A walk along the old tram line in the Sierra Nevada near Gűejar Sierra.
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| Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis). |
As it was Pam and Johns full day so we asked them where they would like to go and Pam said she would like to have a walk along the old tram line where John and I had been the day before. We parked by the river and checked the marginal areas where there were again lots of
Southern Marbled (Carcharodus baeticus) and
Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris),
Swallowtail (Papilio machaon),
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui),
Marsh Fritillary (Euphydrayas aurinia beckeri),
False Mallow / Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus / alceae),
Holly (Celastrina argiolus) and
Long-tailed Blue (Lampides baeticus),
Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius),
Small White (
Pieris rapae),
Comma ("C" blanca / Polygomum c-album) and
Spanish Purple Hairstreak (Laeosopis roboris) as well as
Large Pincertail (Onychogomphus uncatus) and
Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator).
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| Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) in a nest in one of the tunnels. |
We walked up on to the road and then went through the tunnel out on to the track along the river, on the Broom and Bramble bushes we recorded
Cleopatra (Cleopatra / Gonepteryx cleopatra),
Spanish Marbled White (Medioluto Inés / Melanargia ines),
Spanish Gatekeeper (Lobito listado / Pyronia bathsheba),
Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera),
Large White (Pieris brassicae) and
Cardinal Fritillary (Pandora / Argynnis pandora) and a very smart male
Common Golden Ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii subsp algirica).
We came to a damp area on the roadside and found a nice male Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) and literally 100s of Southern Marbled Skippers, a single Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis) which was particularly pleasing as I had not got the camera on one before, Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus), Clouded Yellow (Colias Común / Colias corcea), Bath (Blanqiverdosa / Pontia daplidice) and Black-veined White (Banca del Majuelo / Aporia crataegi).
We made a stop at one of the bars and had a couple of drinks before making our way back down the track towards the car adding Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe) and two Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychlorus) and a Grayling (Hipparchia semele).
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| Grayling (Hipparchia semele). |
Birds during the walk included
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and
House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica),
Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata),
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica),
Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus) and
Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).
We dropped back down the hill and headed back to the house for a quiet afternoon on the terrace.
