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Sites near Cadiz
Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 8:23 pm
by Wolfson
I will be in Cadiz next week and would be grateful for any advice on local sites. I would like to see the Provence Hairstreak, but af this time of year it would be great to see anything!
Thanks in advance.
Re: Sites near Cadiz
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 3:25 pm
by Wolfson
Since time was limited and with no local knowledge, my method was to drive slowly on back roads and pull over wherever the terrain looked promising. On a trip down to Cabo de Trafalgar the Spanish Festoon was found at most stops along with all the usual suspects.
However, my objective the Provence Hairstreak was found in the mountains near El Bosque. Once I got a feel for the habitat, I found it in good numbers at several sites between c. 500 and 800m. I fully agree with others who have commented that it is a combination of the Small Copper and the Green Hairstreak, both appearance and behaviour. However, until I saw it up close, I did not appreciate how hairy it is. Although the photographs will not win awards, they illustrate my observations.
The Cadiz province in late March is great for looking at butterflies, with 16 species in a few hours.
Re: Sites near Cadiz
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 12:14 pm
by NickMorgan
I am glad to read that you had a successful trip. Like most of us, without local knowledge, all we can do is look out for suitable sites from local roads. However, it is frustrating to think that there may be sites just a few metres away that we are not aware of. Thinking of my local patch here in East Lothian, no visitor would think to go to many of the places that I know are hotspots. I have been lucky on occasions with making contact with people, who have local knowledge, before I go on holiday. Last summer in Cyprus I was told of places that I would never have considered as being good for butterflies. Similarly in Sierra Nevada the year before I was directed to a scree slope that looked hopeless, but had a wealth of species flying on it!