Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.*

A few hours in the hills with friend Beth.

Looking back along the track.

As my car was in for some work Beth picked me up and we headed up around Granada and up to the car park at 2500m, on the way up we saw Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania).

Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania).

We parked at the car park at the 2500m mark and then walked out along the first section of the track out towards the Hoya de San Juan. 

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) male.

Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).

On the way we saw Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Arenaria tetraquetra, Ptilotrichum spinosum, Eryngium glaciale, Campanula herminii, Macroglossum stellatarum (Hummingbird Hawkmoth) x3, Black Satyr (Satyrus actaea) x8, Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera) x1, Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x3, Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma) x4, Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania) x6 and Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon) x5 plant and butterfly wise.

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

Macroglossum stellatarum (Hummingbird Hawkmoth).

Birds seen included Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe).

Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe).

We returned to the car and dropped down to another spot to the side of the rather dreadful ski resort where we checked the damp areas along one of the tracks out onto the slopes finding Bath (Pontia daplidice) x2 and Small White (Pieris rapae) x4, Cardinal (Argynnis pandora) x1 and Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe) x2, Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra) x1, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x5, Iberian Scarce (Iphiclides feisthameli) x3 and Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) x1, Purple-shot (Lycaena alciphron) x5 and Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x1, Long-tailed (Lampides boeticus), Lang's Short-tailed (Leptotes pirithous) x1, Silver-studded (Plebejus argus) x2 and Nevada Blue (Pleicula golgus) x2, Mountain Argus (Aricia montensis) x5, Small (Thymelicus sylvestris) x3 and Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius) x2.

Mountain Argus (Aricia montensis).

Mountain Argus (Aricia montensis).

Mountain Argus (Aricia montensis).

Other species included Robust Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza elata) x3, Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea), Rhodometra sacaria (The Vestal), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).

Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma).

Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus).

On the drive down we stopped at El Desvio bar and I introduced Beth to the best Carne en Salsa baguette and was very pleased to see she got into even more mess than I did 😁😁😁😁

Nevada Blue (Pleicula golgus).

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

We dropped back down to Granada and headed back towards Huétor, on the way back to the house I got a message to say that I could collect the car so we called there before going for a drink on the terrace  adding European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) before Beth headed home.