Monda Area, Near there and Sierra de Mijas, Malaga Province, Spain.

Over the border, down on the Coast in Malaga Province looking for Orchids.

 

Ophrys x eliasii (O. lupercalis x O. speculum).

I started the morning by driving down to the first of a couple of spots around Monda in Malaga Province, at the first spot I was looking for a hybrid which I haven't seen before but after visiting the spot a while ago with Kevin and Perry I recognised a clump of Somber Bee Orchids (Ophrys lupercalis) in someone's photo on Facebook, so I went for a look and found it.

Ophrys x eliasii (O. lupercalis x O. speculum).

Ophrys x eliasii (O. lupercalis x O. speculum).

I soon found the spot again, it was a difficult location to get a photo and even harder for a bit of a porker to get back down again however I came away unscathed and happy to have seen this beauty.

Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis).

Ophrys x vanmunsterii (Ophrys Alpujata x O. Lupercalis).

Ophrys alpujata.

In the same area I picked found Somber Bee Orchid (Ophrys lupercalis), Ophrys x vanmunsterii (Ophrys Alpujata x O. Lupercalis), Ophrys alpujata, Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus), Field Marigold (Calendula arvensis), Cut-leaved Lavender (Lavandula multifida), Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Ophrys x diazii (O. alpujata × O. scolopax).

Ophrys x diazii (O. alpujata × O. scolopax).

The next stop was nearby, where I checked an area of Olive trees seeing several spikes of the Hybrid Ophrys x diazii (O. alpujata × O. scolopax), Ophrys alpujata, Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax), Giant Orchid (Himanthoglossum Robertiana), Eurasian Jay and Large White (Pieris brassicae) x5.

Ophrys alpujata.

Ophrys alpujata.

My third stop of the day was not far away near Guaro where I was very pleased to see a great number of Orchids including many Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica) along with Sawfly (Ophrys tenthredinifera), Mirror (Ophrys speculum), Somber Bee, Conical (Neotinea conica), Champagne (Orchis champagneuxii) and Fan-lipped Orchid (Anacamptis collina).

Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica).

Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica).

Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica).

Atlas Orchid (Ophrys atlantica).

Champagne Orchid (Orchis champagneuxii).

Champagne Orchid (Orchis champagneuxii).

Champagne Orchid (Orchis champagneuxii).

Also seen were Yellow Anemone (Anemone palmata), Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), x1, Small White (Pieris rapae) x2, Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) x2, Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x1, Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum).

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).

I returned to the car and saw an elderly guy at the end of the track putting up a sign to sell the land, which means this site very important site for a rare Orchid could be lost, unfortunately. 

Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla).

Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla).

Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla).

Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

I moved on again to another site where I found several spikes of Two-leaved Gennaria (Gennaria diphylla) which weren't in flower the last time I visited the area, today they were good, so I got some shot of them and also found spikes of Sawfly and Somber Bee Orchid.

Anacamptis x dafnii (Anacamptis collina x Orchis papilionacea) going over.

Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax).

My final stop of the day was in the Sierra de Mijas where I did a walk to look in on some spikes that I saw a couple of weeks ago, I first checked the hybrid Anacamptis x dafnii (Anacamptis collina x Orchis papilionacea) which was now going past it's best, there were still plenty of Woodcock Orchid some still in good condition, some pretty much over with Fan-lipped Orchid and several spikes of Ophrys x castroviejoi (O. Speculum x O. Scolopax), unfortunately some spikes had been damage after being rooted out by Wild Boar (Jabalí / Felis silvestris).

Spanish Festoon.

Other species seen here were Spanish Festoon x2, Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) x2, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x1, Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).