Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Rio Agar o Cacín, Sierra Tejeda, Granada Province, Spain.

Monday 16 August 2021

Rio Agar o Cacín, Sierra Tejeda, Granada Province, Spain.

A visit to one of Steve and Lynn's finds.

Steve and Lynn, Day Eight.

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum), young male.

Today we were visiting a new site for me which Steve and Lynn had been to on past visits to the area and what a great unspoiled place it is. We drove South towards Alhama de Granada and then to the South of the Embalse de Bermejales where we took to the tracks and then parked by the Rio Agar o Cacín.

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) Female.

Once we had put on our sun protection we dropped down to the river and started to make our way up stream, straight away we started to see Large Pincertail (Onychogomphus uncatus) but most were females which were acting more like males by sitting up in obvious spots.

Large Pincertail (Onychogomphus uncatus) female.

In the same are we had several Common Darters (Sympetrum striolatum) both male and female and young and mature insects as well as Keeled Skimmers (Orthetrum coerulescens), Western Spectre (Boyeria Irene), Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis), Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus), Dusky Heath (Coenonympha dorus), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Bath White (Pontia daplidice) and Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia).

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus).

Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).

Dusky Heath (Coenonympha dorus).

There were a few birds about including Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).

Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) female.

Western Spectre (Boyeria Irene).

Common Winter Damselfly (Sympecma fusca).

Blue-eye (Erythromma lindenii) female.

As we continued on up stream we found more Large Pincertails, Common Darters and added Common Winter Damselfly (Sympecma fusca), White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes), Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), Small White (Pieris rapae), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and a very nice Viperine Snake (Culebra Viperina / Natrix maura) which was chasing tadpoles in the leaf litter on the bottom of the stream.

Steve with a Large Pincertail.

Steve weighing up his next target.

As we continued on we found Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) on the way to our turn around point, we turned around and started back to the car where we had our lunch in the shade of the bridge before we headed out again but this time we went down stream.

Bat Species.

Under the bridge we found two Bats which where having a kip in the shade but I have no idea which species at this point.

Southern Darter (Sympetrum meridionale) female.

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) male.

We walked down stream which soon became more wooded and we were soon finding more Western Spectres, Copper Demoiselles, Common Darters, Blue-eye (Erythromma lindenii) and then a nice female Southern Darter (Sympetrum meridionale), a male Large Pincertail and Yellow Shell Moth (Camptogramma bilineata).