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Tuesday 4 April 2023

Grazalema area, Cadiz Province and heading Home to Granada Province, Spain.

My last day with Sue and Sam.

Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora).
We got up and had breakfast up on the terrace again before we headed out on to a track heading towards Zahara but at a lower level nearer to the lake than the road up over the mountains.
Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca).
Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca).
As we drove we made several stops seeing Bumble-bee (Ophrys bombyliflora), Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera), Somber Bee (Ophrys fusca), Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea) and Mirror Orchids (Ophrys speculum), as well as quite a few past their best Giant Orchids (Himanthoglosum Robertiana).
Elder-leaved Figwort (Scrophularia sambucifolia subsp sambucifolia).
Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).
Birds seen and heard included Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).
Greek Savory (Micromeria graeca).
Red Phlomis (Phlomis purpurea).
It was quite over cast so there were not many butterflies but we did still see a single Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).
Cynoglossum clandestinum.
Hypochromic form of Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).
Other plants seen included Aphyllanthes monspliensis, Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia baetica), French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), Lesser Celendine (Ranunculus ficaria), Elder-leaved Figwort (Scrophularia sambucifolia subsp. sambucifolia), Red Phlomis (Phlomis purpurea), Greek Savory (Micromeria graeca), Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca) and Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus).
Linaria tristris.
Linaria Platycalyx.
We reached the spot that Sue was heading for, once parked we searched an area of fairly dense Broom scrub where we again found good numbers of Mirror, Yellow Bee and past it Giant Orchids, Cynoglossum clandestinum and after a while Sue called us over and she showed us the one we had wanted, a stunning spike of the Hypochromic form of Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).
Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) blue form.
Valerian Species.
I was rather happy seeing this orchid and many of the other species we had seen, we headed back towards the house for some lunch but made a stop at Fuente Aguanfría to fill up the water bottles and add a few more species to the list including Linaria tristris and Linaria Platycalyx, Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), Rusty-backed Fern (Ceterach officinarum), Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) blue form and a Long-horn Moth species which still needs a name.
Long-horn Moth species.
We got back to the house and had some lunch, Sue and I spent a while chatting up on the terrace adding several
Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) and a nice high flying Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila-azor Perdicera / Hieraaetus faciatus) to the list before I said my goodbyes after a brilliant few days, great company, good weather and good wildlife made it perfect.

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