Grazalema, Cadiz Province.

A day visit to see Sue and Sam near Grazalema.

Lobed Orb Weaver (Argiope lobata) underside.

Jayne, Barb and I drove over to Sue and Sam's place to see them as it had been a long time since our last visit. On the way over we saw several Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Lobed Orb Weaver (Argiope lobata) upperside.

Once we arrived we spent quite a while chatting and having a drink before Sam and I went to look for some veg down at the end of the patch, on the way around the house and in the fields I saw Western Subalpine (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Western Orphean Warbler (Curruca Mirlano / Sylvia hortensis), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) which were passing over all day, Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Green (Pito Real / Picus viridis) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and a female Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) which was passing through the garden.

Later in the day we all went for a walk along a track nearby out into the area called La Rana on the way out we saw Wasp Spider (Arana Tigre / Argiope bruennichi), Lobed Orb Weaver (Argiope lobata), Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia), Purple Hairstreak (Quercusia Quercus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), Booted Eagle, Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and

Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater).
When we got back from the walk Sue pointed out a nice Male European Dwarf Mantis (Ameles spallanzania).

Wasp Spider (Arana Tigre / Argiope bruennichi) female.

Wasp Spider (Arana Tigre / Argiope bruennichi) male.

Purple Hairstreak (Quercusia Quercus).

Male European Dwarf Mantis (Ameles spallanzania).