www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I should have an afternoon in Seville in mid April. Anyone got any ideas on species I might see in a city park in that part of Spain around that time. Species not available or site restricted in the U.K. especially

City parks are among the easiest places to see geranium bronzes. They are especially fond of bushes and hedge-like structures, even when there don't seem to be any Pelargoniums nearby (but keep your eyes peeled for Pelargoniums for the best chance). Long-tailed and Lang's short-tailed blues are also easy to find. They often breed in the various ornamental, fabaceous trees and shrubs they plant around the parks. In damp places - commoner than you might think, because they use sprinklers a lot in Spanish grassy parks - look for African grass blues. I've never been to Sevilla but in Córdoba and Málaga they are easy to find in such places. Expect bright orange speckled woods and brimstone-like Cleopatas.

Guy

I visited southern Spain in March 2019. Found quite a few species in our travels but spent a day in Seville and found it to be barren as far as butterflies were concerned. A handful of Geranium Bronze and a solitary White was all we saw on a warm sunny day. We also noticed a near complete lack of insectivorous birds. The countryside surrounding the city did seem to be very intensively farmed too.

Here's what I saw on my trip: https://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/v ... 43#p141343

Thank you both. Those festoons in your write up are amazing. I’d love to visit Gibraltar


Sevilla is a spare afternoon before a naturetrek tour so I should get some species in the trip but I’d like to maximise my time if possible. Sounds like Sevilla may not be that great for it but I’ll give it a go and have a look for geranium bronze

Yes those Festoons are amazing insects, and very common down there too!
I found this guide quite useful to refer to whilst in the field. Scroll down for downloadable versions
https://www.gransendademalaga.es/en/733 ... -catalogue

Hi Owen. I agree with Bugboy - the Gran Senda site is very helpful. I also agree that Gibraltar is a place you should eventually visit, though I'm a little biased, as it is the first place I lived outside the UK and so very special to me. I arrived there as a teenager on 7th February 1983 and climbed the Mediterranean Steps that first day. Spanish festoon and what I then called Moroccan orange tip (now Provence orange tip) were already on the wing and I saw both before I reached the top. Even now I check out the webcam at the top of the rock most days and enjoy spotting the Barbary macaques that I used to commune with every day (https://www.earthtv.com/fr/webcam/gibra ... ive-stream).

If you're off on a Naturetrek tour after Sevilla you'll certainly see anything you might see in a city park on the rest of your trip, with the single (possible) exception of geranium bronze. So I would make that your target for your urban day. I've never seen geranium bronze any significant distance from a town, even though I see it in increasingly unlikely places. I suspect it has widened its foodplant base.

Guy

Thanks. The naturetrek tour is a bird one and past trip reports haven’t had that many butterfly species but that could well be because participants were focused on birds (or possibly because there weren’t many of course). I’ll certainly try to photograph and Id anything I do see. Hoping for some Pashas

Hi Owen,
I can offer some advice on seeing Butterflies in Seville for your visit this April.
I spent a week on a sightseeing holiday in Seville in February 2020 and managed to spot some nice Butterflies at the same time. As it was not intended to be a Butterfly excursion I did not take my usual top of the range cameras, and so only had a basic tourist camera, hence my photos not to my usual standard, but I did get some species all new to me, so I was very happy. Bearing in mind it was mid February I saw quite a few butterflies and so I imagine in April you will get a lot more.
If you only have an afternoon to spare the best Park to visit without a doubt is the Parquedi Maria Luisa in the grounds of the fabulous Plaza Espana.
It is very big and easy to get to on local buses. I saw several species in the Park itself away from the Palace. Just into the park a little walk from the fountains there is an ice cream hut in the tree lined avenues. Lots of Spanish Speckled Woods there, more orange than ours. Look under the trees in dappled sunlight. Further into the park check any Whites you see fluttering around, I got a very nice Green striped White. Also check pots of Geraniums and Rosmarinus clumps. Quite a few Lang's short tailed Blues on the Rosmarinus bushes and Geranium Bronzes on Geraniums and Nasturtiums.
Also if you get time after visiting the park a real must is to walk along the Pedestrian and cycle only path by the side of the beautiful Guadalquivir river heading North from the Torre de Ore towards the Bus station. There are lots of flowers and butterflies along the route. Above the walk there is a bank before the road with Geraniums and Nasturtiums, Just below a block of flats (shown in my Photos) I saw and photographed several Geranium Bronzes.
You could probably do the Park and River walk in about 4 -5 hours.
If you had a whole day to spare as well by far the best place to see a lot of species of Butterfly is the Roman ruins of Italica, about 40 minutes trip by bus from the main bus station. It is a fantastic place to visit, and so cheap entrance fee with a great little Bar across the road from the entrance and return bus stop. But if you only have an afternoon free then stay in Seville and just do Maria Luisa Park and the river walk.
Here are the species I saw in February..
Green Striped White
Langs short Tailed Blue
Geranium Bronze and location by Flats
Spanish Speckled wood.
Have a great time and let us know what you managed to spot in April.
Devon Dave.

Thank you that is very informative and the pictures are great, love that Green striped white . I should only have an afternoon, am flying in and then heading off on the naturetrek tour the next morning from near the airport but I'll try my best to get to the locations mentioned.

OwenE wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 5:24 pm Thanks. The naturetrek tour is a bird one and past trip reports haven’t had that many butterfly species but that could well be because participants were focused on birds (or possibly because there weren’t many of course). I’ll certainly try to photograph and Id anything I do see. Hoping for some Pashas

I'm sure you'll see a few if you keep your eyes peeled, Owen. We had a Provence Hairstreak show up last week on our Iberian Lynx tour in Andalucia!!

I would have said mid-April is too early for jasius, but if David had avis last week anything is possible! That's crazy.

The one thing everybody seems to agree on is that you are likely to see geranium bronze.

Guy

Looking over past trip reports they had a pasha in 2018 but that looks like the only time in about ten trips so it’s probably quite unlikely. Fingers crossed anyway

Pashas are far trickier in spring, Owen. By late summer they are much easier to find.

Where will you be based on the trip?

Not sure on the actual locations, it's the naturetrek Cota Donana and Extremadura trip so it's multi site. Having scoured the old trip reports it looks like Spanish Festoon is the likely highlight, and is a butterfly I'd love to see, but they did have Two Tailed Pasha once recently. Not sure which leg of the tour though.

It should be great for birds but I'm interested in seeing what Butterflies I can turn up.

Spanish Festoon should definitely be around. Look out for the aristolochia and you can be confident the butterfly will not be far away.