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Saturday 17 July 2021

Granada Coast, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk along Cartuna Beach checking the Kentish Population and the searching for Swifts Later.
 
Ebird List Cartuna Beach.

Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus).
I met Juan Perez at the usual meeting place and we walked the length of the beach checking on the Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) population, we were very pleased to not find any new nests as the beach was getting much busier. 
Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus).

During the walk we saw Kentish Plover x13, Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis) x8, Audouin's Gull (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) x11 along with other species.
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).
We moved on along the coast to check a couple of spots for the uncommon
White-rumped Swift (Vencejo Cafre / Apus caffer), we reached the first spot and spent a while scanning the area around two sections of the bridges that carries the main A7 motorway. At this site we didn't see and White-rumped Swifts but had views of a family party of Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus), 2x adults and 2x immature.
Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).
Our last stop was at a very busy Playa de la Rijana where again we didn't see any White-rumped Swifts but we did see both
Alpine (Vencejo Real / Apus melba) and Pallid Swifts (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) along with Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura) and European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).

Thursday 15 July 2021

Dehesa del Generalife, Granada City, Granada Province, Spain.

An early morning Year Tick and some bureaucracy later.
 
I got out of the Pit early and headed up to the Dehesa del Generalife, I arrived before light and I could hear both Red-necked (Chotacabras Cuellirrojo / Caprimulgus ruficollis) and European Nightjar (Chotacabras Europeo / Caprimulgus europaeus) as well as a screeching Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).
I later dropped down into the City  where I had an appointment to change my Green Residencia Certificate into the new TIE card. I went for breakfast first and then had a very efficient half hour sorting the first part of the change, well organized thankfully before heading home.

Wednesday 14 July 2021

Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

Up the Hill a bit higher than usual looking for butterflies.
 
Looking down from the Butterfly Site.
I met Anita just outside the city and we headed up to the Ski center, not a place I like as generally it is untidy and the slopes are not much better as the damage done by the resort on the mountain and it wildlife is massive. There are also proposals to make the area larger, less snow for a shorter period every year and they want to destroy more of the National Park, Crazy.
Nevada Blue (Pleicula golgus) Female.

Nevada Blue (Pleicula golgus) Female.

Nevada Blue (Pleicula golgus) Female.


Nevada Blue (Pleicula golgus) male.

Anita parked in the underground car park and we walked up to the shops above, we got out tickets for the Cable car and then had a coffee and tostarda before we caught the first gondola up to the first stop at the upper ski station.
Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) immature.

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) immature.

Once we were out on the slopes we walked out towards the Observatorio del Pico Veleta / Estación, along the way we saw several Northern Wheatears (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) including adult and immature birds and had a single passing Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).
On our way up the first slope we saw the first of many Nevada Blues (Pleicula golgus), several Spanish Brassy Ringlets (Erebia hispania), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) which seemed to be quite common and fresh.
Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).
Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).
Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).
Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).
Nevada Blue (Pleicula golgus).

We turned off the road and walked into an area of open rocky slopes where we soon found the first of around 50 or so Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis) and a good number of their food plant Erodium cheilanthifolium
Erodium cheilanthifolium,
We walked up the slopes seeing more Spanish Argus as well as Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia), Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron), Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua), Bath White (Pontia daplidice) and Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae).
Anita photographing the Spanish Argus butterflies.
Up around the Observatoriowe continued our search for the main target but we didn't find any sign of the Zullich's Blue (Agriades zullichi) so it will be one for next year. 
Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).
Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).
Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania).
Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).
We started to drop back down to the cable car, on the way we had a couple of Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), a family party of Alpine Accentors (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris), plenty of Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and a couple of Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis) a male and an immature which sat up for a few seconds.
Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).
Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).
Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).
Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).
Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis).

We dropped down on the Cable Car and then went down the hill to the area of grassland next to the Botanical gardens, we spent a while checking the thistles and vegetation finding
Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini), Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi), Bright Wave (Idaea ochrata) and Idaea sericeata.
Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).
Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi).
Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).
We continued on down the hill and had a drink on the way back down to the meeting point.

Monday 12 July 2021

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Count.
 
3814 Mesophleps corsicella.
Dave and I checked the trap for the final time before he headed off South towards Tarifa for several more weeks adding to the knowledge of the Moths of Andalucia.
6599 Pyrausta sanguinalis.

6590 Ecpyrrhorrhoe diffusalis.

6001 Euzophera lunulella.

8145 Brachyglossina manicaria.

6583 Achyra nudalis.


9341 Aegle vespertinalis.

7533 Dorset Cream Wave (Stegania trimaculata).

4517b Platynota stultana.


Sunday 11 July 2021

Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.

Moth Count.
 
7987 Herb Emerald (Microloxia herbaria).
We ran three LED traps in a small quarry which produced a good numbers, 267 moths of 46 species including the ones below.
10351 Agrotis segetum (Turnip Moth).
0842 Placodoma ragonoti.

9106 Pseudozarba bipartita.

6441 Aporodes floralis.

6709 Metasia ibericalis.

9011 Raparna conicephala.

2309 Epicallima mercedella.

7725 Menophora japygiaria (Brassy Waved Umber).

8818 Marbled Green (Nyctobrya muralis).

6775 Phyllodesma suberifolia.

9522 Latreille's Latin (Callopistria latreillei).

6537 Udea institalis.

9128 Odice pergrata.

8062 Small Blood-vein (Scopula imitaria).