Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

Up on the hill with Chamila looking for, well anything.

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).

I met friend Chamila on the way up to the Sierra Nevada, we continued on up to the top car park before the walking out along the track to the Hoya de San Juan and almost straight away we started to see butterflies including the first of several Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron) and on the many Carduus carlinoides ssp hispanicus plants we had good numbers of Painted Lady's (Vanessa cardui).

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).

Silene boryi.

As we walked we saw lots of Silene boryi, Ptilotrichum spinosum, Astragalus nevadensis, Eryngium glaciale and St Bruno's Lilly (Paradisia liliastrum) as well as the first of many Spanish Brassy Ringlet's (Erebia hispania) and Nevada Blues (Polyommatus golgus).

St Bruno's Lilly (Paradisia liliastrum).

Saxifrage Species.

Nevada House Leek (Sempervivum minutum)

As we passed the large concrete water tank we could hear several Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

We walked on and as we went added Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Grayling (Hipparchia semele), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania).

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

Grayling (Hipparchia semele).

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

Before we reached Burreguiles we saw Dianthus subacaulis ssp brachyanthus, Leontodon boryi, Erigeron frigidus, Euphrasia willommii, Anarrhinum laxiflorum, Sideritis glacialis, Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Nepeta amethystina, Centranthus nevadensis, Chaenorrhinum glareosum and Arenaria imbricata.

Gentiana boryi.

Gentiana sierrae.

Whorled Lousewort (Pedicularis verticillata) and Lotus corniculatus subsp glacialis.

Moonwort (Lunaria menor / Botrychium lunaria).

Erigeron frigidus.

Comastoma tenellum and Saxifraga stellaris ssp alpigena.

We reached the Burreguiles and we soon found the first of just a few Gentiana sierrae, Gentiana boryi, Comastoma tenellum, Saxifraga stellaris ssp alpigena, Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris), Whorled Lousewort (Pedicularis verticillata), Lotus corniculatus subsp glacialis, Plantago nivalis and Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria).

Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus) Mating Pair.

Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus).

Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus).

Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus).

After we got all the photo's we wanted we started to make our way back towards the car, on the way we saw a couple of fly through Apollo's (Parnassius apollo), Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) and several Idas Blues (Plebejus idas).

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri).

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri).

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri).

Once we reached the car we dropped a little way down the hill and did another walk out along one of the tracks out over the ski areas, right at the start we checked out a wet swampy area finding good numbers of Idas, Nevada and Southern Blues again as well as Dark-green (Speyeria aglaja) and Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis), Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Mountain Argus (Aricia montensis), Small White (Pieris rapae), Southern Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus baeticus) and as we walked I heard and saw Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris). 

Robust Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza elata).

Eumigus rubioi ?????????

Libelloides baeticus.

Nevada Bush-cricket (Pycnogaster inermis).

In the same area we also saw  Robust Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza elata), Nevada Bush-cricket (Pycnogaster inermis), Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea), Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata), Horse Mint (Mentha longifolia) and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis).

Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis).

Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis).

We returned to the car again and dropped down to the Old road to Guejar Sierra, we made a roadside stop at a puddle which had some mineraling butterflies around it including Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus), in the same area we also saw Spanish Foxglove (Digitalis obscura), Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius). 

Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami).

Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami).

Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami).

Just a bit further along the road we stopped again and checked a rocky area of a grassland where we found several new species of butterfly for the day including Blue Spotted (Satyrium spini) and False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi), Dusky (Coenonympha dorus) and Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Comma (Polygonia c-album) and Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).

Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus).

Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus).

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini).

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Birds included Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).

Spanish Purple Hairstreak (Laeosopis roboris).

Southern Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus baeticus).

Small White (Pieris rapae).

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

We dropped lower own again and stopped on the road side near the entrance to Seminario Diocesano where we quickly found several Spanish Purple Hairstreak (Laeosopis roboris) but they all stayed high up in the Ash trees, however we did find Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and just along the road some over with spikes of Small-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis microphylla) and a few not in flower yet Epipactis Fageticola.

Epipactis Fageticola.

Epipactis Fageticola.

Small-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis microphylla).

Our last stop was was down at the river where we saw pretty much the same species as all day but added an egg laying  Swallowtail (Papilio machaon). After we had finished watching the Swallowtail we dropped back to the meeting point and we headed home.

Southern Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus baeticus).

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).