Flowery Places

Our first stop in the mountains was the village of El Bosque where the flowers were attracting many insects.


Nikon CP995

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Digiscoped with Nikon CP995, Leica APO77 + 20x eyepeice

Black Wheatear (Oenanthe leucura)

Digiscoped with Nikon CP995, Leica APO77 + 20x eyepeice

Brown Argus (Aricia agestis)


Nikon CP995

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina)

Nikon CP995

Provencal fritillary (Mellicta deione)

Nikon CP995

Cleopatra (Goneopteryx cleopatra), female

Nikon CP995

Royal Burnet (Zygaena sarpedon)


Nikon CP995

Next - Villaluengo Pass

Run to the hills

Our final day was to be spent in the Sierras around Grazalema but on the way we stopped for a look at a quarry near Arcos de la Frontera


Nemoptera bipennis - the long streamers are modified hindwings.


Mylabris quadripunctata


Nikon CP995

Next - Flowery Places

Ojen Valley

We eventually ended up at the renowned Ojen Valley, where Thekla Lark (Galerida theklae) was added to the list along with Melodious Warbler (Hippolais polyglotta) and some more insects caught our attention.

Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)



Nikon CP995

Next - Run to the hills

Seeking Sanctuary

A run around the coast via Tarifa, where a couple of distant Cory's Shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea) and a Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) added to the trip lifers for some team members. Then on to a shallow valley containing the snappily named Santuario de Nuesta Señora de la Luz.

Nikon CP995

The bottom of the valley held a large swarm of Spanish Sparrows (Passer hispaniolensis) and a pair of Montagu's Harriers (Circus pygargus). Further along the CAP2213 road past the Santuario things got far more interesting and frequent stops provided some of the creatures of the trip including a pair of White-rumped Swifts (Apus caffer) and a Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Other goodies included Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) and much more.

Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris)


Digiscoped with Nikon CP995, Leica APO77 + 20x eyepeice

Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauretanica)

Nikon CP995

Dusky Heath (Coenonympha dorus)

Nikon CP995

Spanish Marbled White (Melanargia ines)

Nikon CP995

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)

Nikon CP995

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)

Nikon CP995

Paper Wasps (Polistes gallicus?)


Nikon CP995

Next - Ojen Valley

Sotogrande

A brief, fairly unproductive stop at the 'exclusive' resort of Sotogrande. The blue hindwings of the conspicuous grasshopper only show in flight.

Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens)


Scarab Beetle (Scarabaeus sacer?)


Nikon CP995

Next - Seeking Sanctuary

Laguna da Medina

Perhaps the most uninspiring tick of the trip came at this lagoon, which was nearly full of water and supported a fair few waterbirds. The target was Crested Coot (Fulica cristata), but the one or two seen were non-breeders, with no red knobs on the head, and were beyond photography range. Plenty of other wildlife kept up the interest before we pressed on south.

Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)


Digiscoped with Nikon CP995, Leica APO77 + 32x eyepeice

Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta)

Nikon CP995

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)

Nikon CP995

Oil Beetle (Berberomeloe majalis)

Nikon CP995

Next - Sotogrande

Storks at El Portal

Sunday saw us tearing south towards the south coast holiday strip but on the way there were a couple of places to stop. This is a ruin called Azucarera Jerezana with many White Storks nesting.

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)


Digiscoped with Nikon CP995, Leica APO77 + 20x eyepeice

Next - Laguna da Medina

Nightjar sunset

The final visit of the day was back at the Algaida pines, where we once again failed to locate any Azure-winged Magpies (Cyanopica cyanus). Stationing ourselves at a likely spot just before sunset we had no idea of the spectacle we were to be treated to.

There was still plenty of light when the first snatches of song started up. The rythmic, mechanical sounds of Red-necked Nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis) were soon echoing across the heath and it wasn't long before birds started to appear briefly. Occasionally two would tussle briefly and as darkness fell birds could still be seen by torchlight. Then one appeared to be singing very close by and it took a while before we realised it was above our heads singing from near the top of the observation tower. The eye shone back at us in the torchlight before it flew down to the ground.

We can thoroughly recommend the Asador Picantito on the road through Algaida for a late night snack on the way home.

Click for larger pic

Nikon CP995

Next - Storks at El Portal

Hidden Pools of Sanlucar

Getting lost in Sanlucar is not exactly difficult. In fact we were to take the wrong turn on more than one occasion during this trip and nearly every time it brought us to some great wildlife. In this case a pair of pools either side of the road on the northern outskirts not far from Algaida provided us with very close views of Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio), Little Bitterns (Ixobrychus minutus) and a Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).

Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) - Click for larger pics




Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio)


Digiscoped with Nikon CP995, Leica APO77 + 20x eyepeice

Next - Nightjar sunset

Road to nowhere

After a successful nip back to the Laguna de Terelo for White-headed Ducks (Oxyura leucocephala) and another unsuccessful trip through the Algaida pines for Azure-winged Magpies (Cyanopica cyanus) we started to make our way back to the main road for a quick run north to the Brazo del Este area. The chosen route found us heading east on an incredibly long, straight road in a dreadful state of repair, which made progress frustratingly slow and put the trip north in doubt. In the end the decision was made for us by the appearance of a Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola) on a roadside bank. We lingered to watch 50 or more here on the adjacent field and to keep us there longer two or three Purple Herons (Ardea purpurea) kept appearing along with some interesting insects and a constant barrage of Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) song. So we never made it to Brazo del Este and the Pinzon Marshes, and that will have to wait for another trip.

Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola) - Click for larger pics



Digiscoped with Nikon CP995, Leica APO77 + 20x eyepeice

I can make out three 'prats', or is it four!


Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) - Click for larger pic


Egyptian Grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium) - Click for larger pic


Scarlet Darter Crocothemis erythraea - Click for larger pic


Nikon CP995

Next - Hidden Pools of Sanlucar

Algaida and the northern salinas

Taking a slow drive through the Algaida Pines we emerged to the north in drier habitat thick with Crested Larks (Galerida cristata) and chanced across a Roller (Coracius garrulus). The target here was Lesser Short-toed Lark (Calandrella rufescens), but a singing Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata) was a bonus, Short-toed Larks (Calandrella brachydactyla) showed well and looking back over the unpromising-looking older salinas Will picked out a 3rd calendar year Audouin's Gull (Larus audouinii).

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) - Click for larger pics


Nikon CP995

Lesser Short-toed Lark (Calandrella rufescens)

Digiscoped with Nikon CP995, Leica APO77 + 20x eyepeice

Next - Road to nowhere