Mirador Del Alto De Hondonero, near Villanueva del Rosario, Malag Province, Spain.

Back out looking for Fritillaries.

The view from near the Mirador.

I drove up to the Mirador, parked and then walked out to a spot nearby where I was looking for Butterflies, the first species of butterfly seen was a Black-eyed Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops) which came up from the grass and sat quite nicely.

Black-eyed Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops).

Black-eyed Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops).

Black-eyed Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops).

Black-eyed Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops).

As I walked around I saw and heard Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Bonelli's (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Melodious (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta) and Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Rock (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a calling Scops Owl (Autillo Europeo / Otus scops).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni).

I continued to search the area, I walked down the slope and checked the area around the pool near the bird observatory, in this area I found Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x2, Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) x1, Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) x3, Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x11, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x1, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x2 and several Chapman's Blues (Polyommatus Thersites) x4.

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) Prob Female.

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) Prob Male.

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) Prob Male.

There were also several species of wildflower and Orchids, most of the Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis) were over with but a few were still good, the Yellow Bee's (Ophrys lutea) were about the same and both the Pyramidal (Anacamptis pyramidalia) and Small Woodcock's (Ophrys picta) were still in bud.

Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).

Wild flowers included Blue Hedgehog Broom (Erinacea anthyllis), Shepherds Needles (Scandix pecten-veneris),  Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus), Common Daisy (Bellis perennis), Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata), Red Vetchling (Lathyrus cicera),  Common Vetch (Vicia sativa), Eruca (Eruca sativa), Wild Mignonette (Reseda lutea), Hoary Cress (Lepidium draba), Southern Red Bartsia (Parentucellia latifolia), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa), Rosy Garlic (Allium roseum), Starry Clover (Trifolium stellatum), Ramping Fumitory (Fumaria capreolata),   Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum baeticum), Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) and Lesser Celendine (Ranunculus ficaria).

Chapman's Blue (Polyommatus Thersites) male.

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) male.

Chapman's Blue (Polyommatus Thersites) male.

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) male.

Chapman's Blue (Polyommatus Thersites) male.

As I walked back up towards the car I crossed a meadow that I had been shown a few days earlier by Andy Tweedy and here I found good numbers of Chapman's x6, Panoptes (Pseudophilotes panoptes) x3, Lorquin's (Cupido lorquinii) x2 and Southern Blues (Polyommatus celina) x3, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x8, Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi) x5, Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri) x1, Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x2, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x7, Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides) x3, Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) x1 and Small White (Pieris rapae) x3.

Southern Blues (Polyommatus celina) male.

Other bird species seen included Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and just before I reached the car I found a nice group of Pink Butterfly Orchids (Orchis papilionacea).

Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis papilionacea).

Unfortunately I did not find the Spanish Fritillary (Euphydryas desfontainii) that I had hoped for but guessing that they may be late this year due to the late rains, well I hope so.