The Yellow Narcissi Saga Continues

Narcissus bulbocodium

There are various lovely wild yellow narcissi which form an important part of the biodiversity of plants in the Grazalema and Sierra de las Nieves Natural Parks in Andalucía. However, they are not easy to identify and some are not that easy to find as they are becoming rarer.

On another stroll I was lucky to be acompanied by the very knowledgeable Sue Eatock. Our first item on the shopping list was the Narcissus bulbocodium. We found that it was sharing habitat with a few Narcissus fernandesii.Then we visited another site to have a look at how the Narcissus fernandesii was doing there; although there were fewer plants than I remember from about 5 years ago, it looks like there was no spraying or strimming last year and the plants are doing not too badly.

Narcissus fernandesii

We had a close look at the very vulnerable and strictly protected Crocus serotinus s. nevadensis, a lovely and delicate plant found very occassionally in certain parts of the Grazalema Natural Park. It is apparently more wide-spread in Jaen Province, however I haven´t confirmed this information yet.

Crocus serotinus s.nevadensis

We had a quick look at Fire Salamander larvae well visible in slow-flowing parts of a stream.Not many butterflies were flying yesterday, I only caught a glimpse of a Small Heath and a Wall Brown. I was in for a treat after that though, I had a good look at the first Hummingbird Hawk-Moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) of this year hovering around a Giant Orchid in bloom, and why-oh-why wasn´t I fast enough to focus the camera! I also thought it was very early in the year for it to be flying, but there was no doubt about the species, I was pretty much nose-to-proboscis with it.

Many more Ophrys fusca are in full bloom now with several flowers on one plant and many more buds coming up. I was happy to find two different subspecies  sharing the same site.

 

Note: I have just been told by Mick Richardson from Loja Wildlife that the fusca on the left is considered by many experts to be a separate species, subfusca, and the one on the right might become a species soon as the fusca orchids are being re-evaluated. Thanks, Mick.

I must admit I find it hard to be looking down at plants and focuss on  the birds, I have to "dedicate" each walk or outing to either creatures found on the ground or birds. I think an additional set of eyes on top of one´s head would be a very useful mutation to have.

However, we did hear the Common Kestrel calling continuously while hunting, there were many Griffon Vultures flying in a spiral over the Ribera section of Grazalema, Sue spotted a lovely male Black Redstart of the very dark variety in its breeding plumage (Phoenicurus ochruros aterrimus) and I had a brief glimpse of the winter visitor to our area, a Song Thrush. There were  several Great Cormorants perched somberly around the Zahara lake. In Montejaque I stopped at my favourite olive grove to see a mixed group of finches and other small passerines feeding on the ground amongst the flowers. I saw several Linnets, Serins, Goldfinches, Black Redstarts, Blackcaps, Sardinian Warblers, a Crested Lark and another winter visitor, a Siskin. There were several Griffon Vultures perched on rocks further up, but I could not locate antyhing worth waiting for, no visible carcass around. All in all it was a great outing.