Wild About Spain Blog

Rail and Redstart

6/11/2021

Visited the Charca de Suarez with friend Gerry Bennet who was finally back in Nerja after Covid 19 had kept him away for two years. We had fun watching a furtive Water Rail foraging on some flattened reeds on the wader pond. There was at least a pair of them as we saw another one dash across the pond, however this chap at the edge was closer so I tried to get a clear shot but frustratingly there always seemed to be some leaves partially obscuring the view.

Water Rail - rallus aquaticus

As we concentrated on the Rail I was surprised by a Common Redstart which flew in to the exact same spot as the larger bird, I managed to grab a couple of shots as evidence. This is not a species I normally associate with this wetland reserve so it was a new addition to my Charca list.

Common Redstart - phoenicurus phoenicurus

The photo below of a Common Snipe was nice as they usually hang around in the grass or at least in some cover, but this one was out in the open for a change.

Common Snipe - gallinago gallinago

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Bonellis Eagles

1/10/2021

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A magnificent pair of Bonelli's Eagles wheeled around over the house this week. It's not the first time, I believe the same pair were seen her at the same time last year. They are a species in serious decline, nothing unusual there, but they have never been prolific and are on many birders most wanted lists, so it is a pleasure to see them.

Bonelli's Eagle - aquila fasciata

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Waxbills at the Charca

25/7/2021

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On a pleasant Sunday evening visit to the Charca de Suarez in August I had some fun photographing a flock of foraging Common Waxbills.

Common Waxbill - estrilda astrild

I stood quite still on the path along the east border of the reserve and they seemed unaware or unconcerned by my presence, giving me plenty of opportunity for some good close-up photos as they foraged among the trees and tall grasses, announcing their presence with thin piping calls.

Common Waxbill - estrilda astrild

The shot below catches a bird against a red wall of an adjacent apartment block, providing an interesting change from the more natural looking shots in the tall reed stems. It's also a reminder that this is a little urban bird reserve, nestled between an industrial estate and some beach-side apartment blocks.

Common Waxbill - estrilda astrild

There were other birds to see of course, it was nice to find an Audouins Gull amongst the many Black-headed, Mediterrannean and Yellow-legged varieties.

Spotted Flycatcher - muscicapa striata

Spotted Flycatchers are always easy to photograph at the Charca. I only post the Common Moorhen below because the light was good so the image is high quality.

Moorhen - gallinula chloropus

The Turtle Dove is not a good photograph but I include it because I have not seen many lately. I fear they are getting fewer every year. This one was outside in Turtle Dove Alley, also spotted here were a few Red Avadavats including one or two males in breeding plumage.

Turtle Dove - streptopelia turtur

Other birds of note include Glossy Ibis, White Stork, Pochard, Purple Swamphen, Common Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Barn and Red-rumped Swallows and plenty of resident Red-knobbed Coots.

Red-knobbed Coot - fulica cristata

Finally I spotted this handsome Chameleon climbing around in the bushes. It seems to have been a good year for them as there have been many sightings posted on Facebook.

Chameleon.

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Sierra Nevada Butterflies

16/7/2021

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Elena and I picked up fellow naturalist Hans Borjesson who was in Nerja holidaying with his family. We drove to the top of Sierra Nevada above the ski resorts to look for the butterflies that abound up here in Summer, gradually working our way down ultimately to Guejar Sierra for some well earned refreshments.

Cleopatra

I post here a few of the better or more interesting shots from the day in which we picked up about 39 species. It was a lot of fun but I was surprised at how tired I became in the afternoon from scouring hillsides and regularly crouching down for close ups of the insects we encountered. I suspect also that the altitude and heat had something to do with it as well.

Brimstone

I start with a few of the yellow species for no particular reason other than they are some of my favourites, along with the Fritillaries that follow.

Clouded Yellow

Queen of Spain Fritillary

Dark Green Fritillary

Cardinal Fritillary

Iberian Marbled White

Bath White

The photo below is a lifer for me so I was very pleased to see it. The Hermit is not the prettiest butterfly but it was the star of the day in my book. It's a species of grayling but not one I had come across before.

The Hermit

Adonis Blue

Silver-studded Blue

Purple-shot Copper

Common Blue

Small Copper

Silver-studded Blues

The Robber Fly is a voracious and lethal predator of other insects which it pounces upon in flight. The prey is immobilised by stabbing with the short strong proboscis and the injection of saliva containing neurotoxic enzymes which very rapidly paralyze the victim and digests the insides; the fly then sucks the liquefied material through the proboscis.

This Fly is seen here devouring an unlucky blue butterfly. The shot below shows the proboscis piercing the thorax of it's victim.

Robber Fly with butterfly prey

Oberthur's Grizzled Skipper

Spanish Gatekeeper

Small Skipper

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Tablas de Daimiel and Laguna Navaseca

25/5/2021

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Bob Wright and I decided a trip to Tablas de Daimiel would be a good idea now that provincial boundaries have been unlocked. So after a leisurely breakfast we did the four hour drive with a stop along the way to look around Padul Reserve near Granada. Here we spotted about twenty species including a circling pair of Booted Eagles and a quartering Marsh Harrier, Waxbills were busy nesting and Nightingales were prolific and in good voice.

Nightingale - luscinia megarhynchos

Continuing onto Daimiel we started birding at Laguna Navaseca which fortunately was blessed with plenty of water. There were lots of birds large and small, from Flamingos, White Storks, Marsh Harriers and Glossy Ibis through the gamut of waders and wildfowl down to the diminutive warblers, the most interesting of which was the Savi's Warbler which we could clearly hear but not see, being too well hidden in the reeds.

Glossy Ibis - plegadis falcinellus

Avocet - recurvirostra avosetta

The Avocet is a vey elegant wader which is always a pleasure to watch. As a young boy I dreamed about seeing Bee-eaters which are rare visitors to the UK. Little did I know then that they would become daily sightings in Summertime in my adopted home in Andalucia. This pair perched on a wire by the lagoon were making regular sorties for winged insects.

Bee-eaters - merops apiaster

After Laguna Navaseca we checked in to our country hotel then made our way for an evening visit to the Tablas de Damiel reserve.

Great Reed Warbler - acrocephalus arundinaceus

Birds of the reedbeds can be very satisfying to photograph. They are often in exposed positions on reed stems and in Spring the males sing their hearts out to attract a mate. These pictures of a Great Reed Warbler are typical examples.

Great Reed Warbler - acrocephalus arundinaceus

Reed Bunting Male - emberiza schoeniclus

Reed Buntings are in decline in many places due to loss of wetland habitat so it is good to see a healthy population in the reedbeds here. Water levels were very low but still enough to provide cover, food and nesting sites for this delightful bunting.

Reed Bunting female - emberiza schoeniclus

Common Reed Warblers and Linnets were abundant.

Linnet - Linaria cannabina

and Iberian Yellow Wagtails provided a splash of colour in the reeds.

Iberian Yellow Wagtail - motacilla flava iberiae

Out list total for two days birding came to 87 species which is quite respectable. It had been a very pleasant interlude after the confinement caused by covid19.

Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Garganey, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Tufted Duck, White-headed Duck, Red-legged Partridge, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Night Heron Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Flamingo, Griffon Vulture, Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, Little Owl, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Bee-eater, Roller, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Blue-headed Wagtail, White Wagtail, Nightingale, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Bearded Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Golden Oriole, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Waxbill, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting.

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May 25th, 2021

25/5/2021

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Once the intense lockdown was lifted Elena and I stopped off at the Guadalhorce where I was delighted to see a family of Garganey, my favourite duck and one which is not seen very often around here. Here they are in company with a couple of Shelducks.

Garganeys - spatula querquedula, with Shelducks.

There were actually more birds present than I was expecting which was nice. I am not in the habit of posting photos of all the regular species but I admit it was pleasing to capture this little Kentish Plover on the beach as this is a breeding ground for the species, so at least they have survived thus far.

Little Ringed Plover - charadrius dubius

Here is a Little Ringed Plover which is quite a common species but I like the clear and obvious yellow eye-ring in this shot.

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A Winter Visitor, and more...

11/1/2021

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The Covid 19 pandemic lockdown kept us at home for much of the winter, but this little Firecrest made an appearance one evening on the floor by our kitchen window. He must have hit the glass quite hard as he sat stunned for some time. I took a couple of photos using flash then left him alone and watched from a distance. Once he recovered his senses he took off seemingly unscathed and disappeared into the night.

Firecrest - regulus ignicapilla

Just before Provincial boundaries were closed I did visit the Charca de Suarez in Granada Province. A Moustached Warbler had been reported but no photos obtained to verify its presence. Well with considerable patience I did manage to get a record shot, not great but definite. While waiting for the warbler to put in an appearance I was entertained by the resident Bluethroat who at times came so close to the hide I couldn't get a focus. Anyway I post one decent shot and we can see it has been ringed.

Bluethroat - luscinia svecica

As far as I am aware I was the only person to capture an image of the Moustached Warbler this year. I saw no other shots posted on the Friends of the Charca's or any other Facebook site. It is a very elusive subject.

Moustached Warbler - acrocephalus melanopogon

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A Dozen Raptors, and more.

10/9/2020

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Elena and I picked Bob Wright up at eight and we arrived at El Algarrobo watchpoint near Tarifa shortly after 10 am. Strong Easterly winds had pushed most migrating raptors over this way and low cloud cover created some excellent viewing as Black Kites, Booted and Short-toed Eagles and Griffon Vultures were numerous and quite low. Honey Buzzards were streaming across at much greater heights so few close views were available.

Booted Eagle

I start the blog with a very nice shot of a young Booted Eagle sitting on an old fence post on a hillside overlooking the sea. Probably it was waiting for favourable winds before making the long crossing to Africa.

Griffon Vulture

The Griffon Vulture in this shot shows just how low many of the birds were flying due I think to the low cloud cover and strong winds blowing out towards the Atlantic.

Short-toed Eagle

Black Kite

After spending a good 45 minutes watching the activity tailed off so we decided to move on to Cazalla Observatorio where an entirely different display was in progress. Here there were fewer birds in sight but those we saw were almost exclusively Egyptian Vultures. Why they followed a different path to the other raptors is a mystery but they were all flying low and following the contours of the land. Perhaps they are not such strong flyers and require more shelter from the strong winds, I don't know but it was in stark contrast to the other raptors a little farther East of here.

Egyptian Vulture

After Cazalla we decided to drive down to the coast following the military access road, past the Bateria de Costa "Cascabel", down to the cliff area and then west past Punta del Oliveros and on to the CIMA Centre for Migration Observation. This is a pretty rough track and I would not do it in any car, fortunately my old Suzuki 4x4 is designed for this type of terrain.

Booted Eagle

Here's another look at the magnificent young Booted Eagle that we saw down here, and a low flying Honey Buzzard that I initially mistook for another dark morph Booted Eagle, so it was very pleasant surprise to dicover the more interesting species instead.

Honey Buzzard

Griffon Vulture

Finally a couple of shots of Griffon Vulture and Short-toed Eagle to finish this section on the migration watch for this trip, which had been very productive.

Short-toed Eagle

Apart from the easily seen raptors there were very few other birds to be seen. A few Wheatears down by the coast, including this Black-eared Wheatear male on a fence. Stonechats were numerous but nothing much else except a few larks and Sardinian Warblers, a flock or two of Bee-eaters flying low, but little else, so we decided to move on to La Janda.

Black-eared Wheatear

It's worth noting that Elena and I returned here a few days later and found the "Torreta Dep Buque Espana", which is the name of a very large disused gun battery overlooking the Straits of Gibraltar. The photo was taken with my phone and it shows Morocco in the distance across the Straits, which must be at or near the narrowest point just here.

Torreta Dep Buque Espana

The main track through La Janda produced very little, we did see a Montagu's Harrier but it flew away before I could get the camera onto it. One or two distant Marsh Harriers were around but it wasn't until we made the right turn & headed up towards Benalup that we saw much of interest.

Marsh Harrier

Along this track we saw the first of three Black-shouldered Kites, I even managed to grab a quck snapshot of one before it flew off into the distance.

Black-shouldered Kite

As we passed "The Smelly Farm" as Bob likes to call it we spotted a beautiful and very large Otter in the water. I was driving so it took me a minute or two to get the camera onto it but just in time I managed to grab a quick record shot of what was a really nice wildlife sighting.

Otter

As we swung left towards the village of Benalup we came across a pond, or more accurately the flooded edge of a rice field containing a "Raft" of Glossy Ibis, all densely packed and crouching down into the face of a strong wind. There must have been more than 250 birds huddled together.

Glossy Ibis

A closer looked around the Ibis raft turned up a few other waders including this very handsome Ruff, which was a nice surprise. In addition there were Greenshank, Ringed Plovers plus Common and Green Sandpipers.

Ruff

After La Janda and Benalup we went on to Barbate and the salt flats to the South of Town. Here we watched this Osprey swoop down and emerge with a large fish in its talons, whereupon it was joined by a young osprey looking for a meal from its parent. A fun sighting.

Osprey

There were a lot of birds on and around the ponds, most were Gulls of various types but not least this group of Audouins Gulls which are always a delight to see.

Audouins Gulls

Flamingos were present in quite large numbers, along with a few Spoonbill, Avocet, Red and Greenshank, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, a Great Egret plus Common and Green Sandpiper.

Greater Flamingos

On the ground and in the trees fringing the ponds we picked up several nice species. Elena spotted a Little Owl which sat nicely for a while allowing us to get some nice photos.

Little Owl

Crested and Short-toed Larks were foraging in the sandy soil.

Short-toed Lark

Sardinian Warblers were quite numerous in the stunted trees and bushes....

Sardinian Warbler male

Sardinian Warbler female

...and I was very pleased to pick up a nice Whitethroat in the trees. Small birds are, in my opinion, in serious decline, we see a fraction of the numbers we did just a few years ago. It's a disaster unfolding rapidly with some formerly common species becoming scarce now.

Whitethroat

Zitting Cisticolas were once extremely common, we don't see many any more so it's nice to find a few here.

Zitting Cisticola

It's alway nice to find the Common Redstart. Common is a bit of a misnomer here as they are definitely not common, I suppose it just differentiates them from the other Redstart species we have in Spain which is the Black Redstart, which is in fact far more common.

Common Redstart

Common Redstart female

There was more than one pair of Redstarts and I knew there was a high chance I might find a Pied Flycatcher or two, sure enough there was at least one pair present in company with the Redstarts. I have learned that they are often seen together, and so it was here as predicted.

Pied Flycatcher

Across a narrow strip of water we spotted a Stone Curlew on one of the islands. There always seem to be one or two present on this rather barren plot, probably because it is secure from homosapiens and other land based predators.

Stone Curlew

It was good to see a number of adult and juvenile Woodchat Shrikes flitting around the bushes. Evidence of a successful breeding season.

Woodchat Shrike

Woodchat Shrike juvenile

As we made our way out of the barbate wetlands we caught a second view of the Little Owl that we saw on the way in. An nice bird to finish up with.

Little Owl

On a later pass through La Janda we were held up by a roadblock of Cattle Egrets. There must have been 200 or more closely packed and spread across the road showing no signs of wanting to clear a path for cars that were stopped on each side.

Cattle Egret roadblock

It was fun watching them and speculating on the reasons for such strange behaviour. I always believe the motivation must be something to do with food or nesting, and as the breeding season was over I concluded there must be a food source here somewhere.

Cattle Egrets

I noticed that there was a valve manifold/sluice gate close by which was something to do with the adjacent rice field. i believe they must have been waiting for the valve or sluice gate to open to release water from the rice field which looked very ripe and ready for cutting. They were waiting for the nutrient rich water to be released which would contain at least harvest of the American Crayfish that thrive in the paddy fields, and perhaps much more. Clever birds.

Cattle Egrets on the sluice gate structure

Well we obviously couldn't wait indefinitely so eventually edged slowly forwards, whereupon the egrets flew up, and immediately settled back on the road once we had passed. They appeared to be very single minded and determined to wait patiently for a good meal, something they must have had prior knowledge of.

Cattle Egrets

On the subject of Egrets, here's a Great Egret that was also seen in the fields of La Janda.

Great Egret

This Little Egret on the other hand I photographed in good light on a subsequent visit to the Charca de Suarez, Motril. It's worth posting for the unusual amount of detail of the all white plumage, which close proximity and good light achieve.

Little Egret

Here's another couple of images of a very beautiful Spoonbill, again at the Charca. It is fresh and clean and unencumbered by the usual heavy bling around it's legs. As yet it had not been caught and manacled by the dreaded ringers who seem to take pleasure in blighting the lives of these stunning birds simply because they can. It contributes nothing but misery for the poor birds who are trussed up looking ready for a supermarket shelf with labels and rings all over their legs.

Spoonbill

As well as the Spoonbill this juvenile Flamingo was wandering around in fromt of the hide so I took a picture to show that remarkable downcurved bill designed to sweep the mud on the bottom of the shallow water in which it wades.

Greater Flamingo juvenile

Finally a nice shot of one of the most common birds in this part of Spain, the Stonechat. This is a handsome male perched conspicuously on the top of some low scrub, making it very easy to take its picture. So here it is.

Stonechat

I don't usually count, or make a list of birds seen, but Bob compiled this list of 70+ species which I think was pretty good in a quick overnight visit. It includes 12 species of raptor so I'll start with them:-

Raptors
Booted Eagle, Buzzard, Kestrel, Osprey, Honey Buzzard, Black-shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier.

Waders and Herons
Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Stone Curlew, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ruff, Whimbrel, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great Egret, Heron, Glossy Ibis, White Stork, Spoonbill, Flamingo

Others
Little Owl, Whitethroat, Common Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Willow Warbler, Stonechat, Woodchat Shrike, Audouin's Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Turtle Dove, Collared Dove, Common Swift, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Mallard, Gannet, Cormorant.

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Sierra Nevada Butterfly Hunt

17/7/2020

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We set off for an early start butterfly counting up in Sierra Nevada with friend and wildlife guide Mick Richardson. A previous count in 2012 came up with a grand total of 47 species of which I saw 45, that was hugely impressive. I was not confident we could match that as subsequent visits have not been anywhere near as successful, but we would give it our best shot.

Our first butterfly was a Grayling which landed on my car bumper as we sat having a coffee on the way up. Needless to say we did not get a photograph, it was probably a Common Grayling.

Up on the higher slopes, out past the Virgin of the Snow Statue we picked up our main target species. This Apollo sat down long enough for a decent shot.

Apollo - parnassius apollo

Next was one of several Spanish Brassy Ringlets, a local endemic.

Spanish Brassy Ringlet - erebia hispania

Small Tortoiseshells were fairly numerous, providing a very bright splash of colour against the grey rocks.

There were a few Blues around. Mick suggested the Idas Blue was more likely than Silver-studded up at this altitude. I admit that I cannot distinguish between the two. Apparently the black upper wing border is wider on the Silver-studded but I didn't get good enough open wing shots to differentiate.

Idas Blue - plebejus idas

Purple Shot Copper was a fairly numerous species up here.

Purple Shot Copper - lycaena alciphron

There were a few of the endemic Nevada Blues about, always a good species to find here.

Nevada Blues - plebicula bolbus

The photo below is an Argus but I'm not sure if it's Spanish or Mountain. I do not have the ability to distinguish from just an underwing photograph. My gut feeling is it is Spanish Argus because of the rounded edge of the upper forewing, which would be straighter in Mountain Argus. But hey??

Spanish Argus - aricia morronensis

We were not only looking at butterflies and I was pleased to get a couple of nice opportunistic shots of a parent Northern Wheatear feeding a fledged youngster. The Wheatears were in their Summer moult which makes them look a bit scruffy, but this was a decisive moment shot, well worthwhile.

Northern Wheatears - oenanthe oenanthe

Northern Wheatear - oenanthe oenanthe

Other birds of note included Booted Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Rock Thrush (female), Tawny Pipit, Red-billed Chough and Mick spotted a solitary Common Cuckoo fly across as we parked lower down the slopes to continue with our butterfly count. We heard many other birds which Mick is able to recognise, I do not know the calls well enough to do that.

At the lower altitude the observed species changed. here is a Bath White and below I managed to capture a flying Bee in the shot which makes it more interesting.

Marbled Whites were quite prolific and I post this shot of what I believe is an Iberian Marbled White - melanargia lachesis. I hoped it was a Western Marbled White, which would be a first for me as I usually see the Common or Iberian varieties. Unfortunately it is the Iberian variety.

Iberian Marbled White - melanargia lachesis

I think the insect below is a Common Blue, but for all I know it could be one of several varieties, for example Eschers Blue. I just wish I could tell the difference but prudence requires us to choose the most common species.

Common Blue - polyommatus icarus

Here's another example of doubt. Is the next photo a Silver-studded or an Idas Blue? I really don't know but because it was seen lower down the mountain I will opt for Silver Studded Blue. It must be one of the two as it has the blue scales inside the outer black wingspots.

Silver-studded Blue - plebejus argus

There were relatively few Fritillaries to be seen today. This is a Dark Green Fritillary, I post two shots as an underwing view is good for identification.

Dark Green Fritillary - speyeria aglaja

The only other Fritillary I photographed all day was at a stop on the way down the mountain where we picked up this Lesser Spotted Fritillary. I would expect to have seen at least three or four more varieties which were conspicuous by their absence. I do believe insects in general are in decline and this is more anecdotal evidence of that.

Lesser Spotted Fritillary - melitaea trivia

We stopped by the botanical Gardens on the way down where Mick drew my attention to a pair of mating Clouded Yellows. It's not often we see this common species like this so it is definitely worthy of inclusion.

Clouded Yellows - colias crocea

The Spanish Purple Hairstreak is a nice species to find as it is restricted to the Iberian Peninsula. This one was on an Ash Tree which is one of its favoured foodstocks.

Spanish Purple Hairstreak - laeosopis roboris

I also post here a previous photo of this species as the one we captured today was rather faded, the markings and colours less distinct than my previous effort.

Spanish Purple Hairstreak - laeosopis roboris

The Speckled Wood is one of the most common species in these parts but I post this shot anyway as it has fully open wings showing it to advantage.

Here's one I missed from earlier in the day, a Long-tailed Blue. We also saw Lang's Short-tailed and False Ilex Blues.

Long-tailed Blue - lampides boeticus

The shot below is a nice one of Lang's Short-tailed Blue on a wild dog-rose.

Langs Short-tailed Blue - leptotes pirithous

......and the next is a Blue Spot Hairstreak

Blue Spot Hairstreak - satyrium spini

We picked up both species of Swallowtail further down the mountain, I post here a decent shot of the Scarce Swallowtail, even though it's missing a large section of one wing.

Scarce Swallowtail - iphiclides feisthameli

The last butterfly shot is a Dusky Heath.

Dusky Heath - coenonympha dorus

Finally an image of a rather nice beetle that caught my eye. I have no idea what it is called, I just include it here as I like it.

In summary we had an excellent day. It was great to see Mick again after such a long time and we hope to have more wildlife adventures with him in the near future. We didn't manage the 45 - 47 species we picked up in 2012 but I understand Mick's count is 36 which is not bad at all. I hope to list them all later. We also enjoyed the birds but today was all about the mariposas of Sierra Nevada, a special environment.

Here's my butterfly count, I make it 33 species which I was very pleased with. I must say I was pretty tired out by the end of the day and was thankful that Elena drove back to Frigiliana while I slept. Climbing around the mountain with two cameras with 500mm and 180mm lenses is exhausting work, but very satisfying.

Common Grayling
Great Banded Grayling
Apollo
Spanish Brassy Ringlet
Small Tortoiseshell
Purple Shot Copper
Small Copper
Wall Brown
Mountain Argus
Spanish Brown Argus
Idas Blue
Nevada Blue
Silver-studded Blue
Common Blue
Langs Short-tailed Blue
Long-tailed Blue
Spanish Purple Hairstreak
False Ilex Hairstreak
Blue Spot Hairstreak
Black Satyr
Dark Green Fritillary
Lesser Spotted Fritillary
Small White
Bath White
Iberian Marbled White
Meadow Brown
Swallowtail
Scarce Swallowtail
Brimstone
Cleopatra
Clouded Yellow
Speckled Wood
Small Skipper

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Bonellis

23/6/2020

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Elena gave me an excited call from the terrace so I grabbed my camera and hurried out in time to see a pair of Bonellis Eagles circling and wheeling around above us.

Bonellis Eagles - aquila fasciata

As usual the camera settings were not quite right for this so it took me a frustrating minute or two before I was ready. Fortunately they were still up there, allbeit not as close. The photos are pretty good though, showing great detail of the lower plumage of the male and female birds. Bonellis Eagles are quite special as their numbers have declined quite drastically in recent years so it was a delight to see them.

Bonellis Eagle - aquila fasciata

On the previous day we had climbed a peak (castle Rock, top of Rio de la Miel valley) hoping to see and photograph the Alpine Swifts that I remember wheeling around the summit on past occasions. Unlucky this time, no swifts, so I contented myself with photos of one of the numerous Lacewings that were fluttering around on the steep and sunny slopes. This is the best of the bunch and I was quite pleased with it.

Thread-winged Lacewing - nemoptera bipennis

Swallowtail Caterpillar

Swallowtail - papillo macheon

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Author

Retired seafarer living in Frigiliana, a white village in Malaga Province in southern Spain. Married to Elena. Keen bird and wildlife watchers.

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Violet Dropwing - trithemis annulata

Squirrel - sciarus vulgaris

Edible Frog - rana esculenta

Alpine Accentor - prunella collaris

Water Rail - rallus aquaticus

Nuthatch - sitta europaea

Egyptian Grasshopper - anacrydium aegyptium

Avocets - recurvirostra avosetta

Bee-eaters

Tree Sparrow - passer montanus

Ibex - Capra pyrenaica

Song Thrush

Black & Red Broadbill - cimberhinchus macrorhinchos

Collared Pratincole - glareola pratincola

Squacco heron - ardeola ralloides

Geranium Bronze

Reed Warbler - acrocephalus scirpaceus

Lesser Purple Emporer - apatura ilea

Eastern Bluebird -

Zitting Cisticola - cisticola juncidis

Chiffchaff - phylloscopus colybita

Red Bearded Bee-eater - nyctyornis amictus

Spanish Festoon - zerinyhia rumina

Azure-winged Magpie- cyanopica cyanus

Stonechat - saxicola torquatus

Kingfisher - alcedo atthis

Kestrel - falco tinnunculus

Western Willow Spreadwings - lestes viridis

Great Spotted Cuckoo - clamatut glandarius

Great Hornbill - buceros bicornis

Bee-eater - merops apiaster

Buzzard

Griffon Vulture

Chapman´s Blues - polyommatus thersites

Rufous Bush Robin - cercotrichas galactotes

Swallowtail - papillo machillon

Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush - garulax monileger

Black-tailed Skimmer

Greater Flamingo

Sardinian Warbler

Serin

Scarlet Speckled Moth

Dryad

Whiskered Tern

Water Pipit

Tawny Pipit

Iberian Marbled White

Chameleon

Coal Tit

Short-toed Eagle

Spoonbill

Common Goldenring

Alpine Swift

Kestrel with mouse

Yellow Wagtail

Melodious Warbler

Lesser Kestrel - falco naumanni

Nightingale

Blue Emporer - anax imperator

Sooty Coppoer

Little Bustard

Little Crake

Little Egret

Long Tailed Tit

Western Reef Heron - egretta gularis

Little Tern

Purple Swamphen

Common Darter female

Calandra Lark

Common Sandpiper

Spotted Fritillary

House Martins

Kingfisher

Chjffchaff

Northern Wheatear

Ruddy Darter

Bee-eaters on rush

Whinchat

Apollo

Red Deer Stag

Copper Demoiselle

Woodchat Shrike

Night Heron

Blue Spot Hairstreak

Spanish Sparrow

Oystercacher

Spotted Flycatcher

False Ilex Hairstreak

Two-tailed Pasha

Temminks Stint

Thekla Lark

Green-eyed Hawker

Spanish Imperial Eagle

Spotless Starling

Red Kite

Migrant Hawker

Stripeless Tree Frog

Bluethroat

Black Redstart

Red Kite

Barn Swallow

Common Blue Damsel

Dunlin

Southern Grey Shrike

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Northern Gannet

Golden Plover

White winged Black Tern

Garden Dormouse

Berger´s Clouded Yellow

Large Red Damsel

Black-tailed Godwit

Booted Eagle

Blue Rock Thrush

Little Owl

Little Grebe

Lesser Kestrel

White Throated Kingfisher

Author

Archives

More interesting sitesBirding Axarquia - Bob WrightLoja Wildlife - Mick RichardsonNever Mind The Finnsticks - Stephen DalyBirding the Costa - Andy Paterson

More interesting sites
Birding Axarquia - Bob Wright
Loja Wildlife - Mick Richardson
Never Mind The Finnsticks - Stephen Daly
Birding the Costa - Andy Paterson