As the sun began to sink the beach goers began to drift off for home, the sky took on evermore colours and shades, intermingling with and distorting the shape of the clouds
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
. Even my daughters were moved enough to break off from their fun of digging deep pit-traps in the sand to take pictures of the sky on their mobile phones
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
.
![C 2016.01.01 IMG_9443 Altocumulus seen from Andy's Beach, Cabopino, Marbella.jpg (372.32 KiB) Viewed 647 times Seabird is a Great Black-backed Gull](./files/thumb_10062_ec50ce8dee7bd288ee436d8989a656e7)
- Seabird is a Great Black-backed Gull
Saturday morning was a sad day as this was our last of the holiday. However, although we had to vacate the apartment by 10:00 the flight wasn’t until 19:30 so we still had plenty of time left to explore. As I’d done a lot of my packing the night before I had enough time to take one last look around the resort. I’d been dealt a good hand this holiday and so I reckon it’s now time to play my joker
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![F 2016.01.02 IMG_9539 Danaus plexippus, Monarch 'joker', (Benalmadena Butterfly Park).jpg (545.51 KiB) Viewed 647 times Monarch (colours of last night's sunset)](./files/thumb_10062_fcac6c53a41cb32144c9083b90508bba)
- Monarch (colours of last night's sunset)
Actually this is a (little) “joke” not joker as the photo was taken at a butterfly house in Benalmadena
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
. So .... not a wild one I‘m afraid. However, a butterfly house is not a bad substitute if you’ve used up all your brownie points. Sharon and the girls were certainly up for it
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
.
Before Benalmadena we decided on a visit to Fuengirola town, which apart from our brief spell there before catching the train to Malaga, had been bypassed in the list of must places to see. Firstly, we walked along the sea front (Paseo Maritimo Rey de Espana) which was largely quiet as you’d expect in January. A small wagtail which I think is the White-Wagtail sub-species (continental form of the Pied), was my only wildlife capture at that point. There
were people on the beach but only those in a sand sculpture of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Although not to everyone’s taste, to me it was just another example of the style and creativity that abounds in this country
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
.
![G 2016.01.02 IMG_9491 Sub-species White Wagtail, Fuengirola.jpg (452.92 KiB) Viewed 647 times Pied/White Wagtail](./files/thumb_10062_36c23ba8bcb715655ebad8d2208a5de6)
- Pied/White Wagtail
Next we decided to move through one of the streets into town and found a nice coffee shop full of locals to sit down and rest our feet. I never worked out what type of coffee I was ordering (they weren’t cappuccinos) but it was very nice all the same
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
. The girls had orange juice which was freshly squeezed and unsweetened.
Moving on from there we came across a park (Plaza de Espana) complete with a standard metal 'Spanish Christmas tree'. However, my attention was drawn to a huge squawking commotion going on amongst a group of Canary Island date palm trees
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
. When I got over to the spot it had died down but up in the base of the fronds were pairs of nesting Monk Parakeets
Myiopsitta monachus ![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_surprised.gif)
. Interestingly I only saw this species in Spain and not the Ring-necked Parakeet familiar in the South-east England (and also seen in Tenerife).
Note: - When looking for its ID on the web I came across a web-site stating that the Monk Parakeet, a South American native, temporarily established itself in the UK
![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_surprised.gif)
. Although the species is not thought to pose a risk to our native wildlife, it was subjected to an eradication program by Defra (backed by the RSPB). The eradication is considered to have been successful and so, unlike the Ring-necked parakeet, it is not here to stay
![Neutral :|](./images/smilies/icon_neutral.gif)
. The decision to eradicate was based on the problems seen in other feral populations of Monk Parakeets, where the large communal nests of the birds are often built in electricity pylons and can cause damage and lead to blackouts. A shame perhaps as they certainly have a cute look about them: - … but they don’t half make a racket
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
.
![J 2016.01.02 IMG_9504 Spanish Christmas tree, Plaza de Espana, Fuengirola.jpg (302.53 KiB) Viewed 647 times vandal proof trees .. perhaps we ought to adopt them here?](./files/thumb_10062_29d561817bfe08feafb786efdf2f39f5)
- vandal proof trees .. perhaps we ought to adopt them here?
After a pleasant amble around the town it was time to move on for our visit to the butterfly house. This was found without too much trouble, well signposted for coming off the A-7 and on from there.
Again, the building was quite a striking design based on a Thai temple rather than just a big glasshouse.
The entry price was more expensive than I thought it would be, but overall it was reasonably good value as butterfly houses go. The only thing I would say was that I didn’t see any new species that I hadn’t already seen in butterfly houses: despite the promising large lists purporting the species that they had, (or more accurately, get in from time to time depending on availability from their suppliers).
Here are some of the species I saw: -
![L 2016.01.02 IMG_9527 Parides iphidamas, Iphidamas Cattleheart, Benalmadena Butterfly Park.jpg (385.98 KiB) Viewed 647 times Iphidamus Cattleheart](./files/thumb_10062_e4b6289da75f36347a25c6be4c9a0225)
- Iphidamus Cattleheart
![M 2016.01.02 IMG_9552 Papilio demoleus, Lime Swallowtail, Benalmadena Butterfly Park.jpg (473.6 KiB) Viewed 647 times Lime Swallowtail](./files/thumb_10062_703dd7107abac1509a80103859cc74b6)
- Lime Swallowtail
![N 2016.01.02 IMG_9573 Morpho peleides, Common Morpho, Benalmadena Butterfly Park t.jpg (482.16 KiB) Viewed 647 times Common Morpho](./files/thumb_10062_26171773bd9513a56eb0f35947d6a7b8)
- Common Morpho
![O 2016.01.02 IMG_9578 Papilio demoleus, Lime Swallowtail, Benalmadena Butterfly Park.jpg (502.7 KiB) Viewed 647 times Lime Swallowtail](./files/thumb_10062_416f9e4fb8b8959ad087dca455ad09e7)
- Lime Swallowtail
![P 2016.01.02 IMG_9618 Heliconius melpomene (sticheli), Postman Butterfly, Benalmadena Butterfly Park.jpg (467.14 KiB) Viewed 647 times Postman (or hybrid) heliconid](./files/thumb_10062_b181496a9d25b82fcb28b2833bcbb772)
- Postman (or hybrid) heliconid
![Q 2016.01.02 IMG_9619 Danaus plexippus, Monarch, Benalmadena Butterfly Park.jpg (409.48 KiB) Viewed 647 times Monarch](./files/thumb_10062_f6724b5e10189f24e2d0880a84708c89)
- Monarch
Also the Samia cynthia ricini moths. Plonked on a wall; a branch or a donor's hand, they showed so very little movement you'd think they were dead
![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_surprised.gif)
. Females were laying eggs all over though.
In addition, the Butterfly park had some other ‘pets’: - A wallaby; as 5-foot Green Iguana and Gouldian Finches. I assume that none of these predate the butterflies (I know that adult Green Iguanas are largely vegetarian)
![S 2016.01.02 IMG_9549 Green iguana, Benalmadena Butterfly Park, Benalmadena t.jpg (425.81 KiB) Viewed 647 times S 2016.01.02 IMG_9549 Green iguana, Benalmadena Butterfly Park, Benalmadena t.jpg](./files/thumb_10062_c0af929495d7cee5caf3951ba0b53f4e)
![T 2016.01.02 IMG_9599 Gouldian Finches, Benalmadena Butterfly Park, Benalmadena.jpg (471.45 KiB) Viewed 647 times T 2016.01.02 IMG_9599 Gouldian Finches, Benalmadena Butterfly Park, Benalmadena.jpg](./files/thumb_10062_9ddab39094b574fdf7ef53db0ac5dfd0)
Note: The Gouldian finch is considered to be under threat in the wild (Northern Australia) where numbers are considered less than those found in captivity. The birds nest in tree holes and in the butterfly house there were artificial holes created for this purpose. In the picture the bird inside the nest-hole, presumably the "female", (I base this assumption on the (courtship) behaviour exhibited by the bird outside of the nest hole) has a black head whilst the other has a red head. This head colour is a colour form of this finch found in wild birds. and not a characteristic that denotes the sex. Also both these birds have white breasts. The normal colouration for a male is purple and for a female, lilac. These white-breasted examples are just one of the many colour forms of birds found in captivity.
Another interesting exhibit were the rows of butterfly and moth pupae behind a glass pane which wasn’t obscured by condensation allowing me to get these photos:-
![U 2016.01.02 IMG_9544 Idea leuconoe, Paper Kite (pupae), Benalmadena Butterfly Park t.jpg (412.63 KiB) Viewed 647 times idea leuconoe](./files/thumb_10062_2a24f1516bb2a055e5f4ab4d4431fffa)
- idea leuconoe
![V 2016.01.02 IMG_9586 Euploea core, Common Crow (pupa), Benalmadena Butterfly Park t.jpg (389.34 KiB) Viewed 647 times Euploea core, Common Crow](./files/thumb_10062_e905d04d813cf33eb59797dcd1d86670)
- Euploea core, Common Crow
Eventually the others tired of the hot steamy environment and requested we head on out. Once outside I asked for five minutes to freshen up. The sun was shining a bit stronger and it had warmed up a bit so I was hoping for a last minute butterfly sighting
![Idea :idea:](./images/smilies/icon_idea.gif)
. However, I told the others that as we had plenty of time before we needed to motor to the airport I was just going to grab a picture or two of the nearby super Stupa. It seems such an unlikely monument and setting, but that’s Spain
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
.
![W 2016.01.02 IMG_0042 Enlightenment Stupa, Buddhist monument, Benalmadena.jpg (312.98 KiB) Viewed 647 times The imposing Enlightenment Stupa, Benalmadena](./files/thumb_10062_5a19becc632436a7bdbebd6487a0370b)
- The imposing Enlightenment Stupa, Benalmadena
I scooted around nearby patches of promising looking waste ground ... but no butterflies
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
. In the end I decided to call it a day and make my way back to the others waiting in the car. Then suddenly I spotted a little white butterfly, a Green-striped White
Euchloe belemia and a lifer
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
. I couldn’t believe it. I had to use the Tamron on the EOS350D as I’d only just gone and filled the D1100 ‘s 32GB sandisk card
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
. Then I spotted another …. two Green-striped Whites
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
. I snapped away at the agile butterflies but then horror of horrors: a message no photographer wants to see at moments like this: “
card full” (it can’t be I only just re-formatted it before coming out on holiday
![Crying or Very sad :cry:](./images/smilies/icon_cry.gif)
). So back to the car to look for and change over to the spare card for my D1100 but no time to switch over the lens as the sun went behind a cloud and remarks of “haven’t you seen enough butterflies already
![Question :?:](./images/smilies/icon_question.gif)
” emanated from the frustrated occupants of the car
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
. I got one at distance shot using the macro (not worth showing) and then the butterfly disappeared. I gave it another 5 minutes but my impatient entourage had decided it was time for us to go
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
.
![X 2016.01.02 IMG_9625 Green-striped White, Calle Heliotropo, Benalmadena t (2).jpg (399.07 KiB) Viewed 647 times Euchloe belemia, Green-striped White](./files/thumb_10062_606c0bc8272fda65d6c8ffc31101a375)
- Euchloe belemia, Green-striped White
![ZD 2016.01.02 IMG_9646 Leptotes pirithous, Calle Heliotropo, Benalmadena t (2).jpg (352.67 KiB) Viewed 647 times Another Lang's Short-tailed blue to finish off](./files/thumb_10062_40d386bfff4de03299c1529588e673eb)
- Another Lang's Short-tailed blue to finish off
Great to see a new species
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
(not listed on Chris Jackson’s link), but shame the photos couldn’t have been better (and by the way the EOS350D card was only about 6th full as I found out back at home + it started to work again
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
).
And so after that finale of excitement we killed the last 3 hours by visiting Torremolinos (a bit scruffy in places tbh) had another great meal, made it back to the airport in good time, plane delayed by an hour, got home at 01:30 Sunday 3rd and was back to work Mon 4th.
It was a Holiday made brilliant not least by being able to snatch a bit of summer, and butterflying in the winter months
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
. This year we’re booked to go to Sibton in Suffolk again. No gallivanting off abroad unless I can make something happen with my Avios points during the school holidays.
Phil