Wolverhampton, West Midlands, Britain.

Out for a few Pints with Friend Andy.

 

I caught the train up into Wolverhampton and then spent a couple of hours chatting with Andy and enjoying a few pints of Holden's Golden Glow in the brilliant Great Western Pub.

Albrighton in Shropshore, Britain.

A day at Mom's and around the Village.

I had a slow start after the long day travelling yesterday but after breakfast I had a walk up to St Cuthbert's Church at Donington where I spent some time cleaning up Jayne's Plaque and the leaves around it.

Whilst there I saw a Goldcrest (Reyezuelo Sencillo / Regulus regulus) and heard a European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) singing from the Yew trees.

I walked back towards the Village and had a sit for a while on one of the benches for a while seeing and hearing Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Eurasian Treecreeper (Agateador Euroasiatico / Certhia familiaris), European Robin, Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea),  Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

After collecting my thoughts I continues on up into the village and chatted with a couple of friends before returning to Mom's where I sat and looked out to the garden where I just added Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula) and both ♂ and ♀ European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris).

Heading back to Britain.

Early start for my trip back to Britain.

Ebird List for Pinos de Alhaurín.

UK, Day One. 

 

I was up at 03:30 and soon down in Alhaurín de la Torre where I was met by good friends Barbara and Derek Etherton at there House where I was leaving my car for the time I was back in the UK.

Derek was on the roadside when I arrived and told me to listen as he was had a couple of Tawny Owls (Cárabo Común / Strix aluco) calling to each other, a good start to the day.

Sunrise at 30,000+ feet.

After parking Derek kindly dropped me down to Malaga Airport and I was soon through security and the flight took off on time meaning I was in Birmingham Airport just after 0915 local time. The flight went by quickly as I chatted to a very nice lady in the seat next to me quite a bit of it, my first bird in the UK was a Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) at the side of the runway as we taxied in.

There was no queue at passport control so I got to Birmingham International in time to get the train into Birmingham New Street an hour earlier than expected, which gave me lots of time to get a Pastie for breakfast and a much needed coffee from the Cornish Pasty shop, I enjoyed the Pasty down on the platform (the Coffee was garbage but it is the UK😟😟😟😟 and its nothing like the Coffee is at home 😋😋😋😋), before getting on the train to Albrighton and hour earlier as well.

The Pasty was a very nice breakfast but the Coffee was, well crap.

During the trip to Albrighton I saw Feral (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia) and Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Mom and John were at the Station to meet me so I was soon settled into their place and chilled out for the rest of the day seeing Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii) in the garden.

Driving back Home through Cadiz, Malaga and Granada Provinces, Spain.

We gave it a go but failed to find the Target unfortunately.

 

Waking up to strong wind and cloud we decided to call it and head back to Benalmádena seeing Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) on the way.

After saying bye to Andy and loading the kit into my car I headed back to the house and chilled for the rest of the day. 

Algeciras Area and back to the NW of Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Spain.

Our second day in search of the Desert Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus).

 

Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).

We started the day by going back to a spot where we had seen some Acacia bushes along side of the road, we arrived and parked but unfortunately the sun didn't come out during the time we were there and we didn't see any butterflies let alone the target.

Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).

Mediterranean Skipper (Gegenes nostrodamus).

Mediterranean Skipper (Gegenes nostrodamus).

We did record Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x3♂.

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

We checked out another area near this site and drove some tracks around a rather dodgy looking area of deserted buildings that had been used as a dumping ground by the locals, as we drove was picked up Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), a ♀ Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

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

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

The cloud didn't appear to be lifting so we went back to the NW of Traifa and spent the rest of the day there getting better photographs of the species there which Included Zeller's (Borbo borbonica) x12, Mediterranean (Gegenes nostrodamus) x8 and False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus) x1, Small White (Pieris rapae) x2, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x7, Monarch (Danaus plexippus) x12+, Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) x6+, African Grass (Zizeeria knysna) x1, Long-tailed (Lampides boeticus) x2 and Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous) x3, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x3, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x3, Histrionic Cloak-and-dagger Bee (Thyreus histrionicus), Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea) and Red-veined Darter x3♂ x5♀.

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Asclepias curassavica the food plant of the Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

We continued to search the area but we didn't find any new species of butterfly but picked up Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x1♂, Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x1♂, Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) x3, a late European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Short-toed Snake Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).

False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).

Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum).

Later we returned to the hotel and chilled before having a few drinks and some food. 

Arroyo Hondo in Malaga Province and NW of Tarifa in Cadiz Province, Spain.

First day Butterfly hunting with Andy Tweed, in search of the Desert Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus).

 

After getting a few jobs done around the house (hearing Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) in the Olives) I drove down to Benalmádena, on the way down I saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica). 

I got to Benalmádena where I was leaving my car at Friend Andy Tweeds place before we continued on to the Tarifa area calling at Arroyo Hondo just up the road so that Andy could show me one of his local spots, here we saw Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia) x2, Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) x1, Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala) and Spotless Starling.

 Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

 Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

We continued on seeing good numbers of Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) at several spots before we arrived at the area along the A-340 where we were looking for butterflies and we soon found the first Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) x12 and Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) x9.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

As we searched the area for the extremely rare Desert Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus) (without any real hard information) which Jon Dunn had seen somewhere in the area a few weeks earlier we picked up our first Mediterranean (Gegenes nostrodamus) x1 and Zeller's Skippers (Borbo borbonica) x5, Small (Pieris rapae) x3 and Large White (Pieris brassicae) x1, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x5, Lang's Short-tailed (Leptotes pirithous) x3 and Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) x1 butterfly wise as well as Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x3♂ and x5♀, Crimson Speckled (Utetheisa pulchella) moths, Oriental (Vespa orientalis) and European Hornet (Vespa crabro), Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) immature ♂, Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Sardinian Warbler and Spotless Starling.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar.

After a good while and plenty of searching for Acacia bushes / trees which we didn't find we moved just up the road to another spot and again searched the tracks side and meadows but only managed to see Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x1, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x2, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x2, Red-veined Darter x1♂ and x2♀, Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea), Sticky Fleabane (Dittrichia viscosa), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Sardinian Warbler and Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

Mediterranean Skipper (Gegenes nostrodamus).

Another road and more searching but at least we found what looked like a kind of Acacia and we added Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) x4 and False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus) x1 to the list.

False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus).

False Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus).

We also saw Monarch x1, Painted Lady x2, Meadow Brown x3, Lesser Emperor x2♂, Red-veined Darter x1♂ and x4♀, Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) x8, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) x2, Griffon Vultures x2, Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola). 

Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).

It was getting on so we headed to the Hotel and then checked an area nearby where we saw more Zeller's Skippers x6, Monarchs x3, Plain Tiger x2, Painted Lady x1, Large White x1 and Clouded Yellow x2. 

Zeller's Skipper (Borbo borbonica).

Back at the Hotel we had some beers and food and also saw a few Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) on the walls. 

Huétor Fields and Near Huétor Tajar, Granada Province, Spain.

Down on the fields for a walk and then a drink with Friends / Neighbors in the afternoon.

Ebird List.

 

I started the morning with a walk along the Lucerne fields, interesting species included Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), the first returning Eurasian Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) of the winter, Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Western Yellow Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), 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). 

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♀.

European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) ♂.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild).

House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Later in the day I went up the road to have a chat and some cider with friends Jan and Garry, whilst chatting we saw the immature Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) x1♂, Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope) x1♂, Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma) x1♂ and Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi) x2♂.