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Friday 7 May 2021

Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk looking for Butterflies and plants and then a sit by the puddle.
 
Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).
I parked near the puddle and went for a walk back down towards the road looking for butterflies, almost straight away I found the first of several Panoptes Blues (Pseudophilotes panoptes), a Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) and Lorquin's Blue (Cupido lorquinii).
Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

There were a few birds around as well, several
Common Chaffinches (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) were calling up in the pines along with a nice male Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) which was , Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes).
Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).
Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius).
Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius).
On my bad up through the Almonds and on the slope I also found Western Dappled (Euchloe crameri) and Small White (Pieris rapae), Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) and Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenodes).
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina).

On the slopes I found good clumps of both
Red (Phlomis purpurea) and Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis), Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum), Garden Anchusa (Anchusa azurea) as well as a mating pair of Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) .
Black-eyed Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops).
Black-eyed Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops).
I walked back up towards the car and then on past where I found a smart
Black-eyed Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops) along side Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) and Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).
Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).
Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).
Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).
As I walked on I heard and saw
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) male.
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) female.
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) male.
I returned to the car and parked by the puddle again but due to the much higher temperature today things were much quieter and I only managed shots of Common Chaffinch and
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) but had views of a male Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) which dropped in for a few seconds but it disappeared as quickly.

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Count.
 
9350 Synthymia fixa (The Gold Wing).

Again it was warmer and stayed at just over +14, so there were a few nice species in the trap. The actinic was run down on the lower terrace as there was no rain in the forecast.
6690 Palpita vitrealis.

Species included 1648 Ethmia terminella x3, 1655 Ethmia bipunctella x2, 2214 Enolmis acanthella x1, 4855 Epinotia thapsiana x4, 5144 Cydia pomonella (Codling Moth) x1, 5578 Lamoria anella x1, 5864 Acrobasis obliqua x1, 6531 Udea ferrugalis (Rusty Dot Pearl) x13, 6690 Palpita vitrealis x1, 6700 Dolicharthria punctalis x2, 6719 Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) x4, 6860 Hyles livornica (Striped Hawk-moth) x6 which was my best number in one night, 8509 Eupithecia cenaureata (Lime-speck Pug) x1, 9100 Acontia lucida (Pale Shoulder) x1, 9350 Synthymia fixa (The Gold Wing) x1, 9433 Caradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow) x11, 9436 Caradrina flavirena (Lorimer's Rustic) ?????? x2, 9454 Hoplodrina ambigua (Vine's Rustic) x2, 9917 Laconobia oleracea (Bright-line Brown-eye) x3, 10493 Eilema caniola (Hoary Footman) x1. 
All moths were photographed and the released unharmed.
9917 Laconobia oleracea (Bright-line Brown-eye).
4855 Epinotia thapsiana.

9433 Paradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow).
2214 Enolmis acanthella.

6531 Udea ferrugalis (Rusty Dot Pearl).
9436 Caradrina flavirena (Lorimer's Rustic) ?????????

Aethes Species.

Ephestia species.

5144 Cydia pomonella (Codling Moth).

9454 Hoplodrina ambigua (Vine's Rustic).

8509 Eupithecia cenaureata (Lime-speck Pug).

10493 Eilema caniola (Hoary Footman).

9454 Hoplodrina ambigua (Vine's Rustic).

5864 Acrobasis obliqua.

9100 Acontia lucida (Pale Shoulder).

5578 Lamoria anella.


Wednesday 5 May 2021

Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

A return to the puddle and a walk later.
 
Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes).

After a morning doing some jobs at the house I decided to go and give the puddle up on Hacho another try and again I was pleased with the couple of hours spent there.
European Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) coming in by the hundred for the water.

Most of the species seen were the same as a couple of days ago but got some better Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) shots including male, female and immature birds but as with most of the visitors to the puddle they did not stay long as they were hassled by the European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) which were there in their 100s.
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) male.
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) female.
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) male.
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) female.
The commonest species to come down were the many
Serins (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) with both males and females coming down.
Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes) male.
The best visitor was a nice male
Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes) but I only caught him for a second or two as I was distracted by a fight between two Red Squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) on the other side of the car.
Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) immature.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) female.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) immature.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) male.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) immature.

Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) immature.

Other species that came down were
Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and for a nanosecond both Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) but both were just too quick for me.
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).
Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).
Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).
A nice
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) also paid the puddle a visit and in the surrounding bushes and trees I picked up Bonelli's (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Dartford (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).
Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).
Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus) a bright female.
Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).
Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius).
Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius).
At around 17.00 I packed the kit away and went for a walk up through the Oak trees where I found a few nice butterflies including Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi), Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina), Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) and Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).
Bartsia trixago.
Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis).
There was quite a it of Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis), Aphyllanthes monspeliensis, Bartsia trixago and just as I got back to the car a very smart pair of
Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus) flew over high.
Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus).