Greenwings: Montes Universales/Valencia coast, Spain, 30 July - 7 August 2021

[David M]

For the second year, this trip to eastern Spain has somehow managed to remain 'pandemic-defying', providing an opportunity for both myself and a dozen others to get some much needed sun on our backs and see approaching 100 butterfly species.

The decision by Spain to allow UK citizens to visit with just a locator form and a double vaccination certificate was undoubtedly instrumental in getting this tour to run, and although there was much organisation required whilst there to ensure everyone had what they needed to board their return flights, I'm pleased to say it ended up being a great success, with all sites producing the goods.

This was in spite of unusually cool conditions for this area at this time of year, although for we Brits it's preferable to walk around in 25c and partial cloud rather than the more usual 34c accompanied by clear blue skies.

We even had heavy rain on one day, although thankfully this descended whilst we were in the bar at 5.30pm rather than in the field!!

Here are a few vistas taken from some of the locations visited:

[selbypaul]

The scenery looks quite different with cloud! Indeed, some of the vegetation looks relatively lush!

So glad you made it out there though David, and having seen some of Jon's photos on Twitter, I know you saw lots of good butterflies as usual!

[David M]

Yes, it was something of a culture shock to have cloud obscuring the hot sun, Paul. It didn't pose any major problems thankfully; in fact, it enabled people to photograph the butterflies much more easily than normal.

There had been some heavy rain prior to our arrival too, which explains why the vegetation appears greener than you recall.

[David M]

This year's trip was different in the sense that it contained an optional extension for those who wished to stay longer, with a couple of days spent near Gandia to explore some of the sites used by my Spanish co-guide, Pau Lucio, when he undertakes his birdwatching tours.

One of the excursions was to El Fondo wetlands, near Alicante, and this proved quite a memorable experience. I tend not to have the patience to watch birds, but when they are easy to approach I am happy to spend time doing so. The numerous Glossy Ibis were very impressive:

Not far from El Fondo was a series of salt lakes which gave me the chance to see wild Flamingoes:

There were several Black-Winged Stilts:

There were plenty of other birds of interest, including Egrets, Herons and even a Roller, which landed in a palm tree as we were driving out of the reserve. I was taken aback at how beautiful this species was but was unable to get a photo from inside the van.

[David M]

Another reason to visit El Fondo was to try to find Plain Tiger:

This reserve is managed for them and they are apparently very common there in the autumn. We weren't sure if any would be around at the beginning of August but we bumped into two of the reserve's rangers who confirmed they had seen one that morning.

We spread out and checked all the sheltered gullies and eventually we ended up seeing four in total. Of the three I saw, two were fly-bys, including this one that kept dipping in and out of the cane stems:

I only saw one come down, and that was only briefly when it decided to nectar on the LHP, Stranglewort:

It is a beautiful and impressive species in spite of its flighty behaviour, and I'm sure I'd have better opportunities were I to visit in late September or October.

[selbypaul]

The Plain Tiger really is a spectacular species! So glad you had a chance to see it, even if the views weren't perfect.

[David M]

The Plain Tiger really is a spectacular species! So glad you had a chance to see it, even if the views weren't perfect.

Thanks, Paul. Yes, this is a stunning butterfly and one I will do justice to on another occasion.

[David M]

Another benefit of the extension to the trip was that it allowed us to visit a lovely track in mixed pine/deciduous forest near Barx:

This finally gave me my first encounter with Two Tailed Pasha, a butterfly that I have wanted to see for a long time. It took an hour to find one but I eventually saw three in close proximity in a clearing at a fork in the track:

Again, this is a species that grows in numbers as summer turns into autumn, but the benefit of seeing this smaller number of specimens was that they were all very fresh. It was a fitting finale to the trip as just over an hour later we were all on our way back to Valencia airport.

[David M]

Whilst Plain Tiger and Two Tailed Pasha are undoubtedly 'flashy' species, we also saw a couple of much less spectacular (but nonetheless welcome) species on the Valencia leg.

First up was Mediterranean Skipper, seen at El Soler, which is a nudist beach so no habitat shots this time, I'm afraid.

Last year, we only saw a couple, but there were at least two dozen buzzing around this time, with most being found nectaring from the scabious growing at the edge of the car park (this had finished flowering in 2020):

We saw a handful more on the following day at the El Fondo wetlands.

From El Soler, we made our way down the coast to a series of paddy fields:

Whilst this is a bird and dragonfly paradise, it is rather bereft of butterflies - a few Whites and Clouded Yellows mainly.

However, there are decent numbers of the tiny African Grass Blue to be found here, although they are tricky to spot and even harder to photograph!!

We found about 20 or so in the irrigation channels beside the fields in the image above:

[David M]

On the main leg in the Montes Universales, there are four iconic species that everyone wants to see. The number one is definitely Zapater's Ringlet, and I'm pleased to say more were recorded this year than in any of the previous three.

I'd estimate around 30 were seen, well up on the mere two in 2018, and I personally saw around a dozen and a half, with the sometimes cloudy conditions actually helping in the sense that once located, zapateri was much less flighty than normal and happy to pose with wings open.

They really do stand out in this region as it is the only erebia flying at this time of year, and it's always such a joy to spot the first one. They continue to be irresistible every time they are seen:

[Roger Gibbons]

Viva Zapater, you might say... (maybe you have to be of a certain age)

Roger

[Tony Moore]

A club to which I undoubtedly belong...

Tony M.

[David M]

Viva Zapater, you might say... (maybe you have to be of a certain age)

A club to which I undoubtedly belong...

I'm sure that'll be lost on most on here.

[David M]

Another of the iconics is Iberian Sooty Copper, and we got very lucky with it this year.

We generally see anything between 5 and 20 of this species during this trip, but we must have hit a mass emergence on 1st August at a site in Noguera, as within 100m of the vehicles we'd already racked up double figures, and I probably saw more in two hours than I have done in the previous three tours combined.

They were all mint fresh and gleaming with that bronze hue in the morning sunlight. This female was radiant:

It was no surprise when one of the group found this mating pair:

I expected we'd see plenty more during the remainder of the trip, but they were strangely scarce, with only a handful being picked up elsewhere.

[Roger Gibbons]

Viva Zapater, you might say... (maybe you have to be of a certain age)

A club to which I undoubtedly belong...

I'm sure that'll be lost on most on here.

I'm sure you're right, David.
For the benefit of those under a hundred years old, it was a 1952 film with Marlon Brando:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viva_Zapata!

[David M]

Last year, we stopped at our Spanish Argus site at the end of the day, in the mid to late afternoon. It was windy and we consequently only saw a small number. In addition, due to the conditions, they were extremely difficult to photograph and had their wings firmly shut at all times.

This year, I thought we'd head to the site first thing, my rationale being that it would be less hot, less windy and that morronensis would be more visible and more active.

Thankfully, this turned out to be the case. Here is the small, rocky ridge where the colony is to be found:

There aren't many plants growing in this exposed location, but importantly, the larval host plant of this species, storksbill, is quite prevalent:

To find the butterfly, all you need to do is check these flowers once up there and eventually you'll spot one:

There were upwards of a dozen flying here, although I often worry that one bad forest fire might wipe out this isolated colony.

[Padfield]

You've persauded me, David. I think I need to see some zapateri. Time to start planning next year ...

Guy

PS - I'd never heard of Viva Zapata, nor indeed seen any Marlin Brando film, so that one went right over my head.

[Padfield]

I replied before seeing your latest post. Are those really morronensis? I would have called them montensis, which also feeds on storksbill.

Guy

[David M]

I replied before seeing your latest post. Are those really morronensis? I would have called them montensis, which also feeds on storksbill.

100% morronensis, Guy. It was Miguel Munguira who tipped us off about this isolated location in 2019.

It is tiny; smaller than agestis, whereas montensis is visibly larger than the cramera with which it sometimes flies, and has quite pointy forewings.

I'd say it's like the difference in size between a Silver Studded Blue and an Adonis Blue. The orange lunules in montensis are much more extensive too.

[Padfield]

I replied before seeing your latest post. Are those really morronensis? I would have called them montensis, which also feeds on storksbill.

100% morronensis, Guy. It was Miguel Munguira who tipped us off about this isolated location in 2019.

It is tiny; smaller than agestis, whereas montensis is visibly larger than the cramera with which it sometimes flies, and has quite pointy forewings.

I'd say it's like the difference in size between a Silver Studded Blue and an Adonis Blue. The orange lunules in montensis are much more extensive too.

Very interesting. I can see the apparently rounded forewing apex in most of the pictures counts against montensis but the general appearance of the upperside, with orange lunules extending even to the forewing, is so different from what I would have expected I would never have correctly identified these from the pictures. Maybe I would in the flesh! I've never yet seen morronensis (or have I? ), so all good learning!!

Guy