Anthocharis euphenoides subsp andalusica or Morocco Orange Tip

Sunday afternoon while walking down our own dirt track enjoying the last moments of sun, we were lucky to photograph a female ´orange tip´ that we had not seen on our finca before. To find the names of new butterflies we always first consult the online magazine of Waste Ideal. Looking at photographs on this website an flora and fauna in Andalusia, we now think that the one we saw is an Anthocharis euphenoides subsp andalusica, a butterfly in the Pieridae family. Another name is mentioned between brackets: Anthocharis belia euphenoides Staudinger, 1869. The Spanish names given on this website are ´Aurora meridional´ or ´Bandera española´ and the English name ´Moroccan Orange Tip´. It apparantly closely resembles to the Provence Orange Tip (Anthocharis euphenoides). In an article on the Provence (Moroccan) Orange Tip by Matt Rowlings from his website dedicated to European Butterflies, we can read that the Provence Orange Tip has only recently been split from the Moroccan Orange Tip. Of this beautiful species he mentions that it flies from April in one generation and that it mostly is over by the end of May. The Morocco Orange Tip (Anthocharis belia) and the Provence Orange Tip are both said to fly in Spain. We hope to be able to take more pictures soon so that we can learn to distinguish them better.
PS We often see the male Morocco Orange Tip - much smaller and yellow with orange tips - flying around today (the 8th of May) we saw it res for a moment for the first time (see last photograph).







Related links: 
- Guia de Mariposas on the online magazine Waste Ideal

Related key words: familia peridos, familie pieridae, witjes, geel oranjetipje, vlinders, alpujarras, sierra nevada,  bérchules, trektocht, trekking, wandelvakanties, holiday, urlaub, vacances

Bird Count, IV Censo de Aves de la Alpujarra 16 de abril de 2011

This coming Saturday the 16th of April at 08.00 hours the second spring bird count will take place starting at the rural hotel Alquería de Morayma in Cádiar. Last year the spring bird census was done on the 18th of April, during which 37 different bird species were counted. It will be the fourth censo, as two other autumn countings were organized. From the map of this announcement the first loop will be done which is a walk of 8,5 kilometres through the beautiful valley of the Río Guadalfeo. Anybody interested is welcome to participate. The ´IV Censo de Aves´ will be led by Antonio Ramos, guide of the National Park Sierra Nevada and by the enthusiastic expert and local wildlife guide, Gary Morrell. For more information you can call us at El Paraje, the Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada or Alquería de Morayma.



Related article:
- Report of the II Censo de aves de la Alpujarra 18th of April 2010

Related key words: censo de pájaros, bird census, vogeltelling

Margaret Drabble at Casa Ana in Ferreirola

For creative people the Alpujarras can be an inspirational and pleasant setting to work. Therefore Casa Ana in Ferreirola is sometimes used as a base for writing holidays organized by The Literary Consultancy (TLC). At the moment two Literary Adventures Writing Courses are run during which guest writers are invited. Last week visiting speakers were Chris Stewart and Michael Jacobs, an event that we personally enjoyed very much.
This coming Monday the 4th of April Dame Margaret Drabble will give a presentation at 17.30 hours.
Margaret Drabble's work includes seventeen novels amongst which ´The Sea Lady´, ´The Seven Sisters´, ´The Peppered Moth´ and ´The Needle's Eye´, and various works of non-fiction. She has won numerous prizes, including the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and was made a Dame in 2008. She will be reading from a collection of Complete Short Stories, ´A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman´ that is due to come out in May 2011.
The fee to assist this literary event ´To live as a writer´ is 5 euros. For more information call 958 766 270 / 678 298 497 or email info@casa-ana.com.

Ruta Medieval through the Alpujarras

The Ruta Medieval is a beautiful linear walk connecting the villages Pórtugos, Atalbéitar, Ferreirola and Busquístar in the Taha valley and Cástaras, Nieles and Juviles. The wooden waymarking posts guide you from west to east.

We have a description and a map of a route of 20,7 kilometres from our small country hotel ´El Paraje´ to Busquístar, following the medieval paths from east to west.

Click on the image to enlarge.

This is the description and the GPS track that includes the stretch from us to Juviles.
The idea is to come back using the Granada - Bérchules bus, click here for schedules of the ALSA bus services), or arrange a taxi transfer.

profile from El Paraje to Busquístar.

Other documentation on this route PR-A299 can be found on the Spanish website of the  Mancomunidad de Municipios de la Alpujarra Granadina.

The GPS data of the whole route (including the stretch Busquístar - Pórtugos) can be found there

stage 1 Pórtugos   - Busquístar 4,7km, details  and profile

stage 2 Busquístar - Portichuelo de Castaras 4,2 km, details and profile
stage 3 Portichuelode Cástaras - Nieles 5,6 km, details and profile
stage 4 Nieles - Juviles 6,5 km, details and profile

A nice two day round trip suggestion might be:

day 1: Pórtugos or Busquístar to Juviles (or El Paraje) following the Ruta Medieval

day 2: Juviles (or El Paraje) to Trevélez and Busquístar (or Pórtugos) following the GR7

The web Recuerdos de Castaras has a comprehensive article about the oficial spanish leaflet on the Ruta Medieval.

Click here to search accommodation per village.



Related keywords: alpujarras, hiking through the sierra nevada, wandelen, wandelingen, wanderung, B&B in Berchules, hotel, hostal, hostel, , trektocht door bérchules, hiking, trekking through Andalusia, standplaats vakantie, wandelvakanties, holiday, urlaub, vacances, GR7 wandelpad

Cistus albidus or Grey-leaved Sunrose

In the Alpujarras various types of sunroses can be found like the Cistus clusii and the Halimium atriplicifolium, amongst others. The only kind we have so far seen on our own terrain, is the Grey-leaved Sunrose or Cistus Albidus. In general this Grey-leaved Sunrose has rose-purple flowers, but a white form is found as well. The petals have this special look of crinkled paper which is distinctive of most rockroses. Last week we saw masses of this beautiful bush, native to the Mediterranean, while walking the GR7 between Montenegro and Mecina Bombarón. It was nice to see that the first flowers had come out at an altitude of about 900 metres. Our Casa Rural ´El Paraje´ is situated almost 500 metres higher than this and we think that it might still take at least a month before we will be able to see our own sunroses in flower.




Related key words: jara blanca, estepa blanca, jaguarzo blanco, ardivieja, weißliche zistrose, ciste cotonneux, arbrisseau, familia cistáceas, cistaceae, rockrose family, zonneroosjesfamilie, zistrosengewächse,  alpujarras, sierra nevada, wandelen, wandelingen, wanderung, B&B, hotel, hostal, hostel, bérchules, trektocht, hiking, trekking, standplaats vakantie, wandelvakanties, holiday, urlaub, vacances