Arroyo Naravieja, near Algarinejo and Arroyo Vilano, Granada Province.

A walk along the Arroyo Naravieja with Jayne, Lynn and Steve and later looking for Dragons with Steve in the Arroyo Vilano.

Small White (Pieris rapae).

We drove across country to Algarinejo and the on to the start of the walk back to the town a few KMs on. The walk was busy as it was still the Spanish summer holidays and there were a good number out enjoying the pools along the river. We walked down to a bar just on the edge of the town near some old mill ruins and sat there for a while enjoying a drink or three and some really good tapas before walking back up stream to the car.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus).

During the walk the Dragonflies we had seen before were notable by their absence and we only managed to see single males of Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) and Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens). 

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

We did a little better with the butterflies and recorded good numbers of Holly Blues (Celastrina argiolus) on a patch of river side Horse Mint (Mentha longifolia) along with Small White (Pieris rapae), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Scarce / Spanish Swallowtail (Chupaleches / Iphiclides podalirius / Iphiclides feisthameli), Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Clouded Yellow (Colias Común / Colias corcea) and Bath White (Blanqiverdosa / Pontia daplidice).

Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata ssp pullata).

We also had Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli), Large White (Pieris brassicae), Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus F lyllus), Striped Grayling (Pseudotergumia fidia), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia) and Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina). We also had Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata ssp pullata), Pitch Trefoil (Psoralea bituminosa) and Small Fleabane (Pulicaria vulgaris).

White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes).

Birds seen during the walk included House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).

Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi).

We returned to the car and drove back a short way home and stopped for our picnic lunch before returning to the house where we dropped Jayne and Lynn off. Steve and I headed just down the road and had a walk along the Arroyo Vilano for a KM or so looking for Dragonflies. We did better here but numbers were still lower than normal even though the site looked much better than it had done for a few years. We recorded Epaulet (Orthetrum chrysostigma) and Keeled Skimmer, Blue / Common Emperor, Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi), Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus), White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes) and Iberian Blue-tail (Ischnura graellsii).

Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens).

We also saw a Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) before we headed back to the house and then had a nice evening on the terrace.