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Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:19 pm
by David M
I'm very much enjoying this continuation, Lee, especially given that Bugboy and Guy Padfield have recently been posting from southern Spain as well.
It's surprised me just how green things are looking in some of your images, particularly with your visit being in late May!
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:51 pm
by Lee Hurrell
Thank you, David. It was quite a trip.
The next sequence was taken at a higher altitude, where it was even greener!
Best wishes,
Lee
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2019 10:26 pm
by Lee Hurrell
Los Romanes, Spain, May 2016 - Day 5 (part 2)
Moving on from Ventas de Zafarraya, I carried on along the A402 towards Alhama de Granada. As I drove on, it gradually got higher. Stopping at any likely looking places, first up was a small pull in, on a bend near some fields and near the Alto del Navazo nature reserve.
I was amazed at just how green it was, given this was southern Spain at the end of May. This was higher than I had been of course, but still, it could have been the English countryside.
The views were stunning. On the road was a Knapweed Fritillary, while Lorquin's Blues danced along the roadside margins. Excitingly though, a Provence Orange Tip was in a field nearby.
![IMG_5792.JPG (863.51 KiB) Viewed 3807 times Provence Orange Tip, male, Alto del Navazo, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_46fd9f654e508ef9a0b70f6a64d832ab)
- Provence Orange Tip, male, Alto del Navazo, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016
![IMG_5809.JPG (1.05 MiB) Viewed 3807 times Lorquin's Blue, female, Alto del Navazo, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_f34329221df848404e982bb07fb6e026)
- Lorquin's Blue, female, Alto del Navazo, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016
Seen here were: Knapweed Fritillary, Speckled Wood, Provence Orange Tip, Western Dappled White, Large White, Small White, Clouded Yellow and Lorquin's Blue.
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 7:12 am
by Wurzel
Some stunning views Lee - it could indeed be England although a worryingly declining bit
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
Love the shot of the POT - cracking
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
It's got a little bit of all my favourite shot 'types'
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 7:28 am
by Lee Hurrell
Thanks Wurzel
Declining indeed
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 7:18 am
by David M
That's beautiful habitat, Lee. I'm really surprised to know how green and floral things are at that time of year. I will certainly pay this area a visit at some point.
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:24 am
by Lee Hurrell
It certainly was, David. It's well worth a visit! Let me know as and when you do and I will point you in the direction of the sites I stopped at.
Best wishes,
Lee
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:53 am
by Lee Hurrell
Los Romanes, Spain, May 2016 - Day 5 (part 3)
A short distance further along the A402 I stopped at a small track that led past some orchards to a stunning viewpoint.
Notice the beehives in the second image above. These would play a big part in my visit to this location...
There was a beautiful female Meadow Brown
hispulla near where I parked.
![IMG_5838.JPG (873.64 KiB) Viewed 3757 times Meadow Brown, female, Alto del Navazo, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_241a5bdfd06214de86f752001ef63efa)
- Meadow Brown, female, Alto del Navazo, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016
Clouded Yellows were also nearby and unusually approachable.
![IMG_5873.JPG (890.3 KiB) Viewed 3757 times Clouded Yellow, Alto del Navazo, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_b189d787efa0bba4a9f652442f30f6eb)
- Clouded Yellow, Alto del Navazo, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016
There were two Scarce Swallowtails hilltopping around a small flowering tree next to the beehives. They were an absolute delight to watch.
![IMG_5884.JPG (988.62 KiB) Viewed 3757 times Scarce Swallowtail, Alto del Navazo, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_9bc785cec80719f0d341e9081cac8ac8)
- Scarce Swallowtail, Alto del Navazo, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016
Unfortunately for me, the resident bees from the hives pictured above decided that I was not equally delightful to watch and opted to see off the unwelcome human. This led me to walk, jog and run a little faster than I wanted to and I ended up going flying, landing on my head and banging my camera. I made it back to the car, bruised, battered and bleeding, but in one piece. I sat in the car for a short while, a bit dazed and reflecting on how perhaps being in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country was not the most sensible of decisions, in the event of an accident happening.
In the end, I decided bugger that, I have butterflies to find
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 5:13 pm
by Wurzel
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 7:30 am
by David M
I have a 100 metre rule with beehives, Lee. That's as close as I will go and it seems to work.
Thanks for the offer of site information. I may well take you up on that (and will return the favour should you be visiting areas I'm familiar with).
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 10:12 pm
by Lee Hurrell
Thanks, Wurzel
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 10:13 pm
by Lee Hurrell
David M wrote:I have a 100 metre rule with beehives, Lee. That's as close as I will go and it seems to work.
Thanks for the offer of site information. I may well take you up on that (and will return the favour should you be visiting areas I'm familiar with).
Thanks, David
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I do intend to explore further, so any site information will be most useful!
Best wishes,
Lee
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 11:04 pm
by Lee Hurrell
Los Romanes, Spain, May 2016 - Day 5 (part 4)
I did decide to go further (and be careful). A little further along the A402, I turned off onto the A4150 and stopped at a wooded carpark that led through to a very scenic lake, Presa del Rio Alhama, which I walked a good way around.
Along with Common Blue, Small Heath, Meadow Brown and Clouded Yellow, I found a mating pair of Bath Whites and a female Southern Brown Argus.
![IMG_5916.JPG (795.95 KiB) Viewed 3708 times Mating Bath Whites, Presa del Rio Alhama, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_b9db824e47283e9b717dda597d62046a)
- Mating Bath Whites, Presa del Rio Alhama, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016
![IMG_5932.JPG (973.08 KiB) Viewed 3708 times Brown Argus, female, Presa del Rio Alhama, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_85aebd40b967dfdfc3face13744d95e1)
- Brown Argus, female, Presa del Rio Alhama, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016
My next find was a surprise though!
![IMG_5942.JPG (913.21 KiB) Viewed 3708 times European Pond Turtle, Presa del Rio Alhama, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_09d38ce401faeba0d4f16d8c1b93a838)
- European Pond Turtle, Presa del Rio Alhama, Alhama de Granada, Spain, 26th May 2016
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 7:46 am
by Wurzel
Lovely shot of the Bath Whites Lee
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
I'm hoping to pick this species up in August in Portugal, fingers crossed
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 5:36 am
by David M
You did well to find a mating pair of Bath Whites, Lee. That's probably one of the few occasions when they'll stay relatively still!
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 7:21 pm
by Lee Hurrell
Thank you, Wurzel and David.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 8:11 pm
by Lee Hurrell
Los Romanes, Spain, May 2016 - Day 5 (part 5)
For the last stop of today, I went back to the lovely habitat in front of and down the hill from the hotel. In the first photo, you can see the village of Los Romanes at the top of the hill and my hire car in the middle of the picture.
I was looking for more roosting whites, and I wasn't disappointed
![IMG_5984.JPG (665.37 KiB) Viewed 3647 times Green-striped White, Los Romanes, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_7b52f59ca3862b9700f7ead9b864e38b)
- Green-striped White, Los Romanes, Spain, 26th May 2016
![IMG_5951.JPG (1.01 MiB) Viewed 3647 times Mallow Skipper, Los Romanes, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_ec4578fd95ec80f61c7ec4b07e5c7848)
- Mallow Skipper, Los Romanes, Spain, 26th May 2016
Spot on for
Polyommatus celina, or Austaut's Blue.
![IMG_6009.JPG (949.5 KiB) Viewed 3647 times Austaut's Blue (Polyommatus celina), Los Romanes, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_30a4709163953bba36a0c32b1e618464)
- Austaut's Blue (Polyommatus celina), Los Romanes, Spain, 26th May 2016
I also found a large and colourful wasp and a little orange moth I haven't been able to identify.
![IMG_5957.JPG (702.44 KiB) Viewed 3647 times Unknown wasp, Los Romanes, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_c26eaed03dc8ba8b47776cdfd41822ea)
- Unknown wasp, Los Romanes, Spain, 26th May 2016
![IMG_5998.JPG (1.03 MiB) Viewed 3647 times Unknown moth, Los Romanes, Spain, 26th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_780099e214365592bc145a350bda90ab)
- Unknown moth, Los Romanes, Spain, 26th May 2016
Seen here were: Bath White, Green-striped White, Small White, Clouded Yellow, Meadow Brown, Southern Gatekeeper, Mallow Skipper, Common Blue and Austaut's Blue (
celina).
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 8:59 pm
by Lee Hurrell
Los Romanes, Spain, May 2016 - Day 6
This was my last day in Los Romanes and I opted to spend longer in the scenery I finished up at last night, below the village. I did this in two stints as it was so hot in the middle of the day.
Over the two trips, I saw: Clouded Yellow, Bath White, Small White, Meadow Brown, Southern Gatekeeper, African Grass Blue, Common Blue, Austaut's Blue and Large Skipper.
![IMG_6088.JPG (904.74 KiB) Viewed 3643 times African Grass Blue, Los Romanes, Spain, 27th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_915b394dfed782d17110b907e7a2a7c8)
- African Grass Blue, Los Romanes, Spain, 27th May 2016
![IMG_6104.JPG (1013.28 KiB) Viewed 3643 times Austaut's Blue, Los Romanes, Spain, 27th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_6ed8f78e74436e8e5198e48e84305116)
- Austaut's Blue, Los Romanes, Spain, 27th May 2016
![IMG_6161.JPG (1.03 MiB) Viewed 3643 times Common Blue, Los Romanes, Spain, 27th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_edada0f1585277c5b6260173c7d931b4)
- Common Blue, Los Romanes, Spain, 27th May 2016
![IMG_6196.JPG (1.02 MiB) Viewed 3643 times Southern Gatekeeper, Los Romanes, Spain, 27th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_06ac6938c93f7a267f8cd7713693c786)
- Southern Gatekeeper, Los Romanes, Spain, 27th May 2016
![IMG_6228.JPG (832.41 KiB) Viewed 3643 times Bath White, Los Romanes, Spain, 27th May 2016](./files/thumb_6364_61996137405f018a35b614c1ed39e377)
- Bath White, Los Romanes, Spain, 27th May 2016
The last view though must go to this stunning vista. I will be back.
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 10:14 pm
by Wurzel
More cracking shots Lee - those Blues are pretty special, the markings on the Grass Blue are subtly beautiful - cracking shot
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
I'm most envious of the Mallow Skipper - 8 days in France and 7 in Lisbon and not one seen
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
Here's hoping for this year
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Lee Hurrell
Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2019 11:25 am
by David M
Yes, Lee, that last vista is something special. I would never have guessed it was southern Spain had I not known.
The range of butterflies is good too, with some that won't be seen anywhere outside of Spain.