Botanical Gardens and Old road, Sierra Nevada, Granada Province.

Back up in to the tallest of the Sierra's with Harry and Peter.

Day Two.

Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione) an aberrant insect.

We set off from the Cortijo again and headed around the City, picking up a bit of traffic but we were soon up at the Botanical Gardens, we parked and walked down to the entrance gate but it looked as though it was locked but harry checked the barrel lock and it pushed across so we cold get in.

Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus).

We walked down the steps starting the list with a calling Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

We met the warden at the office and then went down on to the lower meadows and as we walked along the track by the big lawn we had a pair of pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas) came up from the valley and drifted past. 

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).

Amongst the flower beds we started the butterfly list with a rather worn Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione) and a second which was a strange aberrant insect which was followed by a much fresher looking Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe) along with Rosy Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus onopordi), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Spanish Marbled White

Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione).

(Melanargia ines), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia), Southern Marbled (Carcharodus boeticus) and Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), several Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria), a couple of Lorquin's Blues (Cupido lorquinii) one of which was tatty but the other was much smarter, Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) and a stunner of an Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli).

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

A single Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) drifted as we walked back up towards the car, also seen during the walk we saw Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), a male Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula), Spanish Foxglove (Digitalis obscura) and a Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus).

Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus).

We dropped back down the hill and made a stop near the Visitor's center where we checked a damp patch on the roadside and found a couple of nice Marsh Fritillaries (Euphydryas aurinia), another group of Lorquin's Blues, Southern Blue, Small Skippers with one that I thought was an Essex skipper (Thymelicus lineola) but it was not quite right, shame.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

We dropped down on to the Old Road and made our next stop on a grassy area where we spent a while and found a couple of really good species including a fine male Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron), Dusky Heath (Coenonympha dorus) as well as Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini), Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail, 

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).

Lorquin's Blues again, both Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi), Knapweed Fritillary, Clouded Yellow, two Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), a hunting male Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) and a new day flying moth Loxostege tesselalis.

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

We dropped down again and parked by the entrance to the Seminario Diocesano and walked back up along the road where we saw a very smart male Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes) which sat and showed very well in one of the Pyrenean Oaks (Quercus pyrenaica).

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula).

We also had Small Skipper, Southern Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus boeticus), Comma (Polygonia c-album), Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba), a single none flowering spike of the uncommon Epipactis fageticola and singing Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla).

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Just down the road we had a spike of Robust Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza elata) which was just starting to flower and more not yet in flower Epipactis fageticola.

Spanish Foxglove (Digitalis obscura).

Our final stop of the day was at a rather windy Rio Genil down in the bottom of the valley, we checked the edge of the water and soon found several species puddling for minerals including Marsh Fritillaries, Southern Marbled Skippers, Silver-studded Blue, Small Skipper, Spanish Brown Argus, Southern Blue, Black-veined White, Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), Green-veined (Pieris napi) and Small White, Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Loxostege tesselalis.

We dropped down out of the mountains, around Granada and back towards the Cortijo but made a quick stop at the Balsa de Rigedor to look for some Dragonflies, we found lots of Common Blue Damselflies (Enallagma cyathinerum), White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes), Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) and Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum).

Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia).

Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), the one I thought was an Essex skipper (Thymelicus lineola).

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Mancha Azul / Satyrium spini).

Grass species.

Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli).

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).

Dusky Heath (Coenonympha dorus).

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Green-veined White (Pieris napi).

Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia).

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus).

White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes).

Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathinerum).

Sierra de Loja and the western slopes, Granada Province.

Up on the best hill with Harry and Peter.

Day one.

Southern Gatekeepers (Pyronia cecilia).

I met Harry and Peter up at the Cortijo de Tajar and we headed for the Sierra de Loja and up to the lower quarry picking up Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) and Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

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

Once we were up at the quarry we started the look for Butterflies on the gorse covered slopes and we soon found the first of a few Southern Gatekeepers (Pyronia cecilia), which was followed by quite a few Spanish Gatekeepers (Pyronia bathseba), a single Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Southern Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus boeticus) and Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

Spanish Gatekeepers (Pyronia bathseba).

We also had a few bird species as we walked down the track, back up again and then into the quarry including Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), a Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) which was hanging in the air above the quarry, Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), both Dartford (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica),  Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a singing Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes). 

Centaurea prolongoi.

There were also quite a few wildflowers in the area along the track, we found Andalusian Storksbill (Erodium recorderi), Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum), Mediterranean Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), Navel-wort (Omphalodes commutata), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Rabbits bread (Andryala integrifolia), Southern Wild Tulip (Tulipa sylvestris ssp. australis) in seed, Tassel Hyacinth (Muscari comosum), Centaurea boissieri, Centaurea prolongoi and Yellow Phlomis (Phlomis lychnitis).

Southern Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus boeticus).

We continued on up on to the tops and aout towards the pools at Charca del Negro, on the way we had views of Black-eared Wheatear (Collalba Rubia / Oenanthe hispanica), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and during a roadside stop we managed to find a single False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi), Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), the first of quite a few Spanish Marbled Whites (Melanargia ines), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) and on the bird front Thekla Larks (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Montagu's Harrier (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) and a very smart male Spectacled Warbler (Curruca Tomillera / Sylvia conspicillata).

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

We made a second stop on the way and searched a small dell on the roadside, it was much quieter than on my last visit but we still found Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera), Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia), Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Chickweed (Cerastium boissieri), Common Snapdragon (Antirrhinum major), Upland Peony (Paeonia coriacea) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

False Ilex Hairstreak (Querquera / Satyrium esculi).

We passed the pool at first and made our way around to the crags a little further on where we searched for new species but on the butterfly front we only managed a couple of Cardinal Fritillaries (Argynnis pandora) which were nectering on Centaurea prolongoi above us.

Spanish Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

In the same area we also saw Wall Brown, Clouded Yellow, Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Erodium cheilanthifolium, Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum), Rusty-back Fern (Ceterach officinarum) and Southern Knapweed (Centaurea pullata ssp pullata).

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini) Aberrant.

We retraced our tracks a short way back to the Pools of Charca del Negro and soon had our first Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Rock Sparrow, Rock Bunting, Linnets, Thekla Larks, Pond Water Crowsfoot (Ranunculus Peltatus), the tadpoles of Sharp-ribbed Salamander (Pleurodeles waltl) and a nice male Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa).

Blue Spotted Hairstreak (Satyrium spini) Normal.

As we drove down the hill to get a late lunch we had a group of 11 Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) passing over.

Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius).

We had lunch and then finished the day off along the western slopes where we headed to a spot where I regularly see good numbers of Montagu's Harriers, on the day we had a nice male Montagu's and a couple of European Bee-eaters (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Once we reached the final site we had very good views of several Monty's along with Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).

Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) and Andalusian Storksbill (Erodium recorderi).

By some farm buildings we checked out a some damp areas where there were 100s of Southern Marbled Skippers, Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Small Whites, a single Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), an unknown Wasp species and further up the track a couple of Bath Whites (Blanqiverdosa / Pontia daplidice), Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris) and Wild Carrot (Daucus carota).

Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia).

Male Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa).

Southern Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus boeticus).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Wasp Species.

Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus).

Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) and Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris).