Albarracín Area, Teruel, Spain.

Out looking for the Ringlet again with Andy Tweed.

I started the morning with a little bit of birding around my Hotel, as I walked just the short distance to the nearby woodlands I recorded Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti) and Melodious Warbler (Zarcero políglota / Hippolais polyglotta), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Iberian Green (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus). 

I met Andy just along the road at Bar Restaurante Mesón de la Vega Albarracín where we had breakfast before we headed out to another spot around 30 minutes away for the Spring Ringlet (Erebia epistygne), on the way there we saw Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia) and Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).

Spring Ringlet (Erebia epistygne) habitat.

We arrived at the site quite early, it was still quite cool and cloudy and the only butterfly seen was a single Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) but we did also see and hear Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Common Buzzard, Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus), European Stonechat, Common Blackbird, Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Rock Sparrow, European Robin and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala).

Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

We decided to move onto another spot a few KMs further on along the same road which Andy knew about and give the Ringlet spot another go a bit later once it had warmed up a tad, on the way we saw Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Northern Raven, European Stonechat, Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Red-rumped Swallow and European Goldfinch, we arrived at the new spot and checked a puddling area down near the river finding several Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes) which were still roosting on grasses and bushes but nothing else so we crossed the road and checked the abandoned fields.

Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides).

Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides).

Chapman's Blue (Polyommatus Thersites).

On this side of the road we found Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), more Panoptes as well as Chapman's Blue (Polyommatus Thersites), Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides), Mirror (Ophrys speculum) and Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea) and up on some nearby crags some Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

The River at the Puddling spot.

on the other side of the road.

and further up the hill.

Birds included several Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos), Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Northern Raven, Western Orphean (Curruca Mirlona Occidental / Curruca hortensis) and Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea).

Spring Ringlet (Erebia epistygne).

Spring Ringlet (Erebia epistygne).

Spring Ringlet (Erebia epistygne).

Spring Ringlet (Erebia epistygne).

Spring Ringlet (Erebia epistygne).

Spring Ringlet (Erebia epistygne).

We returned to the car and then headed back up to the Ringlet spot where we soon found the first of around 20 or so of our targets the Spring Ringlet, some of which sat for us and allowed me to get some slightly better photos than I got yesterday but I didn't have a great day with the camera.

Shrubby Gromwell (Lithodora fruticosa).

Berberis hispanica.

Other species seen included several more Painted Lady's x8+, Berberis hispanica, Shrubby Gromwell (Lithodora fruticosa), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

Our next stop was at a spot near Moscardón where we checked the meadows and woodlands, here we saw Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Western Bonelli's (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Western Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasqueña Occidental / Curruca iberiae), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus) and Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea).

The Meadows at Moscardón.

Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).

Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).

Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).

Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli).

Butterfly and plant wise we saw a very smart ♀ Iberian Sooty Copper (Lycaena bleusei), Common (Anthocharis cardamines) and Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenoides), Wood White (Leptidea sinapis), Green-veined White (Pieris napi), Southern Grizzled (Pyrgus malvoides) and Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Adonis (Lysandra bellargus) and Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Large Blue Flax (Linum narbonense), Cowslip (Primula veris), Liverwort (Hepatica nobilis) and Saponaria ocymoides.

♀ Iberian Sooty Copper (Lycaena bleusei).

♀ Iberian Sooty Copper (Lycaena bleusei).

Green-veined White (Pieris napi).

Large Blue Flax (Linum narbonense).

Saponaria ocymoides.

Liverwort (Hepatica nobilis).

Liverwort (Hepatica nobilis).

Liverwort (Hepatica nobilis).

Cowslip (Primula veris).

Just up the road we made our last stop of the day at a puddling site which I have visited a couple of times before but in August, there were a few species Water Avens (Geum rivale), Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela maroccana), Panoptes Blue x35, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x5, Southern Grizzled Skipper and Small White (Pieris rapae).

Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela maroccana).

Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

We left and Andy dropped me back to my hotel, later we met at La Zahora again for another good meal.

Andy about to enjoy a glass of red.

North to Albarracín, Teruel Province, Spain.

Heading North to meet friend Andy Tweed for a few days looking for butterflies.

 

Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas).

I started out early as I wanted to reach a spot by mid-afternoon to give me a chance of seeing one of the two target butterfly species I had for the next few days, before I stopped for some breakfast at approx the halfway point in the drive I saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Iberian (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki) and Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Roemeria hybrida.

Roemeria sicula.

I came off the motorway at the Hostal Restaurante El Puente junction where I had breakfast before continuing on, a little while later I left the main A4 and went east on the A-43 but pulled off to message Paqui, I spent a few minutes stretching the legs and had a single Great Bustard (Avutarda Euroasiática / Otis tarda) fly over as well as several singing Calandra Larks (Calandria Común / Melanocorypha calandra), European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Roemeria sicula and hybrida, Hypecoum imberbe and Small White (Pieris rapae) x1.

Again I continued on adding White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Corn Bunting (Escribano Triguero / Emberiza calandra).

Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).

I made another stop to have a walk and parked right by a small puddle where I had a few Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x4 and a couple of Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes) x2 as well as Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola) and a little further on before I reached Moscardón I had a group of Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) on a carcass in a ditch, unfortunately there was nowhere to stop so I continued on.

As I drove through the Meadows near the village of Moscardón I had Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Liverwort (Hepatica nobilis) in blue and white forms on the roadside as well as Provence (Anthocharis euphenoides) x2 and Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) x5.

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

I reached the spot that Andy had sent me and started to have a look around but only found Painted Lady x8+, Large (Pieris brassicae) x1 and Wood White (Leptidea sinapis) x1, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x4, Provence Orange-tip x1♂ and Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x1 as it was quite cloudy with a cool wind.

Spring Ringlet (Erebia epistygne).

The Habitat.

After a while the sun came out and the wind dropped for a few minutes and during this brief bit of heat I had three sightings of at least 2 different Spring Ringlets (Erebia epistygne) which was one of the two species I had driven up for so I was very happy even with just these brief views.

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis).

I also saw Southern Early Purple Orchid (Orchis olbienis), Globularia vulgaris, Potentilla cinerea, Hairy Spurge (Euphorbia hirsuta), Montpellier Milkvetch (Astragalus monspessulanus), Iberian Mole (Talpa occidentalis) hills, Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla), Coal Tit  (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Eurasian Wren, Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Common Cuckoo (Cuco Común / Cuculus canorus).

Potentilla cinerea.

Globularia vulgaris.

Montpellier Milkvetch (Astragalus monspessulanus).

Hairy Spurge (Euphorbia hirsuta).

Iberian Mole (Talpa occidentalis) hills.

Andy arrived so we searched the area again but it had gone cold and dull by now so we didn't get any more views of the Target so we headed for the hotels in Albarracín and met up again later at La Zahora where we had a very nice meal and a few drinks whilst chatting about butterflies.