Hoya de San Juan, Sierra de Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

A nice walk with friend Polly.

Looking back along the trail.

We met near Granada and then continued on up to the 2500m mark where we parked and went for a walk out to the Borreguiles at the Hoya de San Juan, on the way out we had views of both Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and as we walked we had 3 Ortolan Buntings (Escribano Hortolano / Emberiza hortulana) on the rocks below us.

Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania) through grass.

Rock Grayling (Hipparchi alcyone).

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

I know it's late in the year but the butterfly numbers were low and the only species in any quantity were Black Satyr (Satyrus actaea) x40+ and Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma) x8, other species seen included Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania) x1, Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x2, Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) x1, Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) x1, Bath White (Pontia daplidice) x3, Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon) x6, Rock Grayling (Hipparchi alcyone) x4 and Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x2.

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Wild Flowers were mostly over with including Nevada House Leek (Sempervivum minutum) along with Erigeron frigidus, Euphrasia willommii, Eryngium glaciale, Sideritis glacialis, Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Lotus corniculatus subsp glacialis, Centranthus nevadensis and Carduus carlinoides subsp hispanicus.

Looking out to the wet area of Hoya de San Juan.

Ortolan Bunting (Escribano Hortolano / Emberiza hortulana).

Ortolan Bunting (Escribano Hortolano / Emberiza hortulana).

Black Satyr (Satyrus actaea).

Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon).

At the Borreguiles area we found Gentiana pneumonanthe, Gentiana boryi, Plantago nivalis, Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris), Black Sedge (Carex nigra / Carex negro), Pinguicola nevadensis not in flower and Campanula herminii.

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma).

Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma).

On our way back we picked up Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), a male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) and Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris).

Gentiana boryi.

Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris).

Gentiana pneumonanthe.

Also added were Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua), Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) and lower down when we stopped for a drink and some food there was a single Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli).

Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris).