Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

A stroll around the lower slopes of Hacho.

 

Silver Sage (Salvia argentea).

I parked under one of the Almonds near the near the start of the main track where I soon found quite a few spies of Silver Sage (Salvia argentea) and on the North facing slope nearby a plant I had been checking on waiting for it to flower called Dictamnus hispanicus.

Dictamnus hispanicus.

Dictamnus hispanicus.

I have only found the one small bush of this species but guess there must be more around, when the flowers have passed the seed heads look just like star anise.

Xeranthemum inapertum.

Proctenius cf luteus.

Navelwort (Umbilicus rupestris).

Armeria villosa.

I continued walking the Northern Slopes finding Xeranthemum inapertum, Navelwort (Umbilicus rupestris), Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), Red Phlomis (Phlomis purpurea), Rosy Garlic (Allium roseum), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathsheba), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) and Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).

Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalia).

Birds on this first section of my walk included Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), a calling Scops Owl (Autillo Europeo / Otus scops) which was further up the hill on the Pines, Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus).

Common Snapdragon (Antirrhinum litigiosum).

Linum jimenezii.

Pitch Trefoil (Psoralea bituminosa).

Linaria tristris.

I dropped down off the slope and walked up the main track towards the top of the quarry finding three spikes of Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalia), Pitch Trefoil (Psoralea bituminosa), Linum jimenezii, Common Snapdragon (Antirrhinum litigiosum), Linaria tristris, Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis) and Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus).

Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathsheba).

Meadow Browns (Maniola jurtina).

I took the low track at the quarry and then did the usual loop around to the far side of the quarry where I turned around and came back.

Panoptes Blues (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

Panoptes Blues (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

On the way I saw several nice species of butterfly on the Thyme plants, there were several Panoptes Blues (Pseudophilotes panoptes), lots more Spanish Gatekeepers, a couple of mating Meadow Browns (Maniola jurtina), Common / Southern (Polyommatus icarus / celina) and Lorquin's Blue (Cupido lorquinii).

Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus) male.

Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus) male possibly Krodeli.

Further on I had normal looking Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus) as well as a aberrant variation possibly Krodeli which was a very different looking insect.

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto) female.

Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto) female.

Continuing on around the loop I found Small (Thymelicus sylvestris), Red-underwing (Spialia sertorius) and Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

Cleonia lusitanica.

Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra).

There was a pair of Dartford Warblers (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) which were scolding me as I walked and I soon found out why when the whole family of 7 flew across the track and off into the scrub, also heard and seen were Western Orphean Warbler (Curruca Mirlona / Sylvia hortensis), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).

5742 Etiella zinckenella.

Ruby-tailed Wasp species.

Ruby-tailed Wasp species.

I turned around and worked my way back to the car, on the way adding Cleonia lusitanica, 5742 Etiella zinckenella, a very smart Ruby-tailed Wasp species, Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes) and Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta).