The Spanish Tour for WINGS - Day 11 - 10th May 2023
A pre-breakfast walk up into the scrubby meadow behind the
Hotel Puerta Sepúlveda was worth the slightly damp dewy feet with Melodious
Warbler chattering merrily and Woodchats gleaming as they sat sentinel on the
high points. The latter attracted the
attention of the Sardinian Warblers and Stonechats who saw then as a
threat. A Western Orphean Warbler was
belting out from a fir tree and Serins, Black Redstarts and Cirl Buntings sang from roof tops and
aerials. If only all wake up birding was
like this!
A small quarry had a pair of Rock Sparrows that showed very well along with two gleaming Greenfinches and Woodlarks were warming up above us.One of our key birds to find here was Wryneck and some of us got very good views of two birds as they fed in the grass and sang from the Bramble.
Greenfinch
Serin
Melodious Warbler
Melodious Warbler
Black Redstart
Rock Sparrow
There were loads of micro moths dancing up in front of us as
we walked through but I failed to get any images but at least the Orchids were
more obliging with Yellow Bee and what I think were Early Spider but I am happy
to be educated!
A quick breakfast and the on the road but only as far as the
edge of town to look back into the sinuous gorge which was just being filled by
the warming sunshine. It was full of song with Serins, Cirl Buntings,
Blackbirds, Cuckoos, Hoopoes and our first Stock Doves that seemed to be nesting
in the cliff face like Rock Doves.This
is quite a tricky species to pick up on these trips.
A delightful half hour was snatched back at St Frutos with
the same suite of species and just a couple of Red-legged Partridge to add
before moving on once again.
A coffee stop at the delightful river below the dam at
Burgomillodo failed to produce Dippers but we did get great views of Common
Sandpipers, both Grey and White Wagtails, Spotted Flycatchers, Wrens, Hawfinch,
Short-toed Treecreeper and Golden Oriole.
Griffon
Griffon
A different Wall Lizard to that in the Gredos - hoping John M can remind me of the id of both!
The fluff got everywhere
Spanish Speckled Wood
Wren
Calliphora - I think C vomitoria from the ginger beard
Grey Wagtail
Common Sandpiper
A Mallard brood was notable and Moorhens clucked in the
edges while Sand and Crag Martins were amongst the usual other trio of species.
The air was full of Poplar fluff as the mature trees were setting seed
liberally in the breeze leaving drifts of fluff around any angle and lone bits
made it into the vans, your hair and coffee cup.
Fluff
A chap was leading a troop of Shetland Ponies to have a
drink and a new foal put on a wonderful show for us before it was time to move
on once more.
It was a long and frankly dull journey onwards through vast
plains of arable land but we did see two male Hen Harriers from our van and a
single male Marsh Harrier along with an immature Egyptian Vulture and the usual
selection of other raptors.Lunch was
taken at services on the outskirts of Burgos before we began to climb into the
Picos foothills.
Two stops in and around the grounds of the Parador de Cervera
de Pisuerga gave our first Common Redstarts and Tree Pipits along with
Short-toed Treecreepers (sometimes doing Common TC calls…), Song and Mistle
Thrush and a well hidden Firecrest nest.
Black Redstart
Song Thrush
There were plenty of Butterflies to check though with Adonis
and Holly Blues, Small Tortoiseshells, Marsh Fritillaries and the delightful De
Prunner’s Ringlets that were down on the Hawthorn blossom.
Adonis Blue - a bright female
Adonis Blue
Holly Blue
Marsh Fritillary
Marsh Fritillary
De Prunner’s Ringlet
De Prunner’s Ringlet
De Prunner’s Ringlet
Bluebells were in flower and spikes of Lizard Orchids were
struggling with the very hot dry conditions of recent weeks.
Back down in the town the river was Dipperless and from here
we embarked on the climb up through the high pass of Piedrasluengas. The higher
we climbed the more amazing the roadside flora became with damp meadows lined
with yellow and cream nodding Wild Daffodils - Narcissus
nobilis var. leonensis along with Orchids and a very large flowered
purple Viola but there was not the time or opportunity to stop for a closer
look and the Mirador at the summit afforded magnificent views but none of the
flora seen just mile back down the road.I must return.
Three views in three directions from the Mirador
We wiggled down the hairpins into Potes and then to Tama and
our lovely Pousada El Corcal de Liebana for our last three nights of this
mammoth trip. It was getting late and rain was on the way in but there was
still time to watch both Redstart species feeding around the farmer frantically
harvesting his hay crop from the paddock around the hotel while Raven and Black
Kites headed off to their respective roost sites.
.JPG)
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