Sierra de Huétor, Granada Province, Spain.

A nice stroll in the hills looking for insects and birds.

Pam and John, Day Four.

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) Male.

We all headed out to the east and into the mountains to the North West of Granada, our first stop was along the Arroyo de Prado Negro near El Molinillo in the Sierra de Huétor NP.

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) Male.

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) female.

Southern Damselflies (Coenagrion mercuriale) copulating.

Southern Damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale) female.

On the way we saw Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Small White (Pieris rapae).

We parked and had a walk along the stream up as far as a disused dam bank where there was quite a big group of Poplar trees, on the way we saw lots of the beautiful Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) x100+ which lived up to its name well, several Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii) x4, Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) x1, Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) x1, Common Blue (Enallagma cyathinerum) x12 and Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) x5.

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli).

Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto).

Butterflies were thin on the ground but we still managed to find Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) x7, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x8, Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi) x18, Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) x6, Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) and Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii).

Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii).

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula).

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula).

Bird wise we saw and heard Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

Salvia phlomoides subsp. boissieri ?????

Linum jimenezii subsp. jimenezii.

Large Blue Flax (Linum narbonense).

Our next stop was at the Café Bar Restaurante La Mora just off the A92 where we had some lunch and a drink before heading up to a spot just off the exit for Los Mimbres where we parked and walked along the main track and then on to a broom and scrub covered area between the Pine woods finding Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychlorus) x1, Clouded Yellow x3, Cleopatra x2, Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini) x2, Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora) x1 and Western Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans).

Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator).

Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) Female.

It was by now getting a tad warm so we retreated to the house for the rest of the afternoon and then went up on to the terrace for a meal later.