Moscardón area and near Albarracín, Teruel Province, Spain.

A trip out to the North West looking for Butterflies.

 

Looking up along the road at the Moscardón Site.

After getting packed yesterday a friend from Loja and I were all set to head off towards Moscardón in Teruel Province where we were going to spend a few days looking for Butterflies, however after she got a last minute call from her work to say that a college had gone sick and they needed her back there I headed off on my own early.

The water troughs on the same site.

I drove up to the first spot of the day near the town of Moscardón and after parking up I walked the site for the next few hours, it was still cool and so I started by sitting down on a wooden bench near the water troughs and watched what came in, flew over and called from the woodlands.

Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater).

Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater).

Species included European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus).

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus).

Grayling (Hipparchia semele).

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus).

Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).

Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).

As things warmed up butterflies started to fly and I soon found the first of lots of Azure Chalkhill (Lysandra caelestissima), Oberthur's Anomalous (Polyommatus fabressei), Holly (Celastrina argiolus) and Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Grayling (Hipparchia semele), Rock (Hipparchia alcyone), Great Banded (Brintesia circe) and Tree Grayling (Hipparchia statilinus), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Iberian Sooty Copper (Lycaena bleusei) and Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).

Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino).

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora) Male.

Oberthur's Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus fabressei).

Oberthur's Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus fabressei).

False Grayling (Arethusana arethusa).

Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides).

As things warmed up more and more butterfly species came out onto the meadows including Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia), Berger's (Colias alfacariensis) and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), False Grayling (Arethusana arethusa), Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Oberthur's Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus fabressei) and Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Comma (Polygonia c-album), Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides) and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina).

Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma).

Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma).

Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma).

Cinquefoil Skipper (Pyrgus cirsii).

Iberian Sooty Copper (Lycaena bleusei).

Iberian Sooty Copper (Lycaena bleusei).

Other species included Euplagia quadripunctaria, Field Eryngo (Eryngium campestris), Common Golden Thistle (Scolymus hispanicus) and  Sweet Scabious (Sixalix atropurpurea).

Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis).

Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis).

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

Euplagia quadripunctaria.

As I walked back along the Woodland edges I added Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino), Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta) and a very well behaved Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis). 

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

Azure Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra caelestissima).

After I reached the car I went just up the road to a puddling spot near to Moscardón where I walked to  a spot along the stream where 2 years ago I saw masses of blues and skippers coming down to the margins, the area was a bit different after it had been cleaned or cleared by a storm.

Cinquefoil Skipper (Pyrgus cirsii).

Cinquefoil Skipper (Pyrgus cirsii).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

I again searched the muddy edges seeing masses of butterflies the two commonest species were Azure Chalkhill Blue and Cinquefoil Skipper (Pyrgus cirsii) and there were smaller numbers of Common, Lang's Short-tailed and Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), Iberian Scarce (Iphiclides feisthameli) and Swallowtail, Mallow (Carcharodus alceae) and Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae).

Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae).

Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus).

Chapman's Blue (Polyommatus Thersites).

Chapman's Blue (Polyommatus Thersites).

In the same area I also saw Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathinerum), Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens), Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and Horse Mint (Mentha longifolia). 

Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathinerum).

In the late afternoon I popped down to Albarracín and then out to a nearby barranco where I checked the area near the road looking for the incredibly rare Southern Hermit (Chazara prieuri) but I was not lucky today, however I did find Striped Grayling (Graphosoma italicum) and Grayling, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Lang's Short-tailed Blue and Clouded Yellow, Mediterranean Shieldbug (Carpocoris mediterraneus), Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens), Spike Lavender (Lavandula latifolia), Southern Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro) and a couple of Rabbits (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia).

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

I then returned to Moscardón and checked into the accommodation but I was not happy as I expecting an apartment but it was only a hotel room with no facilities at all.

Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

A hard but successful days birding with friend Garry Pearson.

Ebird List for low down.

Ebird List for High Up.

Ebird list for the way down.

 

Ortolan Bunting (Escribano Hortolano / Emberiza hortulana).

We started the day with a drive up to Hoya de la Mora and then went and had some breakfast in the Albergue Universitario Gerardo Alonso and then went down to the office nearby to pay for the minibus.

We had still got 40 minutes or so before the bus leaves so we went for a short walk up through the pines nearby which unfortunately a lot of disgusting scumbags use as a toilet out to the crags nearby.

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) male with colour rings.

As we looked around the area we were pleased to see a really nice male Common Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis) with what looked like a Juv bird, Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina), a very unexpected Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis) and even better was a very smart Ortolan Bunting (Escribano Hortolano / Emberiza hortulana) which was our main target for the day.

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

We chatted and decided to go up high anyway even though we had already got what we wanted so we walked back towards the spot for the bus adding European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) on the way.

The drop off point.

We got the bus and we were fairly quickly up at a spot at around 3100m, we continued on up hill a short way and took a track off along the side of one of the ridges where we had brief flight views of a couple of Alpine Accentors (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris) along with more Common Linnets, Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Black Redstart and a group of Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Hormathophylla spinosa.

Chaenorhinum glareosum.

Arenaria tetraquetra ssp. amabilis.

Arenaria tetraquetra ssp. amabilis.

Other species seen along this track we saw Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Hormathophylla spinosa, Chaenorhinum glareosum, Eryngium bourgatii and Arenaria tetraquetra ssp. amabilis.

Corral del Veleta.

Garry with the Corral del Veleta behind him.

Looking out to the North West.

After a while we decided to move on and have a look up a bit higher, as we walked to Refugio vivac La Carihuela we had a very scruffy looking Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) and Spanish Mountain Thistle (Ptilostemon hispanicus).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Looking out South from the Refugio.

Looking out South from the Refugio.

We went onto the lower platform below the Refugio to admire the amazing views from this point before going up to the Refugio where we sat and had a snack and waited for the Alpine Accentor we saw from down below to come back.

Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).

Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).

Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).

Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).

Alpine Accentor (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris).

Whilst there we watched 3 guys from Medio Ambiante do some litter picking which we both found to be very sad, pleased they do it but its really a job that shouldn't need to be done gave this amazing area and its nature the respect it really deserves.

Refugio vivac La Carihuela.

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum).

Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum).

Anyway they moved off and a much smarter Spanish Ibex walked down towards us and then the Accentor reappeared and showed brilliantly.

After a while we decided to start to head down, we had a choice, to go back down the main track and then take a proper track out into a damp area lower down (sensible option) BUT there were some very nice looking mountain pools below us at the end of a steep, winding, gravelly track (daft option) so we decided to give it a go.

Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania).

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Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea).

We did make it to the bottom but my legs didn't like it, however as we walked we saw Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea).

Mount Herminios Bellflower (Campanula herminii) and Lotus glacialis.

Alpine Mouse-Ear (Cerastium alpinum).

Veronica nevadensis.

Out on the damp areas around the pools we had Mount Herminios Bellflower (Campanula herminii), Lotus glacialis,  Alpine Mouse-Ear (Cerastium alpinum), Veronica nevadensis, Armeria filicaulis ssp. nevadensis and Epilobium atlanticum.

Lagunilla de la Virgen.

Lagunilla de la Virgen.

We saw more Black Redstarts, Common Linnet, Eurasian Crag Martin, Northern Wheatear, Red-billed Chough, Griffon Vultures and half a dozen White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Epilobium atlanticum.

Epilobium atlanticum.

Euphrasia willommii.

In the damp streams I also found Euphrasia willommii, Epilobium atlanticum and as we dropped down passed the Estación de esquí Sierra Nevada along another wet flush we saw Sideritis glacialis, Leontodon boryi,  Hairy Kidney-Wort (Micranthes stellaris), Gentiana boryi,  Gold Germander (Teucrium aureum), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus),  Mountain Stone Grasshopper (Eumigus monticola) and Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea).

Gentiana boryi.

Lower down the hill we decided to stick to the roads which meant we could watch the skies more and this paid off big time when three raptors came up over the ridge above us, two of which turned out to be adult Bearded Vulture (Quebrantahuesos / Gypaetus barbatus) the other was another Griffon.

Bearded Vulture (Quebrantahuesos / Gypaetus barbatus).

Bearded Vulture (Quebrantahuesos / Gypaetus barbatus).

We returned to the car passing the Virgen de las Nieves, well knackered but happy we drove back to the house and then went back down Huétor for some food. 

Virgen de las Nieves.

Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Food, Beer 0/0 and then a dip on an Owl.

 

Friend Garry arrived late in the afternoon ready for a days birding tomorrow, during the evening after watching the last couple of hours of the Cricket we went down to 3 Calles where we had some food and a couple of beers.

Later we went to the spot where I had seen a Tawny Owl (Cárabo Común / Strix aluco) but we dipped on it, however we did see / hear Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A battle with some wildlife that is great to have out in the Garden but not in the Kitchen.

 

I started the day with a quick trip down to Huétor for some shopping, as I was coming back in through the front door I suddenly notice a large Horseshoe Whip Snake (Coluber hippocrepis) drop off the curtain, land in the lounge and disappear under the sofa.

Defensive Guide planks in place, Door open and broom ready.

I put the shopping down and then started the job of getting the chap back out into the garden where it belonged, I moved the sofa armed with a broom but it shot between my legs and into the kitchen where it hid up behind the dishwasher and sink cupboards so I took the kick board off and got a couple of planks of wood to build some defenses to guide the beast towards the back door.

Anyway after about 20 minutes I heard movement and it came out and after a bit of a battle with two brushes it was out onto the back steps and then dropped down into the garden again thankfully. 

Happy to see him making for cover back in the garden.

I do like Snakes and have recorded 5 species in the garden but I am not happy with them in the house unlike the Moorish Gecko's (Tarentola mauritanica) which have a free run of the place.

I also saw and heard Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

An evening walk down town.

Ebird List.

 

I did my evening walk once it had gone below +33 which was just before 22.00, as I walked along the one stretch of the loop I again saw the Tawny Owl (Cárabo Común / Strix aluco) for the 3rd out of 4 nights along with a calling Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and some fly over, rather noisy Eurasian Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).

Huétor Fields and Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Evening walk near the Rio Genil.

Ebird List for the Fields.

 

During the morning I did a short walk out along the Lucerne fields Finding Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Spanish (Yellow) (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), 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). 

Later I did a walk to get a few steps in but it was still quite warm so it was a bit slower, as I walked I saw and heard Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Swift, Barn Swallow, Western House Martin, Iberian  Magpie, Cetti's Warbler, Common Blackbird, Common Nightingale, Eurasian Hoopoe, Spotless Starling, European Bee-eater, Crested Lark, Sardinian Warbler, House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Goldfinch, European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and as the light dropped I heard both Eurasian Stone Curlew and Little Owl.

Balsa de Regidor and Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

A visit to theBalsa de Regidor and later an Evening walk near Huétor again.

Ebird List for Balsa de Regidor.

 

I did a few jobs at home and then popped a couple of junctions along the A 92 to Moraleda de Zafayona to  Balsa de Regidor as someone had reported the Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula) a few days earlier but I couldn't find it.

Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina).

However I did see Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common  (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), European Turtle (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Common Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and  Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

I also saw a nice male Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) and Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

I returned to the house and after doing a few bits I sat down and watched the 4th day of the India v England test match. 

Later I again did the evening walk and in almost the same as yesterday I had the Tawny Owl (Cárabo Común / Strix aluco) do a fly through the street lights along the side of the raised section of the by-pass.

Other species included Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) and Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) which were flying and calling after dark.

Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Watching the Cricket and an evening walk.

Ebird List for Huétor.

 

Losing the sun.

I did a few jobs and a clean through on the house as I hoped to be out on Sunday (normal house work day) and then spent the rest of the day watching the third day of the Test Match, India v England.

Later I did a walk down at Huétor just on dusk and I was surprised but well pleased to see a flyby Tawny Owl (Cárabo Común / Strix aluco), as well as Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).