Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

A day in the hills searching for butterflies with Richard Trip from the UK.

 

The habitat.

I met Richard at bar La Mora just off the A92, where we had coffee before continuing on to a site in the Sierra Nevada, where we parked at 2040m and walked a track up to around 2380m where we spent quite a while searching for Butterflies.

Looking North.

Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae).

Apollo (Parnassius apollo nevadensis).

Apollo (Parnassius apollo nevadensis).

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe).

Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe).

Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe).

Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe).

During the walk we found Cryptic Red-underwing (Spialia rosae), Mallow (Carcharodus alceae), Small (Thymelicus sylvestris) and Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma), Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Apollo (Parnassius apollo nevadensis), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Small (Lycaena phlaeas) and Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron), Cardinal (Argynnis pandora), Dark-green (Speyeria aglaja) and Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia), Idas Blue (Plebejus idas), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Black Satyr (Satyrus actaea),  Grayling (Hipparchia semele), Rock (Hipparchia alcyone) and Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and 8097 Idaea sericeata, a well-marked moth species.

Idas Blue (Plebejus idas).

Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis).

Black Satyr (Satyrus actaea).

Grayling (Hipparchia semele).

Grayling (Hipparchia semele).

8097 Idaea sericeata.

Other species seen included Sierra Nevada Saddle Bush-cricket (Baetica ustulata), Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens), Mountain Stone Grasshopper (Eumigus monticola), Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Alpine Gentian (Gentiana alpina), Marsh Violet (Viola palustris) and Alyssum granatense. 

Sierra Nevada Saddle Bush-cricket (Baetica ustulata).

Alpine Gentian (Gentiana alpina).

Richard photographing Silver-spotted Skippers (Hesperia comma).

Birds recorded included Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

We returned to the car, just before we got there we had great views of a very thirsty-looking Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus) in the picnic area.

Red Fox (Zorro / Vulpus vulpus).

We travelled back to the meeting point, where we had a coffee and went through some of Richard's photos before I headed off home, but I went to see Paqui on the way, I was very pleased to see that she had kindly prepared a cracking plate of food for us, thanks Paqui, your food is amazing.

Eggs, Poor-man's Potatoes, Morcilla and Green Peppers, beautiful.