Near Torreón de Albolote, Granada Province, Spain.*

Third time Lucky searching for Spanish Zephyr Blue.

Ebird List for Albolote.

Spanish Zephyr Blue (Kretania hespericus) Male.

I was down in Loja early for a Doc's appointment which went well, as I left I met friend Beth and we went for a walk at a spot up to the North West of Granada where I was hoping to see the rare Spanish Zephyr Blue (Kretania hespericus) which was thought to be extinct in Granada Province until recently.

Spanish Zephyr Blue (Kretania hespericus) Male.

We arrived and after parking walked one of the tracks where there was good amounts of Astragalus alopecuroides the food plant of the target, as we walked we found Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba) x9, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x3, Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x2, Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) x4, Small White (Pieris rapae) x5, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x5 and 2 male + 1 female Spanish Zephyr Blue x3 which was the main target.

Spanish Zephyr Blue (Kretania hespericus) Female.

Bird wise we heard and saw Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus).

Spanish Zephyr Blue (Kretania hespericus) Female.

Apart from the Astragalus alopecuroides the food plant we also found Ground-pine Germander (Teucrium pseudochamaepitys), Bladder Senna (Colutea arborescens), Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis), White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum), Antirrhinum hispanicum and Antirrhinum australe, Helianthemum cinereum ??? Large Blue Flax (Linum narbonense) and Cleonia lusitanica.

Spanish Zephyr Blue (Kretania hespericus) Female.

In the area I also saw several Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) and the strangest / craziest / daftest thing I have seen in a long time when after a bit of a commotion in an Oak tree a Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) came running towards us with a Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) on its back 😁😁😁😁 The Blackbird held on at the back of the Squirrels neck with its bill and would have been there longer if we hadn't been in the way.