Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.

Friday, 14 August 2026

Santo Dominga de Silos in Burgos Province, Laguna Negra and Embalse de la Cuerda del Pozo in Soria Province, Spain.

Heading out into Soria province to visit a brilliant spot recommended by Santi.

Just after sunrise on the way to Laguna Negra.

Paqui and I headed SE into Soria; we asked Santi for a nice place to visit and he suggested Laguna Negra, I was very pleased he did as it was a wonderful area.

On the way we saw Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

One of the many cows on the road up to the Car park at the Lake.

We reached the car park, paid €5 at the kiosk for parking and were told that after parking, we had a 2km walk up to the lake.

Laguna Negra in Soria.

As we started to walk, I noticed a sign on a different building about a bus and as we were reading it a minibus pulled up so we asked the driver and he said it was €2 there and back.

We paid the €2 which turned out to be a very good idea, as by the time we had walked around the Lake my sciatica was letting me know it was still there, however it was well worth it as it was a stunning place.

Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae) ♀.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus).

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).

After getting off the bus we walked the 300m up to the lake, on the way we saw Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae) x1♀, Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) x3, Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora) x4 and Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x2.

Bird wise as we continued on we picked up Great Spotted and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Goldcrest (Reyezuelo Sencillo / Regulus regulus), European Crested (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus) and Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

The area for the Dragonflies.

Standing in front of the Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum).

After completing the boardwalk, we started to drop back down to the Bus stop but on the way Paqui spotted a few Butterflies off the side of the track so we had a walk over to a small stream where instead of Butterflies Paqui found my first ♂ Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) and she soon followed that with the first of at least 4 ♂ Yellow-winged Darters (Sympetrum flaveolum) and then I managed to find a rather battered Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii) and several Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) ♂.

Yellow-winged Darter (Sympetrum flaveolum) ♂.

Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii).

Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi).

We caught the bus down to the car park where we went into the Venta de la Serrá where we had a drink, a bit of tapas and a Lizard Species.

The Tapas Torreznos of Soria.

The Lizard species.

On the walk to the car we checked out an area of thistles as there were a lot of butterflies there including Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma), Small White (Pieris rapae), Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Berger's Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)a good number of Cardinal Fritillaries, Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus).

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) and Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma).

Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma).

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) and Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).

We got into the car and returned to the main road and headed back towards Santi's but made a stop on the way at the Embalse de la Cuerda del Pozo where we walked down to the water, seeing Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Gatekeeper, Rock Grayling (Hipparchia alcyone) and a very tatty Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) whilst Paqui had a paddle.

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) ♂.

Embalse de la Cuerda del Pozo.

Having a Paddle.

Continuing on west we got back to Santi's, after having some food with Santi and later a bit of a siesta before going down to the Monastery for the Gregorian Chants but had to dodge a rather heavy rain shower on the way back.