continued from part 2a
Eventually I lost sight of the little red-orange beauty so decided to go back to my initial plan and check out the lanterna. The Lanterna as expected provided me with another two Painted Ladies. The Painted Lady turned out to be the most common butterfly that I saw in my week in Southern Spain
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
.
Moving on a Red Admiral came rattling on by but didn’t stop. Also seen were Small Whites but they too kept on the move and trying to keep up with them on loose sand (even though they would occasionally land) was difficult at best. In the end I managed to get a record shot and a pic of a Rush Veneer moth which also gave me the runaround
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
.
![C 2015.12.30 IMG_8808 Nomophila noctuella, Rush Veneer.jpg (488.08 KiB) Viewed 271 times Nomophila noctuella a common immigrant to the UK](./files/thumb_10062_796e32e312e9cf8181e4ed7116e25692)
- Nomophila noctuella a common immigrant to the UK
![E 2015.12.30 IMG_8809 Pancratium maratinum, Sea Daffodil, Dunas de Artola, Cabopino.jpg (602.9 KiB) Viewed 271 times Sea Daffodil, endemic to the dunes](./files/thumb_10062_9d8abfc5933c3d36ecf3066bcc230ecd)
- Sea Daffodil, endemic to the dunes
The Small whites were patrolling mainly in the beach-front area of the dunes and overall it seemed to be the best area for seeing butterflies. This was largely an open area in front of the raised walkways and so avoided the need to 'trespass' within the walkway 'closed-off' areas.
![F 2015.12.30 IMG_8859 Beach front dunes of Artola o Cabopino.jpg (554.77 KiB) Viewed 271 times beach and primary dunes](./files/thumb_10062_26411ead3ca341c53ea421bfe0697d11)
- beach and primary dunes
All the while I explored the weather was getting hotter and lunchtime was approaching. But just as I was considering jacking it in for a break, I came across a small butterfly which was a worn female Lang’s Short-tailed Blue (
Leptotes pirithous), my sixth species of the holiday
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
. The plant it was on was subsequently identified as
Lotus creticus Broad-leaved Bird’s-foot Trefoil and the Blue was most-likely ovipositing
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
.
![G 2015.12.30 IMG_8810 IMG_9700 Leptotes pirithous, Lang's Short-tailed Blue, Dunas de Artola o Cabopino, Marbella.jpg (565.53 KiB) Viewed 271 times Lang's short-tailed Blue](./files/thumb_10062_e38da516e659c383db6757bdfdb38d7f)
- Lang's short-tailed Blue
After a few shots I managed to lose my quarry but buoyed up by this latest find I wasn’t going to let lunch get in the way. Tbh I always find butterflying/wildlife watching takes your mind off eating. Even in Spain with its lovely food, and the fact that my post-operation sense of smell and taste had returned in full (after an absence of considerable years
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
), it still proved to be the case. Lunch could wait a bit longer
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
.
My next intention was to try and capture some pictures of the numerous small birds that up until now had merely provided fleeting glimpses as they darted amongst the dune scrub. So I took the walkways and made my way into the middle zone of the dunes to managed to get record shots of the following species: -
![I IMG_9703 Black Redstart, Dunas de Artola, Cabopino.jpg (382.67 KiB) Viewed 271 times male Black Redstart](./files/thumb_10062_2d84c1e7885ae979ecc061aa4036b842)
- male Black Redstart
![J IMG_9706 Sardinian Warbler, Dunas de Artola, Cabopino, Marbella m.jpg (406.95 KiB) Viewed 271 times Sardinian Warbler](./files/thumb_10062_6fee7e3daf85a514f1d673e42b993ade)
- Sardinian Warbler
![K IMG_9754 Sardinian Warbler, Dunas de Artola, Cabopino.jpg (438.25 KiB) Viewed 271 times Sardinian Warbler](./files/thumb_10062_2f40afe85a410cc86b7b3ab11be23b78)
- Sardinian Warbler
![L IMG_9713 Stonechat, Dunas de Artola, Cabopino, Marbella.jpg (611.93 KiB) Viewed 271 times Stonechat](./files/thumb_10062_185a524d1e92f92cc29f18e0dc2a308b)
- Stonechat
![M IMG_9731 Stonechat, Dunas de Artola, Cabopino, Marbella.jpg (363.7 KiB) Viewed 271 times Stonechat](./files/thumb_10062_21a900d2ff9910fbc1fe75db6012bd42)
- Stonechat
![N IMG_9735 Black Redstart (female), Andy's Beach, Cabopino.jpg (445.04 KiB) Viewed 271 times female Black Redstart near Andy's beach bar](./files/thumb_10062_9f294889695f20cc3adc6e5c31dc459e)
- female Black Redstart near Andy's beach bar
These are all common species out in Spain but I haven’t much in the way of bird photos so I’m pleased to get them
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
. One day I’ll hopefully get some better kit and have more time search and to improve
![Idea :idea:](./images/smilies/icon_idea.gif)
.
During the time spent looking for birds I came across another butterfly, something I wasn’t expecting in this beach dune habitat, a Speckled Wood
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
. The Grasshopper was more like what I would’ve expected, but it turned out to be the only orthopteran picture I got from the whole of the holiday
![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_surprised.gif)
. I haven’t as yet got an ID for it.
![P 2015.12.30 IMG_8818 Grasshopper, dunas de Artola, Cabopina t.jpg (424.42 KiB) Viewed 271 times ?](./files/thumb_10062_2e20926f4a95266272b40eff5c4fe911)
- ?
Eventually I conceded to hunger (and mindful not to keep the others waiting for me) and made my way back to Andy’s beach where I came across this castor oil plant. It is often grown as an ornamental despite the seeds being highly toxic. In this dune environment it likely to be another one considered as an invasive.
![Q 2015.12.30 IMG_8822 Caster-oil plant, Dunas de Artola, Cabopino.jpg (494.22 KiB) Viewed 271 times Ricinus communis, Castor oil plant](./files/thumb_10062_659ec6516693733dd561284fcaaa88e6)
- Ricinus communis, Castor oil plant
Despite me getting back late we just managed to get in and grab the last table where we settled down to a hearty meal and soaked up the atmosphere for the next couple of hours. Afterwards another dip in the sea and then it was back to the dunes. Unfortunately, I think I'd left it a bit late
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
as I couldn’t find another butterfly except for a Small Copper at the same spot I’d seen one in the morning: possibly the same insect holding territory.
After that I tried the area where I’d seen the Lang’s but no luck there despite extensive searching
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
. despite the warm weather it seems the butterflies, might turn-in earlier than they do in the UK
A shot of
Lotus creticus and then another Hawaiian Beet Moth rounded off my wildlife photography for the day
So as the sky darkened we packed up our gear and made our way back to the car-park at 19.00 Spanish time. The next day was to be our coach excursion to Granada
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
. Sitting at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Granada at near 750M altitude gave slight cause for concern that it might be as cool as or colder than Ronda (perhaps I’ll need to buy a coat
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
). I also contemplated the odds of getting to see a butterfly in a city on New Year’s Eve
Phil