Venta del Molinillo, Arroyo de Prado Negro, Sierra de Huétor, Granada Province, Spain.

A walk along the River with Paqui looking for Butterflies and Dragons.

 

We set off early and, on the way, stopped for breakfast at Gasolinera Huetor Santillan, then continued to the Arroyo de Prado Negro.

Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

Around the parking area, we saw the first of a good number of Small Pincertails (Onychogomphus forcipatus) including several ♀♀ which were far happier to sit for the camera, Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius) and Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) ♂.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) ♂.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) ♀.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) ♀.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) ♂♂.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) ♀.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) ♂.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) ♂.

As we walked up the valley and checked the meadows and the margins, as we walked we saw Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) x50+, Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) x1, Western Spectre (Boyeria Irene) x2, and Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii) x4 dragonfly wise.

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) .

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) .

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) .

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) .

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) .

Butterfly numbers were fairly good, we recorded Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) x2, Small (Pieris rapae) and Bath White (Pontia daplidice) x1, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x5, Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra) x1, Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x2, False Ilex (Satyrium esculi) x6 and Spanish Purple Hairstreak (Laeosopis roboris) x2, Lang's Short-tailed (Leptotes pirithous), Long-tailed (Lampides boeticus), Holly (Celastrina argiolus) x1, Adonis (Lysandra bellargus) x2, Southern (Polyommatus celina) x12+ and Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra albicans) x3, Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) x4, Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis) x14+, Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora) x3, Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x3, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x3, Rock Grayling (Hipparchia alcyone) x2, Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) x30+ and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x3.

False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus).

Spanish Purple Hairstreak (Laeosopis roboris) .

Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra albicans) .

Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra albicans) .

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

Other species included European Hornet (Vespa crabro), Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea), Blue-winged (Oedipoda caerulescens) and Red-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda germanica), Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Spanish Oyster Thistle (Scolymos hispanicus), Viperine Snake (Culebra Viperina / Natrix maura), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Iberian Green  (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), 

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

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.

Riofrio, Granada Province, Spain.

A nice stroll around Riofrio with Paqui, followed by some breakfast in La Casa del Pastel.

 

I picked Paqui up in Huétor and we headed down to Riofrio where we chilled for a while on one of the benches along the Rio, whilst we sat there and went for a walk we saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki),  Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Other species seen were Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus), Small White (Pieris rapae), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Small Fleabane (Pulicaria vulgaris), Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris).

We walked up to the La Casa del Pastel where we had a coffee and a Tostarda before we headed back to Huétor.