Hotel Toscana, Mirador del Corzo, Puerto de San Gloria in Cantabria, Rio Puerma north of Portilla de la Reina in Province of León, 3 stops NE of Puerto de San Gloria and back at the Hotel in Cantabria, Spain.

A cracking morning on the Cantabria and León border.

Karen and Rob, Day Six. 

 

Before breakfast I sat with the window open again as it was cooler, as I watched the trees in the garden and along the river I recorded Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

The view from the Mirador del Corzo looking NE.

and looking the other way.

Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania).

After breakfast we headed along the windy roads up to Puerto de San Gloria, we called in at the Mirador del Corzo which when we arrived was quiet, we found Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania) x2, Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) x5, Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis) and European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola).

Chapman's Ringlet (Erebia palarica).

Chapman's Ringlet (Erebia palarica).

Chapman's Ringlet (Erebia palarica).

We decided to move on when a couple of cars and a load of UK bikers turned up, at Puerto de San Gloria we did a walk out onto the upland meadows before we cleared the pine trees we found Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Eurasian Wren, European Goldfinch and our first Chapman's Ringlet (Erebia palarica) x6 which sat nicely for us and was a new species for Rob and Karen.

The Juniper and broom scrub.

Further along the track as we walked through the Juniper and broom scrub where we saw and heard several Common Quails (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix) with one bird showing fairly well on a bank nearby, Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis), Dunnock, Yellowhammer and European Serin.

Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix).

Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis).

Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) ♂.

Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) ♂.

Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) ♂.

As we moved along this track out into the grasslands, where we checked a small wet flush and the surrounding area adding Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata), Fringed Pink (Dianthus hyssopifolius), Large Self-Heal (Prunella grandiflora), Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Clouded Yellow, Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe), Dark-green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja), Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene), Piedmont Ringlet (Erebia meolans), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Small (Coenonympha pamphilus) and Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides).

Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius).

Dark-green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja).

Dark-green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja).

Dark-green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja).

Dark-green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja).

Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis).

Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione).

Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione).

Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione).

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene).

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene).

As we walked back towards the car we added Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas),  Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and European Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata), Eurasian Wren, Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), European Stonechat, Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and European Goldfinch.

Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe) ♂.

Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe) ♀.

Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe) ♂♀.

Piedmont Ringlet (Erebia meolans).

Piedmont Ringlet (Erebia meolans).

Piedmont Ringlet (Erebia meolans).

Large Self-Heal (Prunella grandiflora).

As we reached the car we picked up 3 Short-toed Snake Eagles (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), we crossed over into the Province of León where we went to a site in a roadside field looking for and finding several Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous) but the thing that hit us most was the horrendous amount of damage that had been done by a huge wildfire last August.

Looking along the valley which was still green but the hills are all scorched.

The Dusky Large Blue were difficult to get shots of as it was quite windy, we persisted and managed to get some OKish shots but no open wings.

Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous).

Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous).

Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous).

In the same area we saw Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Clouded (Colias croceus) and Berger's Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino), Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus),  Small and Spanish Heath, Heath Spotted Orchid, Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Common Bistort (Bistorta officinalis) and Great Masterwort Astrantia major).

Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides).

Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino).

Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino).

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus).

Great Masterwort Astrantia major) with some insects.

We returned to the car and dropped back down the valley to Portilla de la Reina where we had some lunch in Albergue De Portilla which was nice.

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia).

Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia).

Marbled White (Melanargia galathea).

We continued on back over Puerto de San Gloria and just a little down the other side where we made a few stops, at the first we checked out a sloping meadow, finding our first Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia), Clouded Yellow, Common Blue, Marbled White and Iris latifolia.

Looking down the valley.

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae).

Small White (Pieris rapae).

A little further down the hill we found Great Yellow Gentian Gentiana lutea), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae).

Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae).

Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae).

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).

Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus).

Marsh Tit (Carbonero Palustre / Poecile palustris).

Our last stop was below Mirador del Corzo where our first species was a very smart High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe) which was followed by Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae), Peacock (Aglais io), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), Marbled White, Meadow Brown and a Marsh Tit (Carbonero Palustre / Poecile palustris) which was coming down to a Thistle head to take seeds.

We made our way back down to Potes seeing a Red Deer (Ciervo común / Cervus elaphus) on the way, later we went out for a walk around the town and had a meal again before turning in after a very successful day.