Sierra de Huétor, Near Moraleda and Balsa de Regidor, Granada Province, Spain.

A morning in the hills and then an afternoon in the fields.

 

Western Willow Spreadwing (   Chalcolestes viridis) a female laying eggs.

I met Lynn and Steve down at Mercodona and we headed off to the east past Granada and into the Sierra de Huétor, we got a coffee at Café Bar Restaurante La Mora before going on to walk the Arroyo de Prado Negro near Venta del Molinillo, as we walked we recorded Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis).

Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis).

Other species seen included Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis) x4 with a female laying eggs, Migrant (Aeshna mixta) x1 and Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) x1, False Mallow / Mallow (Carcharodus tripolina / alceae) x1 and Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto) x20+, Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) x1, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x1, Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora) x4, Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) x12, Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) x4, Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia) x2, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x6, Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x1 and Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella) moths.

Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) ♂.

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) and Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

We returned to the car and then went just up the road to Los Mimbres area and parked under some Pines and had Lunch before doing a short walk in the area but only added Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia) x1 and Grayling (Hipparchia semele) x2 as well as more Clouded Yellows x3, Small Copper x1, Southern Blue x2 and Meadow Browns x3.

Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia).

Bath White (Pontia daplidice).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto).

Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto).

Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Whats left of a Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

False Mallow / Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolina / alceae).

Beefly species.

Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella).

During the morning I got a message from Juan Perez with a pin for a visiting Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita) from one of the reintroduction schemes, we got to the site and Lynn saw the bird fly in and Land on a farm building where we watched it for a while before we moved on to Balsa de Regidor, in the Ibis area we also saw Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and several Desert Orange-tips (Colotis evagore).

Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita).

Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita).

Northern Bald Ibis (Ibis Eremita / Geronticus eremita).

Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops).

At Balsa de Regidor we walked the bramble track and the went out onto the Concrete pier, in the area we saw Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada).

Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) ♂.

Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope).

As we walked we also saw Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) x1♂, Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), Desert Orange-tips all ♂, Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

We returned to Huétor, Lynn and Steve headed back to their camp site and I went back home.