Moscardón area, Teruel Province, Spain.

A visit to an amazing Butterfly spot.

Karen and Bob, Day Two.

A happy Karen and Bob after we found a Twin-spot fritillary (Brenthis hecate) which was their main target for the visit.

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).

Twin-spot fritillary (Brenthis hecate) the main target for the trip for Bob and Karen.

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

Great Banded Grayling (Kanetisa circe).

Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).

On the drive in to the site we were between Pine woodland and a cereal field with very flower rich verges which were just alive with Butterflies and as we drove through there were masses of Graylings and other species flying up and when we reached the parking spot we started the list with the first of hundreds of Great Banded Graylings (Kanetisa circe) which were on the wing once it fully warmed in amazing number and they were even landing on us.

Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione).

Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione).

Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino).

Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia).

Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia).

Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione).

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).

Around the parking area we also added Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Rock Grayling (Hipparchi 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 (Polygonum c-album).

Comma (Polygonum c-album).

Comma (Polygonum c-album).

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).

Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta).

Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta).

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus).

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.

Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon).

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami).

Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi).

Grayling (Hipparchia semele).

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).

Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta).

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni).

Twin-spot fritillary (Brenthis hecate).

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).

Zygaena transalpina probably.

Zygaena species.

Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator).

Trichodes species.

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 corceua), Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami), Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), Long-tailed (Lampides baeticus) 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 (Polygonum 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).

Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) old male.

Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella).

Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii).

Common Spreadwing (Lestes Sponsa).

Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) egg laying female.

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) female.

Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens).

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus).

Once we were back at the car we had some food before going back up the road to a spot where Karen had spotted a sign saying Le Molino which made us think there might be a pool there and we were not wrong, we parked and looked for some dragonflies and I was very pleased to see a female Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) which was a new species for my Spanish List, other species seen included Common Spreadwing (Lestes Sponsa), Blue / Common Emperor, Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella), Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) and along a small stream lower down the hill Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) and Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo).

Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon).

Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon).

Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon).

Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon).

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 (Agrodiaetus escheri), as well as Red-underwing Skipper, Iberian Scarce Swallowtail and Grayling.

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

Escher's Blue (Agrodiaetus escheri).

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).