Algeciras Area and back to the NW of Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Spain.

Our second day in search of the Desert Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus).

 

Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).

We started the day by going back to a spot where we had seen some Acacia bushes along side of the road, we arrived and parked but unfortunately the sun didn't come out during the time we were there and we didn't see any butterflies let alone the target.

Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).

Mediterranean Skipper (Gegenes nostrodamus).

Mediterranean Skipper (Gegenes nostrodamus).

We did record Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x3♂.

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

We checked out another area near this site and drove some tracks around a rather dodgy looking area of deserted buildings that had been used as a dumping ground by the locals, as we drove was picked up Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), a ♀ Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous).

Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous).

The cloud didn't appear to be lifting so we went back to the NW of Traifa and spent the rest of the day there getting better photographs of the species there which Included Zeller's (Borbo borbonica) x12, Mediterranean (Gegenes nostrodamus) x8 and False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus) x1, Small White (Pieris rapae) x2, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x7, Monarch (Danaus plexippus) x12+, Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) x6+, African Grass (Zizeeria knysna) x1, Long-tailed (Lampides boeticus) x2 and Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous) x3, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x3, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x3, Histrionic Cloak-and-dagger Bee (Thyreus histrionicus), Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea) and Red-veined Darter x3♂ x5♀.

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Asclepias curassavica the food plant of the Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

We continued to search the area but we didn't find any new species of butterfly but picked up Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x1♂, Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x1♂, Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) x3, a late European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum).

Later we returned to the hotel and chilled before having a few drinks and some food.