Sierra de Loja, Granada Province, Spain.

An unexpected day up on my favorite hill.

One of my favorite views.

After a visit to Medio Ambiante to speak to them about a chance to visit a couple of spots up the Sierra to check on a colony of Geranium Argus (Eumedonia eumedon) which I found a few years ago but is now under intense pressure due to a massive over grazing problem over nearly the whole Sierra, Pam, John and I headed up the hill.

Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis).

Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis).

Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis).

Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis).

On the way over there we started the list with Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).

Anyway we were soon heading up the Sierra and out to the far side where the spots for the butterflies, on the way we picked up Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Black-eared (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica) and Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Rufous-tailed Rock (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis) and Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).

Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica).

Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica).

Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica).

Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica).

Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica).

Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica).

We checked the spots for the Geranium Argus but found none at either site as they were totally destroyed and covered in sheep and goat poo, we struggled to find many insects at all but we did see small numbers of Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides baeticus), Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini), Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia).

Erodium cheilanthifolium.

Wild Peony (Paeonia broteri).

Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus).

Sharp-ribbed Salamander (Pleurodeles waltl) Tadpole.

Other species included Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus), Sharp-ribbed Salamander (Pleurodeles waltl), Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator), Erodium cheilanthifolium, Common stork's bill (Erodium ciconium), Bitting Stonecrop (Sedum acre), Wild Peony (Paeonia broteri) and  Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini).

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini).