El Colmenar and Casares in Malaga Province, Spain.

More Orchids and Friends.

 

Violet Limodore (Limodorum abortivum).

After a good night in El Colmenar at the Hotel Restaurante Las Buitreras I headed off south towards Casares where I was going to meet a friend Dave and we were going to visit another friend John before he heads off back to the UK but this was not until 14:00 so after getting some breakfast in Venta La Laguna I parked just up the road at the Mirador Ornitológico Sierra Crestelina and spent a couple of hours watching for raptors.

Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis Helleborine subsp tremolsii).

Whilst there I had Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) x2, Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) x1, Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) x4, Booted Eagles (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) x2, Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) x1, Honey Buzzards (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus) x14 and plenty of Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus). 

Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis Helleborine subsp tremolsii).

Other species included Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Pallid (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis Helleborine subsp tremolsii).

I also saw Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) x4, Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x2, Spanish Marbled (Melanargia ines) x1 and Small White (Pieris rapae) x4, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x2 and Macroglossum stellatarum (Hummingbird Hawkmoth).

Drosophyllum lusitanicum.

I dropped down to Casares and then went up around the town to a spot on the road heading south east through the woodlands, I parked and immediately found several spikes of Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) before going for a walk up one of the tracks and found several spikes of over with Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla) and quite a few Violet Limodores (Limodorum abortivum) which were all over apart from one which was almost finished but it still had a couple of OKish flowers.

Spanish Iris (Iris xiphium).

I also found several spikes of Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis Helleborine subsp tremolsii) but they were yet to flower, Spanish Iris (Iris xiphium), Drosophyllum lusitanicum, Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis), Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x3, Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba) x20+, Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) x1, Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Griffon Vultures and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

Violet Limodores (Limodorum abortivum) seed pods.

I returned to the car and went to the bar near the Carpentry factory where I had some lunch before meeting friend Dave Grundy on the car park of the factory before heading down to see John, we spent a pleasant couple of hour's chatting and reminiscing before Dave headed back out west and I made my way home. 

Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla).