Butterflies & Moths of Andalucia

Naturetrek Tour Report 21 - 25 June 2018

Report compiled by Niki Williamson

Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk

Tour Report Butterflies & Moths of Andalucia

Tour participants: Simon Tonkin & Niki Williamson (leaders) with a group of ten Naturetrek clients

Summary

This fascinating five-day exploration of the Strait of Gibraltar area yielded plenty of star Lepidoptera species including Two-tailed Pasha, Europe’s largest butterfly, with accompanying Monarchs, Swallowtails, Hairstreaks, Thorns, Underwings and Hawk-moths, to name but a few. But notably, as well as delving into moth trap treasure troves and chasing speedy butterflies, the group enjoyed a vast array of the area’s enthralling natural history: from Gibraltar Fiery Salamander to Gibraltar Sea Lavender; from Short-toed Treecreeper to Short-toed Eagle, and from Barbary Macaque to Bottle-nosed Dolphin! And all of this set against a background of relaxed, sunny days, taking in all the gorgeous scenery, culture and cuisine Southern Andalusia has to offer.

Day 1 Thursday 21st June

After a flight from the UK, Simon and Niki met the group at Gibraltar airport. From there we had an easy 25- minute journey to our accommodation at a beautiful eco-lodge set in seven hectares of wooded grounds at the edge of the Alcornacales Natural Park. Our hosts had prepared a light lunch for us on our arrival, and we were able to unwind and absorb the tranquility of our surroundings, seeing our first Speckled Wood butterflies (orange, rather than deeper brown here) and a Monarch while we ate al fresco. We also spotted several Purple Hairstreaks flitting around the canopies of the Cork Oak trees. We then settled into our lodgings in old colonial houses and log cabins in the gardens, surrounded by singing Serins, Short-toed Treecreepers, and Iberian Chiffchaffs.

In the late afternoon we headed out to explore the nearby countryside. Huerta Grande is ideally situated, with the largest cork oak forest in Europe to the north and the Strait Natural Park stretching south to the sea, so we were in immediate reach of a range of different habitats. Moving through extensively grazed meadows, we started to meet the butterflies of the Strait, including Clouded Yellow, Small Copper, Meadow Brown, and Wall Brown as well as the impressive yellow Cleopatra. Descending towards the sea through the forests, False Ilex Hairstreaks were abundant, and we admired an early instar Egyptian Locust nymph attempting to bury itself, ready for acquiring its next form. A Short-toed Treecreeper showed well in a nearby tree.

Later we headed back to the lodge to set up our moth trap, relax in our tranquil surroundings and, arguably more importantly, to enjoy one of Antonio’s gin and tonics before our first delicious three-course meal of the trip.

Day 2 Friday 22nd June

We started the day by having a good rummage through the moth trap before breakfast for those that wanted to, saving the most interesting specimens so that even the later risers could enjoy them! Among our finds for the day were many moths not generally seen in the UK, such as Oak Hooktip, Passenger, Dorset Cream Wave, Guernsey Underwing, Embellished Thorn, Palpita vitrealis, Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Schoenobius gigantella and the elegantly patterned Latin, as well as Garden Rose Tortrix, Green Oak Tortrix, Waved Umber, Purple and Canary-shouldered Thorns, Pea, Blotched and Small Emeralds and Willow Beauty. We also enjoyed a rather disgruntled-looking Conehead Mantis.

Butterflies & Moths of Andalucia Tour Report

Next we headed up through the low altitude Cork Oaks and maquis-type vegetation at the edge of the Los Alcornacales Natural Park for a special treat for the botanists in the group. We soon found ourselves looking upon a spectacular colony of Drosophyllum lusitanicum, an intriguing carnivorous plant and endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. We were able to admire this macabre little plant at close range, its mucus globules sparkling in the sun! We also enjoyed encounters with Spanish Gatekeeper, False Ilex Hairstreak and two beautifully fresh Marsh Fritillaries, as many Griffon Vultures drifting low overhead.

Making our way along the coast to the seaside town of Bolonia, we first paused for an all-important mid- morning ice cream, before exploring the mountain and coastal habitats there. Driving up through a maquis- covered landscape of Fan Palms and Cistus bushes, we reached Sierra de la Plata where Niki and Simon prepared our delicious picnic of local olives, salads, meats and cheeses. We lunched close to a huge colony of Griffon Vultures, allowing the chance to enjoy their impressive wingspans and prehistoric-sounding hisses and calls. We were thrilled to find a pair of endangered Egyptian Vultures breeding there, as well as a pair of Lesser Kestrels. Looking down, we had stunning views over Algeciras Bay, and Blue-winged Grasshoppers hopped at our feet!

Next we went to explore the coastal habitats. Taking a stroll along a beachfront boardwalk to explore the Tamarisk-dominated scrub and Stone Pine forests, we enjoyed Sea Holly, Sea Daffodil and Holly Blue butterfly. After a little examination of the Tamarisks, we found a delightfully patterned Mediterranean Chameleon, dark green with distinct blotches, eyeing us suspiciously from a twig! It soon relaxed and we were able to watch it catch insects! Walking back, we found a fabulous male Black-eared Wheatear feeding two begging juveniles amongst the impressive Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia.

After a last stop at the cliffs above Tarifa to appreciate the breath-taking views across the Strait to the rocky coast of North Africa, it was back to Huerta Grande. Here we relaxed with a refreshing drink before another of chef Juan Carlos’s superb three-course meals. Tonight’s menu featured Pisto - a traditional Andalusian shepherd’s dish of courgette, garlic and tomato, topped with a gently-poached egg and accompanied by fresh local artisan bread. Moving outside to finish our wine in the balmy dusk, we enjoyed an aerial display by several Kühl´s Pipistrelles before heading to bed after a day full of natural treasures!

Day 3 Saturday 23rd June

This morning began with our host Katrin presenting the early risers with an enormous spiny toad! The moth trap also impressed, yielding our first hawk-moth, a humungous Marimba quercus, commonly known as Oak Hawk- moth. Others new to the list were Large, Least and Oak Yellow Underwings, Brimstone, Least Carpet, Plain Wave and Apple Tree Tortrix.

Progress was slow towards our first planned stop as there was simply too much to see! Several colourful European Bee-eaters were adorning the telegraph wires while a Short-toed Snake Eagle perched on a pylon. A stop to enjoy some young White Storks on their nest also yielded a softly-patterned Dusky Meadow Brown.

Eventually we reached a beautiful secluded spot where the vegetation had formed a canuta (loose tunnel). This made an incredibly picturesque setting to watch several Monarchs flitting around the pink-flowered Oleander bushes and Milkweed, just centimetres from our cameras, while Nightingales and Blackcaps sang. A Woodchat Shrike was feeding its noisy young, probably with the Egyptian Locusts we had spotted earlier! Epaulette

2 © Naturetrek July 18

Butterflies & Moths of Andalucia Tour Report

Skimmer dragonflies joined Holly Blues by the water´s edge, and Red-striped Oil Beetles plodded around our feet.

We took our picnic at Los Tornos in Cork Oak pastureland near the village of Facinas. The wind had got up quite a bit here, keeping us cool in the shade and not enough to deter a singing Cirl Bunting. We enjoyed a refreshing drink or ice-cream before moving on to our next stop, up the mountain to Monte Facinas, well into the Alcornacales Natural Park. Here both Ilex and False Ilex Hairstreaks were numerous, allowing an interesting comparison. We were also lucky enough to find the Swallowtail we had been hoping for!

On the way home we stopped in Tarifa to enjoy the Lesser Kestrel colony in the fort of Guzman el Bueno. We could see at least nine nests on our side of the building, with adults (mostly the males with their powder-blue heads) busily provisioning two or three young in each. These young were now almost ready to fledge and seemed keen to leave their nest holes. We arrived back at Huerta Grande to find Juan Carlos sparking up the barbecue for another delicious meal!

Day 4 Sunday 24th June

This morning´s moth trap added yet more to our list including Green Silver-lines and False Mocca, and also micro moths such as Ethmia bipunctella, Idaea ostrinaria, Variegated Golden Tortrix, Gold Triangle and Lobesia reliquana. Once we’d sorted through them it was time to head back to the UK! Happily this was only twenty minutes away, across the border in the British enclave of Gibraltar.

Taking a cablecar up the famous Rock of Gibraltar itself, we were able to enjoy the spectacular views of the Strait and the Rock´s busy Yellow-legged Gull colony. A Blue Rock Thrush put on a show for us and we watched an EasyJet plane put on an expert landing on the runway below us!

But where were the Barbary Macaques? These characterful primates reside around the Top Rock viewpoint but today were nowhere to be seen! After a short walk through the nature reserve, taking in Sardinian Warbler and Wall Brown butterflies, we found them. They had taken up residence at the taxi arrival point, where they were certainly giving the arriving tourists the ´close encounter´ they had hoped for!

Our late-morning stroll round the Alameda Botanical Gardens was a real high point, yielding plenty of floating Monarchs and Speckled Woods, Geranium Bronze and a Humming-bird Hawk-moth. It wasn´t long before Barbara spotted a spectacular Two-tailed Pasha, Europe’s largest butterfly, flitting around the treetops. As we watched it came in to rest on a tree right in front of where we were standing! We had plenty of chance to admire and photograph its intricate underwing pattern at close hand.

After some free time to wander through the pretty shaded gardens, we headed to Gibraltar Point lighthouse at Europa Point, where we had our picnic lunch. Looking out to sea we were able to see a massive raft of Cory’s Shearwaters and enjoy many passing Balearic Shearwaters. We could see Sunfish fins bobbing about in the waves, and excitingly, several pods of Striped and Bottle-nosed Dolphins were evident.

We headed back over the border, making a final stop for the day at La Marchenilla area, just west of Algeciras. The flower-rich pastures in this area were a haven for wildlife thanks to the low intensity of grazing and lack of

Butterflies & Moths of Andalucia Tour Report

fertilizer use. Large and Small Whites, Clouded Yellow, Spanish and Southern Gatekeepers, and Wall and Meadow Browns were all present in this habitat, as was Four-spotted moth which is vulnerable and scarce in the UK. We had fantastic views of Woodchat Shrike and Melodious Warbler, and heard Cirl Bunting singing. Egyptian Mantises of various sizes were numerous in the sward.

Then it was home to Huerta Grande with plenty of time to pack and relax before our final dinner. After a mouth-watering lemon cheesecake, we reminisced about the highlights of our nature-packed trip over a glass of local sweet sherry.

Day 5 Monday 25th June

The group had a mid-morning flight from Gibraltar airport, so after breakfast it was time to say “¡Hasta luego!” to Katrin and the team and take our Lepidopteran tales and memories back to the UK. Simon and Niki had enormous fun leading the group and thank them for their good humour and enthusiasm for nature throughout!

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Butterflies & Moths of Andalucia Tour Report

Species Lists

Butterflies (=recorded but not counted) June Common name Scientific name 21 22 23 24 25 1 Swallowtail Papilio machaon 2 2 Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius 2 3 Spanish Festoon Zerynthia rumina 1 4 Large White Pieris brassicae    5 Small White Pieris rapae     6 Green-veined White Pieris napi  7 Clouded Yellow Colias crocea 2 2   8 Cleopatra Gonepteryx Cleopatra     9 Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius 2 10 Monarch Danaus plexippus 1 3 3+  10+ 11 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta 1 12 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui 1 13 Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia.beckeri 2 14 Meadow Brown Miniola jurtina.hispulla     15 Dusky Meadow Brown Hyponephele lycaon 2 16 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus 1 17 Spanish Gatekeeper Pyronia bathseba 3 4+  18 Southern Gatekeeper Pyronia Cecilia 1  19 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria     20 Wall Brown Lasiommata megera    21 Purple Hairstreak Neozephyrus quercus 4+  22 False Ilex Hairstreak Satyrium esculi 3+   23 Ilex Hairstreak Satyrium ilicis  24 Provence Hairstreak Tomares ballus 1 25 Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas 1 26 Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus 4+ 27 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus 1 28 Geranium Bronze Cacyreus marshalli 1 29 Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris 1

Birds

1 Cory's Shearwater Calonectris borealis 70+ 2 Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus 40+ 3 White Stork Ciconia ciconia   30+  4 Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis    5 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 5 6 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1+ 7 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus 2 8 Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus 10+ 20+ 40+ 1+ 9 Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus 3 4 10 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus 1 4 2 11 Black Kite Milvus migrans 1 12 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis     13 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus  14 Rock Dove Columba livia     15 Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus 1 16 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto    

Butterflies & Moths of Andalucia Tour Report

June Common name Scientific name 21 22 23 24 25 17 Tawny Owl Strix aluco 1 1 1 1 18 Common Swift Apus apus   30+  19 Pallid Swift Apus pallidus 2 1 40+ 20 European Bee-eater Merops apiaster 6 21 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major 1 1 1 22 Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni  20+ 1+ 23 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 2 1 2 24 Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo 1 25 Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator 4 1+ 26 Northern Raven Corvus corax 2 1 1 27 European Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus 2 3 2 2 28 Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus     29 Great Tit Parus major     30 Thekla Lark Galerida theklae 2 31 Crested Lark Galerida cristata 1   32 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica     33 Common House Martin Delichon urbicum  34 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica 2 35 Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti 1 1 36 Western Bonelli's Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli 10+ 5+  4+ 37 Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta 1 1 38 Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis 1 1 2 1 39 Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus ibericus 1 1 1 40 Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla     41 Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala     42 Common Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla   5 3 43 Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 1 2 2 44 Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea 1 1 1 45 Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla 2 4 3 1 46 Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor     47 Common Blackbird Turdus merula     48 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata 1 49 European Robin Erithacus rubecula     50 Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos 3+ 3 1 51 Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitaries 1 52 European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola     53 Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica 3 4 54 House Sparrow Passer domesticus     55 White Wagtail Motacilla alba 2 56 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris 1 57 Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs     58 European Greenfinch Chloris chloris    59 Common Linnet Linaria cannabina    2 60 European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis     61 European Serin Serinus serinus     62 Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra 2 3 63 Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus 4 3 1

Mammals 1 Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba 10+

Butterflies & Moths of Andalucia Tour Report

June Common name Scientific name 21 22 23 24 25 2 Bottle-nosed Dolphin Tursiops truncates 4+ 3 Barbary Macaque Macaca sylvanus  4 Kuhl’s Pipistrelle bat Pipistrellus kuhlii  

Reptiles and Amphibians 1 Mediterranean Tree Frog Hyla meridionalis  2 Common Toad Bufo bufo 

3 Horseshoe Whip Snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis  4 Moorish Gecko Tarentola mauritanica    5 Iberian Wall Lizard Podarcis hispanica     6 ´Gibraltar´ Fiery Salamander Salamandra salamandra  7 Mediterranean Chameleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon  

Other Insects 1 Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum   2 Epaulet Skimmer Oerthtrum chrysostigma  2 3 Copper Demoiselle Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis  4 Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula  5 Wartbiter Decticus verrucivorus  6 Red-Stripped Oil Beetle Berberomeloe majalis  7 Egyptian Locust Anacridium aegyptium  8 Blue-winged Grasshopper Oedipoda caerulescens  9 Egyptian Mantis Miomantis paykulli   10 Conehead Mantis Empusa pennata 11 Striped Shield Beetle Graphosoma italicum  12 Spoon-winged Antlion Nemoptera sinuate 

Plants 1 Portuguese Sundew Drosphyllum lusitanicum  2 Gibraltar Sea Lavender Limonium emarginatum 

Other 1 Sunfish Mola mola 3

Moths

Blotched Emerald, Comibaena bajularia Bordered Pug, Eupithecia succenturiata Brimstone, Opisthograptis luteolata Canary-shouldered Thorn, Ennomos alniaria Chinese Character, Cilix glaucata Dorset Cream Wave, Stegania trimaculata False Mocca, Cyclophora porata Four-spotted, Tyta luctuosa Garden Rose Tortrix, Acleris variegana Gold Triangle, Hypsopygia costalis Green Oak Tortrix, Tortrix viridana Guernsey Underwing, Polyphaenis sericata Humming-bird Hawk-moth, Macroglossum stellatarum Jersey Emerald, Pseudoterpna coronillaria Large Tabby, Aglossa pinguinalis Large Yellow Underwing, Noctua pronuba Latin, Callopistria juventina Least Carpet, Idaea rusticate Least Yellow Underwing, Noctua interjecta Oak Hooktip, Watsonalla binaria Oak Yellow Underwing, Catocala nymphagoga Passenger, Dysgonia algira Plain Wave, Idaea straminata Purple Thorn, Selenia tetralunaria

Butterflies & Moths of Andalucia Tour Report

Scarce Footman, Eilema complana Setaceous Hebrew Character, Xestia c-nigrum Green Silver-lines, Pseudoips prasinana Small Cream Wave, Scopula immutata Small Emerald, Hemistola chrysoprasaria Variegated Golden Tortrix, Archips xylosteana Waved Umber, Menophra abruptaria Willow Beauty, Peribatodes rhomboidaria Oak Hawk-moth, Marumba quercus Campaea honaria Hypsopygia glaucinalis Schoenobius gigantella Nychiodes andalusaria Palpita vitrealis Ethmia bipunctella Idaea ostrinaria Lobesia reliquana