The Irish Naturalist

By Owen Beckett

Month: July 2020

Andalusian Anomalous Blue, Sierra de Almijara, Spain, July 2020

Hidden Treasures of the Sierra de Almijara, Part 2: July 2020

July 30, 2020 /

Aside from the section of the Sierra de Almijara around Nerja, there were two other areas of these mountains that I travelled to whilst I was in the region: Frigiliana and Canillas de Abaida. These two attractive white-washed hilltop towns offered something slightly different than the hills around Nerja and I was keen to get out and explore them.

The day during which I was looking for wildlife near Frigiliana was brief and admittedly I spent much of my time exploring the quaint white-washed streets. I did manage to take a short walk into the adjacent hills where I found a number of interesting butterfly species. Top of the list was the magnificent Two-tailed  Pasha. This stunning butterfly is the only representative of the Charaxes genus in Europe and I was treated to the sighting of three individuals, hilltoping in an open clearing. ‘Hiltopping’ is the name for the habit that certain butterflies have of flying to the tops of hills and often finding a prominent perch and driving off any other butterflies that happen to fly past. I like to think of it as the butterfly equivalent of playing ‘king of the castle’.

Other species I found were the ever-present Wall Brown, Small Copper and Dusky Heath, but a surprise for me was the Large Wall Brown. Unlike the regular Wall Brown this species is generally harder to find, particularly in southern Spain and is limited to rockier areas in the hills. I found it feeding on some Mediterranean Thyme but only managed a few photos as it was rather wary, although it never flew far when disturbed.

The other area I explored was a higher-altitude site near the village of Canillas de Anaida. After the windy road up to the village, a narrow lane led me to the little recreation area of Fabrica de la Luz, or ‘Factory of the Light’. I arrived here quite early in the morning and the sun had not yet risen sufficiently to bring out many butterflies, so I began my walk up into the mountains. After about 45 minutes of walking things were starting to warm up and I saw my first Dusky Heaths and Wall Browns of the day, species which seem to be common in these mountains. After around 15 minutes or so I made it to a prominent ridge where the sun was shining fully, so there were many more species in flight here. A Small Copper was feeding on Field Eryngo, which was by far the most popular nectar plant in this area. Also joining it was a Southern Gatekeeper, which was surprisingly sparse during my time here.

The pathway zig-zagged its way up a hill between pine woodland and dry open clearings. In such clearings the insect diversity was impressive, with a range of butterflies, bugs, beetles, wasps and bees all being seen. One particular bug which caught my attention was an Assassin Bug, Rhynocoris cuspidatus. These bugs lie in wait on flowers and pounce on any visiting insects. Other insects here included the attractive Longhorn Beetle, Chlorophorus trifasciatus and a species of leafcutter bee, Megachile sp. which I think was Megachile rotundata.

As I continued up the hill I was treated to a nice variety of butterflies. Tree Graylings, Wall Brown and more Dusky Heaths were present in the wooded areas whilst in the open areas species like the Small Copper, Long-tailed Blue and Bath White were seen, attracted in particular to Field Eryngo, Curryplant and various thistles.

Another new butterfly for me was the Spanish Gatekeeper. I was pleased to find this species as it was a new one for me and very much a target for the trip. I managed to get a shot as it basked in some dappled shade in one of the patches of woodland. A few Iberian Marbled Whites were also in flight further along this path, which were a nice surprise and one species I had not seen since doing the Camino in northern Spain. The Mountain Argus, a species I had seen for the first time the previous year in the French Pyrenees was also seen in this general area as were both the Blue-spot and False Ilex Hairstreaks, the latter being a new species and one which I had again been very much hoping to find on my trip.

After about two-and-a-half hours of walking I reached a particular clearing where I found one of the most special of all Spanish butterflies; the Andalusian Anomalous Blue. Although not the most striking species this butterfly is a real rarity even within Spain, being classed as vulnerable, endemic to Spain and confined to just a few mountains in the south of the country. I was delighted when I came across a fresh male feeding once again on Field Eryngo.

I spent some time photographing and enjoying watching this lovely butterfly before I decided to head back down. It was not long after I began my descent that a larger orange butterfly caught my eye. I immediately thought fritillary, but which one? As I approached carefully I was able to recognise it as a Niobe Fritillary, a nice bonus! There aren’t many fritillaries that fly during July in this part of Spain and this species in particular is limited to mountainous areas here. After getting some shots of it feeding on thistles I happened across the humble Sage Skipper. Although not many were seen on this particular walk, overall it was the commonest skipper in the area during my visit.

Continuing back through one of the patches of woodland, I caught sight of a rather drab-brown medium-sized butterfly. It landed once or twice on the dry ground and exposed rock where it blended in rather well and as I was photographing it, I was thinking to myself that it was just a local variation of the Meadow Brown. It was only afterwards whilst I was sorting through my photos that I realised that I had in fact been looking at its scarcer continental relative, the Dusky Meadow Brown. This was a surprise find and which I really didn’t expect to see, so once again I was delighted and couldn’t believe my luck!

I stopped every-so-often to take a look at some of the butterflies that were flying around the path; Bath White, Small Copper, Iberian Marbled White and Dusky Heath were all seen in relative abundance and whilst I was really in my element just watching them all, I didn’t want to keep my mum (who had kindly accompanied me on this trip) waiting for too much longer back at the recreational area as there was only so much sketching she could do! I did have to stop at one stage however and photograph a pristine Clouded Yellow. This species can be common over much of southern and central Europe during the summer and in my experience it had always been difficult to photograph, so I was glad to finally get close enough to get some nice photos of one nectaring happily on one of the several varieties of thistle that grew in the open areas.

After a brisk walk down the mountain I eventually reached the lush floor of the valley where the butterfly activity was much greater than when I had walked along here earlier that morning. Small Whites, Southern Blues and Holly Blues were mudpuddling here as well as flitting around the clumps of bramble that lined the riverbanks. The beautiful ford near the buildings at the recreational area was lined with pink Oleander blossoms and the crystal clear water made this area utterly blissful. A few more species of butterfly were seen here, mostly fixated on obtaining salts from the damp earth. Holly Blues were common as were Long-tailed and Lang’s Short-tailed Blues. A few Southern Marbled Skippers and Clouded Yellows also made an appearance before an Iberian Scarce Swallowtail came swooping by. Unfortunately it didn’t land so it evaded my camera, but it was another nice species to see at this lovely site.

Overall I had a fantastic trip to this lovely region of Spain and was chuffed with my findings. I would definitely recommend it for butterfly lovers but there is plenty for anyone with an interest in wildlife, and indeed anyone who enjoys warm weather, picturesque scenery, good food and quaint villages. I hope I can return someday to sample some of the riches during the spring or visit some of the higher mountains like the Sierra Nevada. Until then, a glass of Tinto de Verano and looking back through my photos will help me savour the memories!

 

Hidden treasures of the Sierra de Almijara, Part 1: July 2020

July 27, 2020 /

The Sierra de Almijara is one of Spain’s lesser-known mountain ranges located in the provinces of Malaga and Granada in the south of the country. In contrast to mountains like the Pyrenees or the Sierra Nevada, this range receives far fewer visitors each year and consequently it is a true wilderness with much unspoiled landscape.

The underlying geology of the area is calcareous marble with many steep valleys and sharp ridges whilst the climate is variable depending on the altitude, but generally winters are mild and wet whilst summers are hot with virtually no rainfall. The lime-rich soil and warm conditions create a wonderful habitat for many species of flowering plant. These in turn attract a myriad of insects quite unlike what I would be used to in Ireland, with many commoner continental and  Mediterranean butterflies  together with a few rarer species, a large range of bees and wasps, bugs, dragonflies, grasshoppers and many other insects. The area is also home to the locally scarce Cabras Montes, or Spanish Ibex which is an endemic species of wild mountain goat. Other animals include the Betic Midwife Toad (an endemic frog species), Common Genet, Wild Boar and Jewelled Lizard, whilst birds of the area include the Bonelli’s Eagle, Griffon Vulture and Golden Oriole. On my first day in the area I took a hike into the mountains starting in the town of Nerja to see what they had to offer.

The track I took led through woodland consisting primarily of Aleppo Pine and small clearings where plants like Anthyllis tejedensis and Mediterranean Thyme (the former is a particularly rare and attractive little flower with pale furry leaves, restricted to these mountains). The sun soon rose over the rocky ridge to the east which brought out the first butterflies of the day. By far the commonest species was the Dusky Heath, a species which is restricted to south-western Europe but can be common where found. Indeed, it was the most abundant butterfly at all of the locations that I visited in these mountains. Another species which I encountered frequently was the Striped Grayling, again restricted to the southwest of Europe:

Further along the trail, more butterflies started to appear such as the familiar Wall Brown, the diminutive Lulworth Skipper and a fresh male Southern Blue. The Wall Brown is a butterfly I had seen several times before but always in ones and twos, whereas here it was rather abundant. It was nice to see a species which is now so scarce back home doing so well here. On the other hand the Lulworth Skipper I saw was the only individual of the trip and a species that I had not seen before, so I was glad to get a few photos of this widespread European skipper.

During the hot summer months many of the plants here have finished flowering but there were still a few on display, such as Delphinium gracile, Dianthus broteri and the Spurge Olive (an inedible wild berry more closely related to oranges than olives). I also found the Western Prickly Juniper, a spiny shrub found in southwest Europe used to make Cade Oil, a type of incense.

The next area was more open with less shade which eventually led downhill towards a dry riverbed. It was here that I found two more species of skipper; the Red-underwing Skipper and the Southern Marbled Skipper. The first of these was one which I had seen previously in southern Portugal but the Southern Marbled Skipper was completely new for me. It is the rarer of the two, being confined mostly to Spain but with a few scattered populations in southern France and Italy too. It can be differentiated from similar species by its whitish underside veins and prominent white markings on the upperside.

Walking up from the dry riverbed took me towards an area of open scrub and maquis where I found some interesting insects. The Semipunctated Shieldbug was found on certain Fennel plants here, whilst a species of Mylabris beetle and the Antlion Myrmecaelurus trigrammus were also found here. Bees of the area included the large and impressive Xylocopa cantabrita (a type of carpenter bee) as well as an attractive little black and white Thyreus bee. Interestingly, there a large and robust fly feeding on the Mediterranean Thyme just like Xylocopa cantabrita which mimicked it rather well. This is a common trend in nature, where harmless flies have evolved to resemble species of bees and wasps which have the capacity to sting, thus allowing them to fool would-be predators. Wasps I saw here were similar to those seen at lower altitudes near Maro, such as Stizus ruficornis but in addition I also saw a large species of cutworm wasp, a member of the genus Sphex. Along the path I also stumbled across an Erodius beetle, otherwise known as a Dune Beetle. It was a large and sluggish beetle which I decided to place off the path in case it was trodden on! Further up the hillside again I came across a large dragonfly which I later identifies as a Large Pincertail, another new species for me. 

Close to this area was the Fuente del Esparto, a mountain spring upon which a small stone outlet has been constructed. It was almost strange to hear running water when so much of the surrounding countryside was so warm and dry. Around this area too I encountered one of the highlights of the trip, a mother Spanish Ibex and her young. Unfortunately my camera was kitted out primarily for close-up work on insects and flowers, which combined with their wary nature meant that I couldn’t get too close and the photos are a tad fuzzy, but it was a lovely animal to have seen for even the few seconds that i was treated with.

I ended up climbing up to around 800m, but at this point there was a lot of thick mist and cloud and the previously abundant insects had mostly disappeared for the time being. I decided to make my way down and among some patches of flowers there were still a few butterflies feeding on the Mediterranean Thyme, notably the Blue-spot Hairstreak.  This feisty little butterfly was rather abundant along the majority of the trail, often chasing off other Blue-spots as well as much bigger butterflies like Striped Graylings! Sage Skippers were also present in this area, as was a lone Bath White.

Admittedly there wasn’t a lot that I stopped and photographed on the way down as fatigue was starting to get the better of me, but here are a few final photos of some other plants and insects that I found along the way. In my next post I’ll be documenting my finds in another section of the Sierra de Almijara further inland, which threw up a few local specialities!

Mediterranean Skipper, Nerja, Spain, July 2020

Nerja and Maro: wildlife highlights July 2020

July 23, 2020 /

Nerja and Maro are two towns nestled along the Costa del Sol in Andalusia in southern Spain, an area which sees droves of tourists flock their each year, especially in the summer to avail of the abundant sunshine and pristine beaches. One of the lesser-known facets of the region is its wonderfully rich wildlife. The Sierra Nevada near Granada (some 50 km away) is a popular site for ecotourism, but Nerja and its neighbour still receive little attention by comparison. This July I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to explore the area and see what it had to offer.

Andalusia is one of the hottest regions in Europe and come July much of the land (particularly that which is low-lying or near the coast) can look parched and barren. A closer look however can reveal a community of  plants and insects which are well-adapted to survive the intense summer sunshine. In some of the areas of wasteground and scrub outside the towns plants such as Mediterranean Thyme, Sand Viper’s Bugloss and Arabian Pea can be found:

The Mediterranean Thyme in particular is a popular nectar source for the various insects which inhabit the area, especially butterflies. Typical Mediterranean species such as the European Swallowtail, Long-tailed Blue, Southern Blue, Southern Brown Argus, Small Copper and Bath White were all attracted to the profusion of lilac flowers. The Southern Blue and Southern Brown Argus are Iberian counterparts of the Common Blue and Brown Argus respectively, which occur elsewhere in Europe and it was nice to see both again after finding them in southern Portugal a few years ago.   The Geranium Bronze is another butterfly species which can be readily seen in the area, although more often in parks and gardens. It is a non-native species from South Africa which arrived in Europe in the 1980s via imported Geraniums (its larval foodplant) and is now very much a Mediterranean denizen.

In addition to these commoner species, I was treated to a couple of local specialities; the Monarch,  Mediterranean Skipper and Desert Orange Tip. The former is probably the most famous butterfly in the world, due to its large size and annual migration across North America, when thousands of individuals cross en masse from the north to the south of the continent. In Europe however it is somewhat of a rarity and such migrations are not undertaken, as it is a resident in the south of Spain as well as the Canary Islands. It is another relatively recent coloniser, thanks in part due to the widespread planting of its foodplant, Milkweed in parks and gardens throughout the area over the last few decades. The Mediterranean Skipper on the other hand is native, but quite patchy throughout the Mediterranean region. It is a small nondescript species but a very fast flier, so I was lucky to get a few shots of this rarity before it flew off! The Desert Orange Tip is more of a north African species, but it just manages to creep onto the European continent here in southern Spain. It likes very hot, rocky areas and a managed to find an individual near one of Maro’s beaches, a fine male basking in the sun.

Other than butterflies, the area was also home to several different varieties of dragonfly as well as spiders, wasps and shieldbugs. The Violet Dropwing was the standout dragonfly species, with its rich red and violet colouration it was the most spectacular dragonfly I’ve ever seen. The Keeled Skimmer was also present and whilst not as striking as the previous species its rich blue colour makes it an attractive dragonfly in its own right. Striped Shieldbugs were present on some of the Fennel plants growing in the area, whilst the impressive Violet Carpenter Bee (one of Europe’s largest bees) was seen a few times on the Mediterranean Thyme and Yellow Restharrow.

Although they terrify some people, the wasps and spiders of the area are in reality quite harmless as long as they aren’t pestered and are usually much more interested in flowers or catching other insects than they are in people. The most impressive spider in the region (and the largest in Europe) is the Gibraltar Funnel-web Spider. It is a large, black spider which constructs cylindrical webs deep among the dry vegetation. They are not a particularly common species and consequently are protected in Spain. Another spider of interest was the Napoleon Spider. This species is much smaller but thanks to its striking red and black colouration, it can be spotted easily. The wasps I found in the outskirts of Nerja included the Red-horned Sand Digger, the French Paper Wasp and the formidable Beewolf. The latter is a particularly interesting species, as it creates burrows in areas of sandy soil before catching and paralysing honeybees to deposit in the burrows for its larvae, which develop safely within the burrow and feed on the honeybees. Gruesome, but a fascinating life cycle.

As expected, bird activity was quite low. A few Starlings, Spanish Sparrows and Spotted Flycatchers were seen in the vicinity of where I was staying, likely availing of the abundance of insects around! I also managed to find some kind of hawk or falcon patrolling the area close to the Maro Aqueduct, but I didn’t get close enough views to determine an ID. Reptiles were also present (as they often are in Mediterranean climes), in particular lizards. The Large Psammodromus was the most commonly seen lizard, visible almost everywhere on hot rocky surfaces particularly in the morning. A few Moorish Geckos were also present in our postbox of all places! I also managed to find a frog near one of the irrigation channels beside the Avocado groves nearby, as well as a snake beside the Cuevas de Nerja, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a good enough look at either to figure out what species they were. All in all however it was a very rich area in wildlife and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in nature, particularly insects as there were far more species present in addition to those I have mentioned, and this was only during July. I am certain there would be a whole host of other species here during the spring in particular. Someday I hope to go back here in April or May to witness the fine display of spring flowers and butterflies that Andalusia is known for. In the next post I will document some of my hikes into the nearby Sierra de Almijara, which had a few surprises of their own…

 

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