Inland from Nijar, Punta Entinas near Roquetas de Mar and Retamar, Almeria, Spain.

A drive inland but with a noticeable lack of Butterflies.

Ebird List for Punta Entinas, 38 Species.

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) male.

We were up, out and headed inland hoping to find a few more butterflies which so far had been thin on the ground in Almeria but as hard as we looked we spent the whole of the drive and walk finding just 3 Wall Browns (Lasiommata megera) and an unidentified White species.

Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) male.

Other species seen included Iberian Brown Hare (Liebre ibérica / Lepus granatensis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris). 

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) immature male.

We made a stop in Sorbus for a coffee, whilst there we checked the Rambla de la Mojonera from the nearby bridge adding a Roller (Carraca / Coracias garrulus) and then as we dropped down to Roquetas de Mar and on to Punta Entinas, on the way we saw another Roller, Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) female.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) female.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) female.

We arrived at the reserve but found that there was a chain across the track so we parked and walked in, on the way we saw Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x1, Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) x3 a single Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) and around the pools we added Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Little (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons), Gull-billed (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica), Common (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo) and Black Tern (Fumarel Común / Chlidonias niger), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Slender-billed (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Little Tern (Charrancito Común / Sterna albifrons).

Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola).

On the two larger deeper pools on the opposite side of the track we found Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta).

We turned around and made our way out adding Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).

Common Tiger Blue (Tarucus theophrastus) male.

Common Tiger Blue (Tarucus theophrastus) Pair.

Common Tiger Blue (Tarucus theophrastus) Pair.

Common Tiger Blue (Tarucus theophrastus) Pair.

Common Tiger Blue (Tarucus theophrastus) Pair.

Common Tiger Blue (Tarucus theophrastus) Pair.

On the way back to the hotel we went via Retamar where we had coffee and cake before checking out the two large  Ziziphus spina-christi bushes and even though it was extremely windy we still found several Common Tiger Blues (Tarucus theophrastus) x18+ including at least one female which was displaying with a male and getting attention from several others.

Clytra quadripunctata.

We returned to the hotel and then later we went out for a meal in San Jose and had a walk along the beach before returning to the hotel for our last night.