Looking for Orchids and Butterflies.
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| Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa). |
After getting the house work finished and giving the car a clean after the Lynx trip I decided to go for a walk up Hacho, I parked right at the bottom and did the full loop.
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| Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa). |
I started by heading up the South facing slope where it was quite warm in the full sun and I started the butterfly list off with a nice but very active Portuguese Dappled White (Euchloe tagis) x1 which was followed by several Wall Browns (Lasiommata megera) x7 and Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) x6.
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| Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana). |
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| Giant Orchid (Himanthoglosum Robertiana). |
As I walked I watched a guy run up the bank when he saw me and take in two of the small cages with
Red-legged Partridges (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) in them, guessing by his reaction he was up to something he shouldn't have been but I don't know the laws well enough to challenge him.
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| Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina). |
One thing it did do was bring in a fine looking
Partridge which was calling from the rocks above me and down on the ground there was an amazing show of
Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea) which is usually made up of about 200 spikes but this year there must have been at least 2000 plants which must have been helped by the recent rains.
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| Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea). |
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| Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea). |
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| Amethyst Toadflax (Linaria amethystea). |
Also seen along this slope were
Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis),
Eruca (Eruca sativa),
Broad-leaved Iris (Iris planifolia), Common Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium),
Cymbalaria-leaved Speedwell (Veronica cymbalaria),
Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata), Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum), Gagea species, a tiny Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala),
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
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| Gagea species. |
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| Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis). |
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| Cymbalaria-leaved Speedwell (Veronica cymbalaria). |
I dropped down onto the main track and then made my way around the main loop passing the Quarry and through the old Almond terraces finding
Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla),
Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),
Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris),
Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia),
Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula),
Giant (Himanthoglosum Robertiana) x45+ and
Fan-lipped Orchid (
Anacamptis collina) which was not quite in flower,
Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) x6+, Bath White (Pontia daplidice) x2
and Small White (
Pieris rapae) x2.
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| Bath White (Pontia daplidice). |
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| Bath White (Pontia daplidice). |
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| Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta). |
Around by the far side of the Quarry I found lots of spikes of
Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri) x100+,
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1,
Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos),
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus),
Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and
Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) and
Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).
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| Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri). |
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| Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca / foresteri). |
I reached the car and then drove down to the fields as Jenny and John Wainwright had sent me a message about seeing a pair of
Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus) but by the time I got there they had gone into Hiding, however I did see a couple of Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) on the drive down as well as
Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki),
Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata),
Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).
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| Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua). |
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| Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua). |
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| Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua). |
Back at the house I found a couple of
Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) on the feeders and 4
Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) chasing each other along the barranco.
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