After The Rain

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

The Painted Lady butterflies are back in great numbers. Are they the ones that arrived a month or so ago or a new swarm? I believe they are here because they have been blown off course of their migration. Strangely today the butterflies did not settle at all. (Except on the front of my car while driving )

 

Did you know the Spanish word for butterfly is Mariposa?

[windermeregolfer]

Some photos (taken 7/12/18) of the quarry where the 4x4 Extreme Event is taking place near PDR -

                           

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Today's pics are from the Barranco del Risco by La Matilla (FV10). The barranco is very green with lots of flowers at the moment - normally only the agaves are to be seen. There is a tiny bar by the road, unfortunately closed at the moment, and behind this roam loose anything up to 20 peacocks. Quite a sight when you drive round the bends and find one or three crossing the road! Look out for them roosting in the tumbledown finca.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

and the barranco itself:

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Tetir today



Click on the images for a clearer picture.

[GSDGirl]

Tamara, what are the men with the dogs doing do you know?

[waggy]

Today's pics are from the Barranco del Risco by La Matilla (FV10). The barranco is very green with lots of flowers at the moment - normally only the agaves are to be seen. There is a tiny bar by the road, unfortunately closed at the moment, and behind this roam loose anything up to 20 peacocks. Quite a sight when you drive round the bends and find one or three crossing the road! Look out for them roosting in the tumbledown finca.

   

   

 

Wow!  FV looked like this in 1997 when I first arrived there. The snails look like a variety of Banded Snail (Cepaea nemoralis) off the top of my head.
Snails often roost like this during the day to get away from the heat at ground level. Sometimes they aestivate in drought conditions and seal over their entrances (another smaller shell - they are bi-valves actually) with mucus, which hardens until softened by enough moisture.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Thanks for the info about the snails Waggy - I'd wondered why I see so many up in the air/out in the open during the day. A few weeks ago I came across a hedgehog feasting on them in the middle of the afternoon - disgusting noises: crunch/slurp/crunch/squelch

[waggy]

Thanks Tamara; your pix are brill. Very often it's the micro life that's the more interesting, Tamara; all we have to do is to spend a little time to look carefully, as you do.
Looks like your hedgehog preferred its snails rare and not too well cooked.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

A couple of pics from La Oliva today. The white daisy is just coming in to bloom and soon there will be great spreads of it all over the place.
From Wikipedia:
Anacyclus pyrethrum (pellitory, Spanish chamomile, or Mount Atlas daisy)





and this barranco between La Oliva and Tindaya still has a pool of water:


The recent car rally came past here (this was a viewing point) and when I parked up to take some pics today I was disgusted at the amount of rubbish left behind: broken bottles, cans and plastic packaging in abundance. I often find the odd bit of rubbish up here, unfortunately, but I've never seen anything like this before. I filled one carrier bag and took away but I'll go back tomorrow with gloves and stronger bags to clear as much broken glass as possible.