded (Plebejus argus) and Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Clouded Yellow, Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Niobe (Fabriciana niobe), Southern Heath (Melitaea nevadensis) and Dark-green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja).

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).

During the walk down we also saw Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).

Silver-studded Blues (Plebejus argus).

Once we were back at the car and then dropped down to the car park at the Botanical Gardens where we checked the flower meadows near the entrance and found Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Hermit (Chazara briseis), Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra albicans), False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Clouded Yellow, Rock Grayling, European Mantis (Mantis religiosa), Saddle-backed Bushcricket (Steropleurus andalusius), Large Psammodromus (Lagartija colilarga / Psammodromus algirus), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra).

Rock Grayling (Hipparchia alcyone) and Oriental Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lupinnus).

The day had flown by and it was time to head back to the Cortijo de Tajar hotel again where we said goodbye and went on our ways.

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).

Thanks for the two days in the hills, I am pleased that you enjoyed the trips and thank you for doing such a great Trip Advisor review and for the notes which made the blog easier. 

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Hope to see you over this way at some time in the future.

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus).

Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia).

Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra albicans).

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Large Psammodromus (Lagartija colilarga / Psammodromus algirus).