A walk around the lower loop dodging picnicing families.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnzH_pUTbPBTfIuzGOaN_Q_OUYpVTNfIzGLRYg3uYgYthtfno1jJ87RDBW8V4WW0wEVeMaE437itIbnmH82bq1_K0BUlDn3Ssu68_vGu7gK6ivyeioqj7P7k8WHO0SkwKKmuBsAOjxLI/s16000/14th-March-21-1.jpg) |
Barbary Nut (Moraea sisyrinchium). |
I parked at the bottom of the hill just up from the bins and started to walk up the main track but I suddenly remembered that it was Sunday as the area was full of families with there picnic tables out enjoying the sun. Just after leaving the car I found a fresh
Barbary Nut (Moraea sisyrinchium) which was the first of the year and the only one of the walk. ![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_hHZsLn24CwMe85OzwqhILyuwv5PcDXIzc59XixVvl5oGiYTBGdi_AtgPCEcf6TX8ZC0-H25_L-nI6lP4ok2q42yggjivwc4O_yEh7S3v12QSMlWoRwEV9J3uVhb4-aVT9snke8KtYU/w640-h534/14th-March-21-2.jpg) |
Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus). |
As I walked up towards the quarry I was horrified to see that two elderly Spanish Ladies how were with there Grandkids had a little vase on the table with several Giant Orchids (Himantoglossum Robertiana) in it.![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik62xzMXx2I2J7AJ1n5SBe8mqYQO8MZMT_GHt4_V_s83M1jST4Y-8wDoD0Rp-F3VTue7FoVrDhOriQ5mKyzZckgFx053T8dkrrFfg53iuKplydIh-z96-zal7sGmqXrupT5vhpZyqAMsQ/w640-h612/14th-March-21-3.jpg) |
Grey-leaved Cistis (Cistis albidus). |
I continued on up the hill seeing a Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychlorus) which zipped passed me and off down into the quarry, lots of surviving unpicked Giant Orchids, as well as Somber Bee (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) and
Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEW6PH4A2h5WTGfmg_tjZme13ZCbwCmFgpiX4saY9M6aDeKxmoHNCfdKpLYKy2omgvocI3zkpfZnJPsiSGc00qDLTUlngZi4WChM0AwxutKWW0mMeevZGzchWrYVfLy0Tc40tu7ZdjqM/s16000/14th-March-21-12.jpg) |
Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica). |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRDZGvZ8-MQYG7jyFKuSp_YJDA2RiG0P77EMVicafR_Kigeb1p_sRSx8QuB46ySVi7B2c4PbXmjld9sl1Xv6uITktKriIP2psTFQoqQCoSWEGtc_8IOsPyEttHJgzI0s29Ty1xmhMA7Q/s16000/14th-March-21-4.jpg) |
Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica). |
On the lower track which circles the quarry I had a couple of
Provence Hairstreaks (Tomares ballus), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus),
Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea) and
Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1AKfnqj6QuS_ScxYYkcQyf3_6EyISrM35iyWnZ5JX649gBr5DRzs-oG612nardRt8_oeRovk4mr7R25QG7AfdCkQWv6Lz_mJeGXBCnCBDSUaSt1-74wbH5oLzSByQfLkIsodwLj4uk8/s16000/14th-March-21-5.jpg) |
Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis). |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggq2gjmmCdTqWoWgqaWc66VqYZHdpl0T6G9qakLDjx4NEPL1r4py8-2AHBGhk3ywS-HHm-lfekWemlAtK-dZRgjkAthXgV8m3T2nSk0v_zwLRyptf48aWK8QGW2zvQOhlc3DZxU6DntvI/s16000/14th-March-21-6.jpg) |
Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis). |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVlAgD2WPb6lFIW3U0tggLFLlyKxLi-h4_6FIbUzkBFopIAO5WHd3Qv4yd0zLaXbMCmdxTo-IrRGE4zntSff6mFyL3vgrR1kegB2I4oj2pYKs348Axsxna0OqhhJ4_a_5ww8rYdPEI6g/s16000/14th-March-21-8.jpg) |
Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis). |
On the Orchid front there were again plenty of the very smart but compact
Conical Orchids (
Neotinea conica) and during the walk I found around 400 spikes in all, most were in the top part of the walk but there were well over a hundred spikes in the Oaks down by the road.![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTDi9ODvdGD9EyZDo7JX9Tv3U0UKVfN2UIeLi-fffEpLfNr2xyzXv3TPnsJUuuP7Wm98PYPn1JSxc3u2poRuWqvzBoDsK2Au_qnjGYr-XC8kRd1TY54RidunqtO7pHY8i-qzCR_LezRw/s16000/14th-March-21-7.jpg) |
Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina). |
Even more common was the Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis) which I estimated was flowering in the thousands, possibly as many as 3000 spikes which were in bloom all the way around the walk.![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJPscwDEXjgl870VNd3-bsXF2qtF7ppdnEIdMGRsDbnOpbdh5ThWQ1F1bxZbN5Tfk5WlKdpyQxeEe6ojXZ2dxK1cpsxj-VGln3HVwZdJ_NSK_jtSIYLyh4HgpGBVC8FKuUAJWNM6Kh8g/w640-h522/14th-March-21-10.jpg) |
Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina). |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-X3MaTCLiMGdQy6Zz1UlcPQ9txL_rqA1taV5A4F8izILWfRUTM3OyVWeZZqWGE7H7Qsd9YRhgmjjAUkGMBnQT1FtEf4j2-jSNgpkYJvyJZptWvJjezSM-UBMh35GSL_meiuX-lk2e7w/w640-h508/14th-March-21-11.jpg) |
Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina). |
I also saw Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina), Snake's Head Fritillary (Fritillaria hispanica),
Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina),
Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula),
Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes),
Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki),
Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus),
Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos),
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala),
Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata),
Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei).
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