Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

Missing our target but still a great few hours butterfly photography with good friend Andy Tweed from the UK.

Ebird List for 2700m

 

We were up in the mountains before the Sun.

I met Friend And Tweed who was over from the UK at 07:00 up at Hoya De La Mora in the Sierra Nevada after an 05:00 alarm for some Butterfly hunting (with the cameras).

Observatorio del Mojón del Trigo.

Looking back down to the Observatorio del Mojón del Trigo.

We got our kit together and started to walk up the road towards a spot at around 2700m where we were hoping to find the rare endemic Zullich's Blue (Agriades zullichi) but we were up there well before anything was moving. 

The Habitat for the Butterflies.

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

On the walk up we saw several Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) including a very smart male which stood nicely for a while to allow us to take some photos, Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), the first of a lot of Northern Wheatears (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri).

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri).

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri).

Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).

Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).

Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).

Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).

Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).

Erodium cheilanthifolium the larval food plant of the Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis).

Our first butterfly find of the morning was a nice fresh Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) followed by  Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis), Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Long-tailed (Lampides boeticus) and Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Mountain Argus (Aricia montensis), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), and as we walked back to the car we added Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe) and Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).

Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania).

Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania).

Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus).

Nevada Blue (Polyommatus golgus).

Mountain Stone Grasshopper (Eumigus monticola).

Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus).

Gold Germander (Teucrium aureum).

Nevada House Leek (Sempervivum minutum).

Pyrausta limbopunctalis.

Other species seen during the walk included Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Camprstre / Anthus campestris), Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus), Mountain Stone Grasshopper (Eumigus monticola), Pyrausta limbopunctalis, Erodium cheilanthifolium, Nevada House Leek (Sempervivum minutum), Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Hormathophylla spinosa, Jurinea humilis, Clasping Stonecrop (Petrosedum amplexicaule), Eryngium glaciale, Erigeron major,  Gold Germander (Teucrium aureum), Astragalus nevadensis, Silene boryi, Cerastium gibraltaricum and Sideritis glacialis. 

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) female.

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) female.

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) female.

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Bath White (Pontia daplidice).

With no sign of the target Blue we decided to drop back down to the cars where we got a coffee before  we dropped down to the track out to the Albergue de San Francisco our target species here was the Apollo (Parnassius apollo) and not far down the hill we saw the first of around a dozen, other species seen were Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora) x2, Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra) x3, Lang's Short-tailed (Leptotes pirithous) x1, Southern (Polyommatus celina) x2, Mazarine (Cyaniris semiargus) x1 and Idas Blue (Plebejus idas) x20+, Bath and Small White (Pieris rapae) x25+, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x3, Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x5, Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami), Rock Grayling (Hipparchia alcyone) x2,  Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) x1 possible which flew over us, a rather pale looking Purple Hairstreak (Favonius Quercus iberica) x1 and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1.

Apollo (Parnassius apollo nevadensis).

Apollo (Parnassius apollo nevadensis).

Apollo (Parnassius apollo nevadensis).

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron).

Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami).

Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus).

Rock Grayling (Hipparchia alcyone).

Purple Hairstreak (Favonius Quercus iberica).

We also had Foxglove, Linaria salzmannii, Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens) and Hummingbird Hawkmoth.

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

Track of many bends.

After awhile Andy had to head off so we said Bye and he started the walk back which he also thought was a damn sight longer than the walk down, each bend I rounded seemed to be followed by another, more than I remember on the way out.

Lesser Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea trivia).

Lesser Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea trivia).

Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

I walked up a little later and then dropped down to Hostal Restaurante El Desvio where I has a couple of Sin Alchole Tostardas and a bocadillo carne en salsa, messy but damn good before going to a site along the Old Road down to Güéjar Sierra where I found Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Lesser Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea trivia), Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi), Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii), Phlomis crinita, Santolina canescens, before dropping down the hill and heading to Durcal where I was staying as I was again meeting Andy in the morning.

Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii).

Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii).

Balsa de Regidor, Granada Province, Spain.

A quick check on the lake looking for Dragons.

Ebird List.

 

Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina).

I got a few tasks sorted during the cooler part of the day before popping just up the motorway to the man made but well naturalised Balsa de Regidor where after parking I looked to see what was out on the water and found 80+ Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) which included a good number of ducklings in four broods.

Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina).

Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina).

Other bird species seen included Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos),White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Small Red-eye (Erythromma viridulum).

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) female.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) female.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Insect wise I picked up Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii), Small Red-eye (Erythromma viridulum), Blue / Common (Anax imperator) and Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Small White (Pieris rapae), Long-tailed (Lampides boeticus) and Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli).

I also added Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Andalucian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri) and Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa). 

Arroyo Vilano, La Fabrica, Granada Province, Spain.

An hour along the Arroyo before it gets too hot.

 

I started the day by popping down to Huétor to get a new pedestal Fan to replace the one that packed in over night and once that was sorted I decided to got for a walk along the part of the Arroyo that has some flowing water in it, unfortunately the farmers dam the Arroyo and then extract enough that there's no natural flow lower down in the area around the fields any more.

Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum).

Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma).

I parked and walked a short way down stream from the bridge seeing Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Eurasian (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi).

Insect wise I found Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii), Epaulet (Orthetrum chrysostigma) and Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum), Bath (Pontia daplidice) and Small White (Pieris rapae). 

Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum).

Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum).

I turned around and returned to the bridge, I checked the pools below there and then went on up stream, below the bridge I found Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), more Epaulet and Southern Skimmer as well as Mediterranean Bluet's (Coenagrion caerulescens) and Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi).

Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum).

As I walked up stream I added Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), an immature Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba) and a single White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes). 

White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes). 

White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes). 

Huétor Fields, Granada Province, Spain.

A quick visit to the fields.

Ebird List.

 

I popped down onto the fields and parked at my usual spot and scanned the area from there, species included European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), 4x Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

There were a lot of Long-tailed Blues (Lampides boeticus) x60+ flying around the Lucerne along with a few Small Whites (Pieris rapae) x30+ and Clouded Yellows (Colias croceus) x4.