Huétor Tajar and Cerro Hacho, Granada Province, Spain.*

Loosing track of the days but thankfully it doesn't really matter.

Ebird List.

 

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

I set off down to Huétor to go to the Bakery to get some bread as I was convinced it was Sunday but I was surprised to see that Mercadona was open so I checked my phone to find that it was still actually Saturday!!!

Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).

Anyway, on the way down to town I counted 5 roosting Little Owls (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), 2 of which were sat on roadside poles.

Wild Carrot (Daucus carota).

Other species included lots of European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), a male Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus) which was being mobbed by a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and on the verges Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Common Chicory (Cichorium intybus) and Mallow-leaved Convolvulus (Convolvulus althaeoides).

3963 Zygaena sarpedon.

Silver Sage (Salvia argentea).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

I got the bread and then headed back up passed the house and made my way up to Hacho where I was joined by friend Beth from Loja and we went for a walk looking for Butterflies.

Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba).

Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia).

Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia).

Dusky Heath (Coenonympha dorus).

We parked at the spot near the quarry and then walked the top part of the loop, on the first section we saw Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Iberian  Magpie, European Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Zygaena sarpedon x1, Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x18+, Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x13+, Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora) x5, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x2, Bath White (Pontia daplidice) x2, Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x2 and Tree Grayling (Hipparchia statilinus) x1. 

Asteriscus spinosus.

Linum tenue.

Klasea pinnatifida.

Atractylis cancellata.

We also saw several plant species including Silver Sage (Salvia argentea), Pitch Trefoil (Psoralea bituminosa), Field Eryngo (Eryngium campestris), Linum tenue, Asteriscus spinosus, Atractylis cancellata, Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum), Purple Phlomis (Phlomis purpurea), Allium sphaerocephalon and Antirrhinum australe.

Tree Grayling (Hipparchia statilinus).

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina).

Bath White (Pontia daplidice).

Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto).

Along the back part of the loop we added European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) bird wise.

Dianthus broteri subsp broteri.

Centaurium grandiflorum.

Geropogon hybridus.

Centaurea melitensis.

Butterflies and plants found were Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini) x2, Spanish (Pyronia bathseba) x4 and Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia) x3, Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto) x2, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x2, False Ilex (Satyrium esculi) x1, Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus) x2, Aphyllanthes monspliensis, Dianthus broteri subsp broteri, Geropogon hybridus, Centaurium grandiflorum and Centaurea melitensis.

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).

Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

We walked back to the car, on the way we saw a fast moving Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus) and a couple of the very delicate Thread-winged Lacewing (Nemoptera bipennis) which Beth was very pleased to see.

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini).

Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).

We then headed back to my place for a drink, in the garden we saw Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli) x2, Large White (Pieris brassicae) x1, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x1, Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli).

Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli).