A visit to an amazing Butterfly spot.
Karen and Rob, Day Two.
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A happy Karen and Bob after we found a Twin-spot fritillary (Brenthis hecate) which was their main target for the visit.
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We had breakfast and then popped to the Supermarket before heading to a spot that friend Andy Tweed had given me a pin for near Moscardón, on the drive out there we saw
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus),
Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra),
Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica),
Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula),
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus). |
Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino). |
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Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia). |
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Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia). |
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Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione). |
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High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe). |
Around the parking area we also added
Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis),
Rock Grayling (Hipparchia alcyone),
Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia),
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) and just over the road
False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi),
Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera),
Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus),
Dusky Heath (
Coenonympha dorus) and the first of many Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima) which later in the morning were literally flying around in flocks. |
Comma ( c-album). |
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Comma ( c-album). |
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Comma ( c-album). |
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High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe). |
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Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta). |
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Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta). |
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Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus). |
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Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus). |
We continued on down the wooded meadow to some Water troughs finding more and more species on the way, these included Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma),
Wood White (
Leptidea sinapis),
Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta),
Grayling (Hipparchia semele),
Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera),
Provençal (Melitaea deione), High Brown (
Fabriciana adippe), Silver-Washed (Argynnis paphia), Lesser Marbled (Brenthis ino) and the main target for the trip Twin-spot fritillary (Brenthis hecate), the first of which was rather tatty but shortly afterwards we found one which looked somewhat better.
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Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon). |
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Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima). |
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Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami). |
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Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami). |
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Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris). |
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False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi). |
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Grayling (Hipparchia semele). |
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Grayling (Hipparchia semele). |
Around the troughs there was also a good number of birds coming in for a drink which included
Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes),
Woodpigeon,
Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin),
Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla),
Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula),
Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus),
Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus),
Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).
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Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta). |
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Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni).
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Twin-spot fritillary (Brenthis hecate). |
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High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe). |
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Zygaena transalpina probably. |
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Zygaena species. |
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Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator). |
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Trichodes species.
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Butterflies in this area and on a large area of low Thyme plants there were even higher numbers of butterflies and new species included
Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus),
Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami),
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni),
Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria),
Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas),
Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius),
Long-tailed (Lampides boeticus) and Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus),
Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli),
Berger's Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis), Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni),
Bath White (Pontia daplidice) and
Comma ( c-album) and as we walked back up to the car we saw
Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma),
Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe), a nice male Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) and a couple of fast moving Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus).
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Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon). |
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Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon). |
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Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon). |
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Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon). |
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Oberthur's Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus fabressei). |
We continued on down the hill, over an area of Limestone to an area of weedy shallow water where we had the absolutly amazing sight of hundreds of blue butterflies coming down to Puddle, most were Azure Chalkhill, Damon (Polyommatus damon), Oberthur's Anomalous (Polyommatus fabressei) and a very tatty looking Escher's Blue ( escheri),
as well as Red-underwing Skipper,
Iberian Scarce Swallowtail and
Grayling.
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Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima). |
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Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima). |
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Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima). |
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Escher's Blue ( escheri).
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Grayling (Hipparchia semele). |
On our way back towards the hotel we spotted a couple of pools and decided to check them out finding
Oberthur's Anomalous Blue, High Brown and
Knapweed Fritillary,
Great Banded Grayling,
Keeled Skimmer,
Common Spreadwing and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común /
Tachybaptus ruficollis).
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