Holiday to Spain part 3a
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:15 am
10/08/17
A sunny start to the morning and I’m shaking a leg while the others slumber. A nod and hello to the gardener as I go to dump the wine bottles in the glass recycling bin on my way to a new area of waste ground or My Patch 2 (MP2). This is a patch of cleared ground in a depression, framed in part by trees and the remainder by a road close to a golf course. As I made my way in down a steep rocky bank looking ahead full of optimism I nearly came a cropper thanks to bramble snaking around my feet
.
Scrub negotiated I wandered into an open area populated by ‘weeds’ in flower which had attracted two large black carpenter bees. Again, I struggled to get a decent shot of the insect as they were constantly on the move. I also came across a new Shield bug (Carpocoris sp.?) . Shield bugs are always impressive for their shape and colouration
A butterfly wasn’t far behind, this time another new species a Brown Argus Aricia agestis or, could it be Southern Brown Argus Agestis cramera ((A. agestis ssp. cramera) …are they separate species
)
At the far end where honeysuckle snaked up the shrubs I spotted the Bluest blue I’d seen to date. It perched high up so I attempted to get a shot with the FZ-72 but the picture turned out as a white blob. I was 99% convinced that it was a Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus.
As ever there were other interesting looking insects around. This is I think is Exoprosopa sp. (jacchus) Silvery Bee fly, and the dragonfly might be an Epaulet skimmer female.
I was also slightly surprised to come across an African Grass Blue when leaving MP2 for home
On the way back to the others, I dropped into MP1 and took these pictures of another Southern Gatekeeper (keeping low down in the grasses) and another unidentified Grasshopper.
When I got back my other half was sunbathing and reading a book whilst the kids were in the pool and in no hurry to get ready to go anywhere. In fact, they had already decided on having a lazy day by pool and this gave me some time to go off and do my own thing …
I’d go back to the dunes at Cabopino
.
Prior to that though I decided to try and get some more photos of the butterflies in the gardens. The first was an open-wing shot of one of the Zizeeria knysna Grass Blues flitting around the lawn. After that, a Geranium Bronze burrowing into a flower head for nectar. The paper wasps were keen on the plant too. Down the side of the apartment block was a shaded area where a Speckled Wood was often seen holding territory. However, on this occasion there was a Small White. Perhaps he’d come there to cool off? I’m glad he did as he settled down to rest enabling me to get in close for this shot.
To be continued … (warning very few butterflies in part b)
A sunny start to the morning and I’m shaking a leg while the others slumber. A nod and hello to the gardener as I go to dump the wine bottles in the glass recycling bin on my way to a new area of waste ground or My Patch 2 (MP2). This is a patch of cleared ground in a depression, framed in part by trees and the remainder by a road close to a golf course. As I made my way in down a steep rocky bank looking ahead full of optimism I nearly came a cropper thanks to bramble snaking around my feet
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
Scrub negotiated I wandered into an open area populated by ‘weeds’ in flower which had attracted two large black carpenter bees. Again, I struggled to get a decent shot of the insect as they were constantly on the move. I also came across a new Shield bug (Carpocoris sp.?) . Shield bugs are always impressive for their shape and colouration
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
![Question :?:](./images/smilies/icon_question.gif)
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
![Idea :idea:](./images/smilies/icon_idea.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Prior to that though I decided to try and get some more photos of the butterflies in the gardens. The first was an open-wing shot of one of the Zizeeria knysna Grass Blues flitting around the lawn. After that, a Geranium Bronze burrowing into a flower head for nectar. The paper wasps were keen on the plant too. Down the side of the apartment block was a shaded area where a Speckled Wood was often seen holding territory. However, on this occasion there was a Small White. Perhaps he’d come there to cool off? I’m glad he did as he settled down to rest enabling me to get in close for this shot.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)