Hoya de Pedraza Botanical Garden, Centro de visitantes El Dornajo and Old Road to Güéjar Sierra, Granada Province, Spain.

Up in the high Mountains and at lower levels looking for Butterflies.

Ebird List for Hoya de Pedraza Botanical Garden, 1 Species.

Looking out South West from the visitors center.

I had stayed in Antequera over night so due to the parking restrictions near the hotel we had to be off and on our way up to the Botanical Gardens in the Sierra Nevada, on the way up the hill we stopped for a coffee and then parked up at the Botanical Garden before spending a couple of hours walking around the paths.

Looking East.

Andalucian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri).

Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus).

Bird wise we saw a few nice species including Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and a very nice Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus).

Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus).

Paeonia coriacea.

Erysimum popovii.

Armeria villosa.

Linaria nevadensis.

Artemisia granatensis.

Hippocrepis nevadensis.

Iberis carnosa.

As we walked around the paths I photographed some of the Plants and Orchids which included Paeonia coriacea, Erysimum popovii, Erysimum nevadense, Salvia verbenaca, Euphorbia nicaeensis, Armeria villosa, Linaria nevadensis, Nevadensia purpurea, Artemisia granatensis, Hippocrepis nevadensis, Iberis carnosa, Pink Butterfly (Orchis papilionacea), Early Purple (Orchis mascula), Italian Man (Orchis Italica),

Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis papilionacea).

Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula).

Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula).

Italian Man Orchid (Orchis Italica).

There were a few butterflies but not as many as we had hoped for but we did find Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x3, Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x2, Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x6, Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) x12 and Rosy Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus onopordi) x3 as well as Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus), Andalucian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

Rosy Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus onopordi).

Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

We walked back up to the car and then dropped down to the Centro de visitantes El Dornajo and then parked a short way up the road where we checked out a road side bank finding Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) x2, Lorquin's Blue (Cupido lorquinii) x2, Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) x1, Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) x1 and Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) x1.

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Lorquin's Blue (Cupido lorquinii).

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae).

We again dropped down but took the old road towards Güéjar Sierra and made a stop after just a couple of KM where we found Lesser-spotted Fritillary (Melitaea trivia) x1, Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) x2, Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis), Chimney Sweeper (Odezia atrata), 6843 Macroglossum stellatarum (Hummingbird Hawkmoth) and Red-striped Oil Beetle (Berberomeloe majalis).

Lesser-spotted Fritillary (Melitaea trivia).

Lesser-spotted Fritillary (Melitaea trivia).

As we drove down to our next stop a bit further along the road we saw several road side spikes of Barton's Orchid (Dactylorhiza insularis), near the Fuente Agrilla we parked again and found a few new species for the day including Green-veined White (Pieris napi) x4, Southern Marbled Skipper (Muschampia baeticus) x2, Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius) x1, Clouded Yellow x2, Common Orange-tip x3, Large White (Pieris brassicae) x2, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x3 and a calling Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus).

Green-veined White (Pieris napi).

Green-veined White (Pieris napi).

Green-veined White (Pieris napi).

Green-veined White (Pieris napi).

Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius).

Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines).

Our last stop of the day was down by the Rio Genil where we made two stops, the first was by the disused / never opened visitor center where we found several Knapweed Fritillaries (Melitaea phoebe) x6, Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x2, Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) x1 and a rather tatty Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes) x1.

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

We then drove across the river and up the next track to the right along the river, here we checked a small wet spot where water seeps from the cliff out onto the road, here we found lots of Southern Marbled Skipper x30+, a couple more Iberian Scarce Swallowtail x2, Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) x1 and in the air above us a couple of Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli).

Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli).

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

Southern Marbled Skipper (Muschampia baeticus).

Southern Marbled Skipper (Muschampia baeticus).

Southern Marbled Skipper (Muschampia baeticus).