Sierra Tejeda, Granada Province, Spain.

Back to the Sierra Tedeja and a few more lifers.

Steve and Lynn, Day Nineteen.

 

Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus).

Today's area was again a new site for me and I think it was for Steve and Lynn as well but just as good and it again came up with some cracking finds. 

Tree Grayling (Hipparchia statilinus).

Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia).

After a drive out on a pretty rough track we decided that it was time to park before I took the suspension out, after putting the sun cream on we started off and we soon found that there were good numbers of Grayling species in the Oak tress along side the track including Tree (Hipparchia statilinus), Striped (Hipparchia fidia) and Common Grayling (Hipparchia semele).

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) female.

Along this first stretch we also saw Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius).

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus).

Common Winter Damselfly (Sympecma fusca).

As we continued there were a couple of Purple Hairstreaks (Favonius Quercus) high up in an Oak tree, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Blue-winged (Oedipoda caerulescens) and Red-winged Grasshoppers (Oedipoda germanica) and after we dropped down a steep track to the river again Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) and Bridge Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius).

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) male.

We continued on up stream  but not before Steve found what looked like a used Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) nest on the crags above us, further on we adding Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe), Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Common Winter Damselfly (Sympecma fusca), Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).

Western Willow Spreadwing (Lestres viridis) male.

Western Willow Spreadwing (Lestres viridis) female.

For a while Lynn and I lost Steve along the stream so we turned around and found him in a pool where he had found a new species for me the uncommon native White-clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) which is being cleared out by the American Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus).

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous).

Rock Grayling (Hipparchia alcyone).

Clouded Yellows (Colias croceus).

We returned to the car where we had some lunch before stopping by another stream on the way out, here we had more Copper Demoiselle's, Western Spectre,  several Western Willow Spreadwings (Lestres viridis), Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea), Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Common Darter, Common Winter Damsel, Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Rock Grayling (Hipparchia alcyone), Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Clouded Yellows (Colias croceus), Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus), Southern Blue, Tree and Striped Graling, Speckled Wood, Large (Pieris brassicae), Small (Pieris rapae) and Bath Whites,  Holly Blue, Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and a couple of beautiful Spurge Hawkmoth (Hyles euphorbiae) Caterpillars. 

Spurge Hawkmoth (Hyles euphorbiae) Caterpillar.

Spurge Hawkmoth (Hyles euphorbiae) Caterpillar.

Spurge Hawkmoth (Hyles euphorbiae) Caterpillar.

European Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa), mating pair.

In the same area we found Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) and mating female and a rather nervous looking male European Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) before we headed back home via the Cacín Valley where the only new find for the day was a migrating Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus).

Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus).