Sierra de Huétor, Granada Province.

Back into the mountains for Harry and Peter's last day.

Day three.

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) male.

The three of us set off from the Cortijoagain and headed out to the beautiful Sierra de Huétor and made our first stop along the Barranco del Pardo Negro, things were quiet butterfly wise but we did find quite a few fine looking Beautiful Demoiselles (Calopteryx virgo), at first we only found females but then several males were seen sitting on the river side bushes. 

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) female.

On and around the crags nearby we had a male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Loxostege clathralis.

After a while it warmed up and we started to see a few Meadow Browns (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla), Clouded Yellows (Colias Común / Colias corcea), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina), Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi), Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Spanish Gatekeeper (Lobito listado / Pyronia bathsheba) and two species of Owlfly Libelloides baeticus and Libelloides ictericus.

Libelloides ictericus.

At the far end of the walk we heard Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus) and saw Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus).

Rosy Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus onopordi).

As we walked back towards the car we found a fine looking Common Golden Ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) which sat nicely on a low branch of a Hawthorn bush. We also had Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Oberthür's Grizzled (Pyrgus armoricanus) and Rosy Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus onopordi),  Grayling (Hipparchia semele) and the Moth Loxostege clathralis.

Oberthür's Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus armoricanus).

Other bird species included  Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Common (Urraca / Pica pica) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina) with missing cell spot.

We dropped back along the motorway a junction and then parked on a track just off the road and explorded the area finding Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) and out on a flower rich more open area Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe), Adonis (Lysandra bellargus), Panoptes (Pseudophilotes panoptes) and Lorquin's Blues (Cupido lorquinii),  Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Mancha Azul / Satyrium spini), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) as well as plenty of  Armeria villosa and the day flying moth 6478 Eurrhypis pollinalis. 

Common Golden Ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii).

Our final three stops were up in the Sierra de Alfacar, at the first site we found a small culvert which held water and attracted a Great Banded Grayling (Rey Moro / Kanetisa circe) and in the surrounding area Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi), Southern Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus boeticus) and as we walked back Harry had a Chapman's Blue (Polyommatus thersites). 

Grayling (Hipparchia semele).

In the grassy area along side of the road there were good numbers of Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus illyricus), Bug Orchids (Orchis coriophora) and a couple of going over Violet Limodore (Limodorum abortivum).

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Mancha Azul / Satyrium spini).

We moved just up the road to the botanical Gardens where we walked along a couple of tracks adding Ecshers Blue (Polyommatus escheri), Mallow / False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae / tripolinus), Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychlorus), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia), Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Lizard Orchid (Himantoglosum hircinum), some better Violet Limodore and some over with Langes Orchids (Orchis langei).

6478 Eurrhypis pollinalis.

Our final stop was on the way back down towards the motorway at an area of grassland covered in wildflowers where we saw Berger's Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis), Spanish Marbled White (Medioluto Inés / Melanargia ines), Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), loads of Meadow Browns and a Spanish Stick Insect (Leptynia hispanica) which Harry found. 

Armeria villosa and friend.

There was a nice male Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) up on the rocks, Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).

Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).

We left the site and made our way back to the hotel where Harry and Peter packed up there car and headed down to Malaga and I went home.

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).

Bug Orchids (Orchis coriophora).

Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus illyricus).

Violet Limodore (Limodorum abortivum).

Lizard Orchid (Himantoglosum hircinum).

Ecshers Blue (Polyommatus escheri).

Mallow / False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae / tripolinus).

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

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

Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina).

Spanish Stick Insect (Leptynia hispanica).