Sierra de Mijas, Monda area and Zapata, Malaga Province, Spain.

A cracking morning with Kevin and Perry looking for Orchids and a bit of birding with Barbara and Derek Etherton and Bob Wright.

Ebird List for Zapata.

 

Anacamptis x dafnii = (Anacamptis collina x Orchis papilionacea).

I started the morning with a drive down to a spot in Sierra de Mijas where I met friend Kevin Wade and Perry Van Munster for the first time which was great as I had seen many of Perry's photo's on Facebook and it was good to put a face to them.

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax).

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax).

Kevin and I were there a tad early so started at a site in the Sierra which I have visited a good man times by having a look at the very smart Hybrid Anacamptis x dafnii = (Anacamptis collina x Orchis papilionacea).

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax) bicolor.

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax) bicolor.

After a few minutes Perry arrived and then we had a good wander around the site with him and Kevin showing a few nice species, a couple of which I had not seen before.

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax) One-color.

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax) Double Lipped.

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax) Triple Lipped but going over.

We started with Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax), we found a good number of the classic plant as well as several spikes of the var bicolor, the totally uncoloured spike as well and a 3 lipped aberrant plant.

Ophrys x castroviejoi (Ophrys Speculum x O. Scolopax).

Ophrys x castroviejoi (Ophrys Speculum x O. Scolopax).

Ophrys x castroviejoi (Ophrys Speculum x O. Scolopax).

As we continued on we got to an area where I have seen the stunning Hybrid Ophrys x castroviejoi (Ophrys Speculum x O. Scolopax) several times, it is always great to see, friend Juan Pérez Contreras found the first specimen of this orchid for Andalucia back in 2011.

Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina).

Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina).

Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica).

Ophrys x Peltieri (Ophrys Scolopax x O. tenthredinifera).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Also seen as we walked around orchid wise we added Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina), Conical Orchid (Neotinea conica), Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera) and another Hybrid Ophrys x Peltieri (Ophrys Scolopax x O. tenthredinifera).

Kevin and Perry getting some shots of the Ophrys x castroviejoi.

Perry and Myself checking out the Ophrys x castroviejoi.

Other species seen during the walk included Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Yellow Anemone (Anemone palmata).

Ophrys alpujata.

Ophrys alpujata.

Ophrys alpujata.

Ophrys alpujata.

We moved to another site nearer to Monda where after parking we walked an area of old Olives where we found quite a few spikes of the small / delicate Ophrys alpujata, Somber Bee (Ophrys lupercalis), Fan-lipped, Giant (Himanthoglossum Robertiana) and Woodcock Orchid.

Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

Other species were Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae), Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Small White (Pieris rapae).

Hybrid ?????????

Hybrid ?????????

Hybrid ?????????

We moved on to our 3rd spot just along the road where we had more Ophrys alpujata, Somber Bee (Ophrys lupercalis) and a selection of other Ophrys Hybrid type Orchids which need names.

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Gagea Species.

Other species were Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Cloven Petalled Campion (Silene colorata), Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus), Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum) and Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus).

Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla).

Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla).

We returned to the cars and after saying goodbye and thanking them for a great morning, I started to head back home but decided to call in at the Rio Pereilas near a large Quarry where I found several spikes of Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla) but none were fully in flower.

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

I returned to the car and headed off to Barbara and Derek Ethertons where I was dropping the last 11 bags of Jayne's clothes as they said they would drop them to Cudeca Cancer charity shop as I find that rather difficult.

I stayed for a very nice evening meal with them and another friend Bob Wright who was visiting from the UK, before we had the food we popped down to Zapata, Derek and Barbara's local patch where we had a few nice species including Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and 6+ Eurasian Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Dartford (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Eurasian Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) ♂.

Eurasian Penduline Tit (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) ♂.

We went back to the house and the Steak and Ale pie was absolutely brilliant, after eating I sat and chatted for a while before heading back home.