Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

Up on the local hill again.

 

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).

I parked down under the Almonds again and first of all checked out the North facing slope finding Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea), Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri) as well as Fan-lipped (Anacamptis collina), Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera) and my first Mirror Orchids (Ophrys speculum) of the spring.

Hemp broomrape (Orobanche ramosa), 

Wild flowers numbers were starting to grow and included Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus), Hemp broomrape (Orobanche ramosa), Ranunculs spicatus ssp blepharicarpos, Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), Wild Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum), Linaria amethystea, Field marigold (Calendula arvensis) and Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata).

Linaria tristris.

I dropped down off the ridge finding Linaria tristris on the way down along with Barbary Nut (Moraea sisyrinchium), Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum), Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule), Somber Bee (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) and Giant Orchid (Himantoglossum Robertiana) most of which were starting to look a tad past their best.

Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).

In the Pines and Oaks I saw and heard Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

Synaphe Moldavica.

I walked on the main track up to the Quarry seeing the day flying moth Synaphe Moldavica, Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenodes), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis), White Mignonette (Reseda Alba), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).

Small White (Pieris rapae) on Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum).

Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum).

I walked past the quarry and up the slope into the Pine trees finding several of the trees that had been used by Wild Boars (Jabalí / Felis silvestris) for scratching posts.

Wild Boar (Jabalí / Felis silvestris) stratching tree.

I also saw Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Crested Tits (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) just as I came out into the scrub.

Snake's Head Fritillary (Fritillaria hispanica).

Out in the scrub there were lots of tall Snake's Head Fritillaries (Fritillaria hispanica), White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum), Southern Daisy (Bellis sylvestris), Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea) and lots more Southern Early Purple Orchids.

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

I dropped down on to the track on the far side of the quarry after zig zagging my way through the scrub and bushes, on the way watching a pair of Dartford Warblers (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica).

I took the track back around to the point where I had cut into the pines finding a couple of Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi), Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus), a couple of Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Cabra pyreaica) which were way up on the ridge above me and Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

I continued on back down to the car adding Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Large White (Pieris brassicae), Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) and Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri).

Giant Orchid (Himantoglossum Robertiana).

By a large puddle in the track there were again masses of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) coming in for water as was a new species of butterfly for the area a Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis). 

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis).

Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis).