Coo, that's pretty impressive. Sure your wife wasn't chucking out sausages or something? 
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Autumnal Andalucia 2017, Butterflies & Migration. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jos Stratford
- Start date
Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
She got a rather amusing video of it around the other side of the car following me. It started reaching up to my camera and I was letting it get to the lens hood to fend it off. The neoprene cover of the hood has now got several short slashes from the tip of its beak. It's sharp! I wasn't too concerned about that, but then it got sick of the lens hood and started taking a very close interest in my bare toes poking out from my sandal. It hunched down and started lunging towards my feet as I decided that this was a battle that could only have one winner and it wouldn't be my toes. I backed off to sit in the car and it took up position out of the wind a couple of feet away from me against the back door and rear wheel.
A Dutch birding couple who turned up after the bird first arrived thought that it was incredibly amusing. They got some good shots too.
A Dutch birding couple who turned up after the bird first arrived thought that it was incredibly amusing. They got some good shots too.
John Cantelo
Well-known member
If Geranium got the Bronze, which butterflies got the Gold & Silver?
Jon Turner
Well-known member
I seem to remember the first time I had GB I put a pic of it on Birdforum and had quite a quick reply. I've seen 2 Tailed Pasha in the Cork oak forest and up above Bolonia near the White-rumped Swift cave. My garden has also had Swallowtail, Scarce Swallowtail and Monarch, mostly attracted to the Lantana.
Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
Good numbers of two-tailed pasha along the roadside below the cave at Sierra de la Plata a couple of weeks ago, but only one settled and it was camera-shy. Swallowtails around Algarrobo and the odd Scarce swallowtail and daily Monarchs through the garden of our holiday cottage at Los Barrios.
Long time ago now , Sept 2009, I was at the car park past Hotel Caleta on Gib's east side (I used to park there and get the bus into town) and a bush next to me was swarming with two-tailed pashas. (One here below on the car park wall)
That was one of the most frustrating trips to the Strait I've had. I'd been using a Lumix bridge camera until then, but just before I went on my usual autumn migration trip I bought my first DSLR, a Canon 40D. I ordered the 400mm/f5.6 at the same time. The body and short zoom came in time for the trip, but the 400mm was out of stock and didn't arrive until I got back to the UK.
I was sitting at Cazalla and the bloke next to me was using a 400/5.6. I almost mugged him for it as the sky was full of eagles and kites passing over us.
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John Cantelo
Well-known member
Then may I remind you, Mike, that you still have a standing invitation to stay in our little cottage in Alcala de los Gazules ......
5 September. Sanlúcar, Rota & the Sierra de Grazalema.
Final day, a pleasant few hours around the extensive saltpans and associated pools in the San Lucar area. Almost immediately was in the midst of Greater Flamingoes and Slender-billed Gulls, richly dotted with Avocets here and there, assorted other waders, a Night Heron on an embankment and numerous other species. On a small pool sandwiched between farm plots and shacks, stacks of Cattle and Little Egrets, a bunch of Squacco Herons and one Little Bittern, two White-headed Ducks too. Red Kite nearby, occasional Booted Eagles drifting over. Could have spent longer here, but a few kilometres south I had a little unfinished business - some four or five years earlier, plans to look for European Chameleon came to zilch when I arrived at a preferred locality for them about ten minutes after it closed!
No such problem this time! With the temperature reaching 35 C, I arrived at the gates of the small Celestino Mutis botanical garden in Rota and almost immediately spotted a Lang's Short-tailed Blue fluttering around flowers high in a bush. Peering up at this butterfly, a green shape materialized midway up the bush ...green with goggle eyes swivelling around! At truly a snail's pace, this rather stunning Chameleon put on a fine show, stalking insects at one end of the bush for a while, then clamoring down branches to slowly relocate to the opposite side of the bush.
And with that, my trip was nearly over - just the small matter of a 650 km drive back to Madrid. With some time to spare, I diverted to the stunning limestone landscapes of the Sierra de Grazalema in the hope a few final butterflies. Late afternoon, 36 C, Griffon Vultures hanging across the ridges, precious few other birds active, but a nice walk anyhow. A couple of Southern Gatekeepers, a few Meadow Browns and two Small Coppers along the way and then, as departing, the final treat of the trip - a splendid Iberian Scarce Swallowtail attending flowers in the nearby village.
Time to go, back to Madrid, arrived a little before midnight, trip over.
Final day, a pleasant few hours around the extensive saltpans and associated pools in the San Lucar area. Almost immediately was in the midst of Greater Flamingoes and Slender-billed Gulls, richly dotted with Avocets here and there, assorted other waders, a Night Heron on an embankment and numerous other species. On a small pool sandwiched between farm plots and shacks, stacks of Cattle and Little Egrets, a bunch of Squacco Herons and one Little Bittern, two White-headed Ducks too. Red Kite nearby, occasional Booted Eagles drifting over. Could have spent longer here, but a few kilometres south I had a little unfinished business - some four or five years earlier, plans to look for European Chameleon came to zilch when I arrived at a preferred locality for them about ten minutes after it closed!
No such problem this time! With the temperature reaching 35 C, I arrived at the gates of the small Celestino Mutis botanical garden in Rota and almost immediately spotted a Lang's Short-tailed Blue fluttering around flowers high in a bush. Peering up at this butterfly, a green shape materialized midway up the bush ...green with goggle eyes swivelling around! At truly a snail's pace, this rather stunning Chameleon put on a fine show, stalking insects at one end of the bush for a while, then clamoring down branches to slowly relocate to the opposite side of the bush.
And with that, my trip was nearly over - just the small matter of a 650 km drive back to Madrid. With some time to spare, I diverted to the stunning limestone landscapes of the Sierra de Grazalema in the hope a few final butterflies. Late afternoon, 36 C, Griffon Vultures hanging across the ridges, precious few other birds active, but a nice walk anyhow. A couple of Southern Gatekeepers, a few Meadow Browns and two Small Coppers along the way and then, as departing, the final treat of the trip - a splendid Iberian Scarce Swallowtail attending flowers in the nearby village.
Time to go, back to Madrid, arrived a little before midnight, trip over.
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Jon Turner
Well-known member
Still not found Chameleon, must try harder.
John Cantelo
Well-known member
Try Rota since, as Jos found, they're a doddle at the Celestino Mutis botanical garden...
On this occasion, one was a doddle :t:
Despite the garden being tiny, I could not find another, not for lack of looking (perhaps the high temperature pushes them into deeper vegetation during the middle of the day?)
BUTTERFLY LIST
Marbled Skipper. One north of Montril, one in Alcornodales National Park
Zeller's Skipper. Colony of about eight aside a canal at La Janda, another couple of individuals a few hundred metres further along.
Mediterranean Skipper. Two at La Janda, same locality as the Zeller's Skippers.
Swallowtail. One at the Cazalla viewpoint, Tarifa.
Iberian Scarce Swallowtail. One at flowers in a village at Llanos de Libar.
Small White. One north of Montril, at least six in the botanical garden on Gibraltar.
Large White. One in the botanical garden, Gibraltar.
Clouded Yellow. One at La Janda.
Desert Orange Tip. Three on a rocky slope beneath the EXXX, north of Montril.
Monarch. Three in Alcornodales National Park, seven in the Gibraltar botanical gardens.
Two-tailed Pasha. Four attracted to rotting fruits in the botanical gardens on Gibraltar.
Cardinal. Five at altitude in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Striped Grayling. Six in an area of oines beneath the EXXX, north of Montril.
Meadow Brown. Two in Alcornodales National Park, four at La Janda and about 15 at Llanos de Libar.
Southern Gatekeeper. Five in Alcornodales National Park, two at Llanos de Libar.
Speckled Wood. Two in the botanical gardens on Gibraltar.
Small Copper. One at La Janda, two at Llanos de Libar.
Long-tailed Blue. One at La Janda.
Lang's Short-tailed Blue. At least 25 in the botanical gardens on Gibraltar, two at La Janda, one at the Celestino Mutis botanical garden.
Holly Blue. Two in Alcornodales National Park.
Common Blue. One in Alcornodales National Park, one at La Janda.
Geranium Bronze. Three in the botanical gardens on Gibraltar.
(22 species)
Marbled Skipper. One north of Montril, one in Alcornodales National Park
Zeller's Skipper. Colony of about eight aside a canal at La Janda, another couple of individuals a few hundred metres further along.
Mediterranean Skipper. Two at La Janda, same locality as the Zeller's Skippers.
Swallowtail. One at the Cazalla viewpoint, Tarifa.
Iberian Scarce Swallowtail. One at flowers in a village at Llanos de Libar.
Small White. One north of Montril, at least six in the botanical garden on Gibraltar.
Large White. One in the botanical garden, Gibraltar.
Clouded Yellow. One at La Janda.
Desert Orange Tip. Three on a rocky slope beneath the EXXX, north of Montril.
Monarch. Three in Alcornodales National Park, seven in the Gibraltar botanical gardens.
Two-tailed Pasha. Four attracted to rotting fruits in the botanical gardens on Gibraltar.
Cardinal. Five at altitude in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Striped Grayling. Six in an area of oines beneath the EXXX, north of Montril.
Meadow Brown. Two in Alcornodales National Park, four at La Janda and about 15 at Llanos de Libar.
Southern Gatekeeper. Five in Alcornodales National Park, two at Llanos de Libar.
Speckled Wood. Two in the botanical gardens on Gibraltar.
Small Copper. One at La Janda, two at Llanos de Libar.
Long-tailed Blue. One at La Janda.
Lang's Short-tailed Blue. At least 25 in the botanical gardens on Gibraltar, two at La Janda, one at the Celestino Mutis botanical garden.
Holly Blue. Two in Alcornodales National Park.
Common Blue. One in Alcornodales National Park, one at La Janda.
Geranium Bronze. Three in the botanical gardens on Gibraltar.
(22 species)
Despite the very nice species mix, it does have to be said that the overall abundance of butterflies in southern Spain in early September is very low. To put into some context, this weekend in Lithuania situated in the 'cold' north-east of Europe (actually it was 20C and sunny), 3000 km further north and three weeks later than my Spain trip, I still saw 19 species and several hundred individuals, i.e. many times more than in Spain.
Jon Turner
Well-known member
Donde Rota?
Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
Had two on our autumn trip last year, one at Laguna de Tarelo on a fence next to the car (around the back of the lake, not the hide) and this one in rather different circumstances on the road down from the cheese farm along the road from Bolonia.
Also seen them a couple of times at Guadalhorce, but I understand from your past experiences that you might not be a fan of that place any more. I know I'm not.
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MKinHK
Mike Kilburn
Thanks John! - its just the challenge of getting back to that side of the world . . .
Cheers
Mike
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