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Sunday 12 May 2024

Mirador del Alto de Hondonero and Along the Arroyo Marin, Malaga Province, Spain.

Out amongst the bikes at a great butterfly spot.

Spanish Fritillary (Euphydryas desfontainii).
We headed for Mirador del Alto de Hondonero but soon realized that Sunday was possibly not the best day to visit particularly when there is a mountain bike race going on, the road wasn't closed so we continued on up and eventually got to the main view point.
Spanish Fritillary (Euphydryas desfontainii).
Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).
Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).
Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).
We parked and went for a walk out onto some nearby meadows where we found the area was wetter than expected but there were still butterflies around and during the next few hours we were there dodging the bikes we picked up Knapweed (Melitaea phoebe) x6, Provençal (Melitaea deione) x2 and a single Spanish Fritillary (Euphydryas desfontainii) x1, Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) x5, Black-veined (Aporia crataegi) x30+, Bath (Pontia daplidice) x1 and Small White (Pieris rapae) x6, Lorquin's (Cupido lorquinii) x1, Southern (Polyommatus celina) x8,  Chapman's (Polyommatus Thersites) x2 and Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) x3, Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) x1, Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x3, Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychlorus) x2, Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x4, Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathsheba) x9, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x1, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x2, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1, Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) x1, Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x3 and Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera) x2.
Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione).
Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione).
In the same area we also saw 10600b Arctia angelica, Ophrys algarviensis, Small Woodcock (Ophrys picta) and Small Tongue Orchid (Serapias parviflora), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris), Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus), Black Horehound (Ballota nigra), Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum),  Mallow-leaved Convolvulus (Convolvulus althaeoides), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Pitch Trefoil (Psoralea bituminosa), Purple (Phlomis purpurea) and Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis), Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa) and Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus).
Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi).
Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi).
Lorquin's Blue (Cupido lorquinii).
Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera).
Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera).
Bird wise we saw and heard 
Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Golden Oriole (Oropéndola / Oriolus oriolus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Western Orphean Warbler (Curruca Mirlona / Sylvia hortensis), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) and European Green Woodpecker (Pito Real euroasiático / Picus viridis).
10600b Arctia angelica.
Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta).
Ophrys algarviensis.
We returned to the car and then dropped down a short way down the hill and parked again, we checked out the tracks there finding
Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) x2, Rosy Grizzled (Pyrgus onopordi) x3 and Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius) x2, Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x1 and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x3 before we dropped down the hill again to get a late lunch before we spent the rest of the afternoon at the nearby Arroyo Marin.
Rosy Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus onopordi).
Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius).
Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi) mating pair.
We first walked a short way along the valley track where we heard or saw Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Melodious Warbler (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Nightingale, Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti).
Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia).
Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).
Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri).
Down on the meadow near the start of the track we found Western Dappled (Euchloe crameri) x2 and Green-Striped White (Euchloe belemia) x1, Macroglossum stellatarum (Hummingbird Hawkmoth), Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Bartsia trixago, Crown Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum), Common Chicory (Cichorium intybus), Common Vetch (Vicia sativa), Ground-pine Germander (Teucrium pseudochamaepitys), Ornithogalum narbonense, White Campion (Silene latifolia), Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum baeticum) and Malva hispanica.
Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathsheba).
Malva hispanica.
Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum).
We returned to the car and headed back to Antequera and then I made my way home. 

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