Puerto Deportivo de La Duquesa, Rio Genal north of Casares, Casares Pueblo, Near Los Barrios, La Almoraima and Mirador del Pantano de Guadarranque, Cadiz Province, Spain.

Sight seeing, Birds and Butterflies.

 

Puerto Deportivo de La Duquesa.

Again after breakfast I again Picked up Karen and Rob and we made our way a short way along the coast to the Puerto Deportivo de La Duquesa where we had a walk around, not a place I particularly like with it's Irish Bars and everything else not Spanish but we did see Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

From here we headed inland towards a spot along the Rio Genal but on the way the car started to make a funny noise on the front drivers side so I pulled up and found that we had a puncher but it was soon changed and on our way.

Casares from the view point above the town.

We drove along the Western side of the Sierra Crestellina and dropped down to the Rio Genal where we had a walk but we didn't find any Butterflies as the area was still in the shade, however we did get views of a very smart Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes) as well as Long-tailed (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca) and a male Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

Robert taking in the view.

We made or way back towards Casares where we found a parking spot up above the town and spent some time watching good numbers of Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and a Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

We dropped back down to the Coast and then headed West along to Los Barrios and then to a spot on the Rio de las Cañas O Palmones where we checked the area for dragonflies but saw none and only picked up Common Kingfisher, Pied Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail, Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla) and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Our next stop was at the nearby Venta el Frenazo for some lunch, whilst we were there Paul Selby from the Mariposa Group messaged me with a pin to say they had just seen a Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) so after we had eaten we headed straight there and found that the group were still there.

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Jon Dunn showed us where they had seen the butterfly but it was behind a tall chainlink fence and not on show at this point but after a little while Karen picked it up being chased by one of the 3 or 4 Monarch (Danaus plexippus) which was very pleasing as this had been the third target of the trip.

Embalse del Guadarranque.

In the same area we also saw Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), Pied and Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), and Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus).

Grayling (Hipparchia semele).

We said thanks to Paul, Jon and David for letting us know about this butterfly before went to our last spot of the day in the hills nearby which look over the Embalse del Guadarranque where we spent a while looking for Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius), we walked around adding Grayling (Hipparchia semele) and 2 Pasha's but only I saw the latter species.

Looking towards Gib with Morocco in the background from Karen and Robert's Hotel.

We headed back to the Hotels and then later we got together at Karen and Robert Hotel for a nice last evening meal, after a drink I said goodbye to them both as I was heading home in the morning but look forward to their next visit which will hopefully be next Spring.