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Tuesday 19 January 2016

Silos, Covarrubias, Yecla near Silos, Casilla y Leon.

Birding in Santi's garden, Covarrubias, Silos, Monasterio de Silos and the Gregorian Chants later.

The Churchyard gate.
We got up and I did a bit of birding from the lounge of Santi's house and on the grass and in a leafless Fig tree I picked up Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Cirl (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) and Rock Buntings (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Sardinian (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and Dartford Warblers (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), House (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).
Santi, Jayne and Howard in Covarrubias.
After breakfast we got in to Howards car and we went to a nearby village called Covarrubias where we parked and had a walk around this very smart town with some very nice old building and river side walks. 
Around Covarrubias.
On the way we saw Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone). 
Around Covarrubias.
Down by the river I saw Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) and mixed in with the flock of Siskins was a much greyer looking bird but just as I got my bins on to it they flew to a more distant tree and by the time I got there had gone altogether, so my first instinct that this bird was a Lesser Redpoll (Pardillo Sizerín / Carduelis flammea) could not be proven.
Around Covarrubias.
After a very pleasant walk around the town and a coffee in a bar we headed back to the house but turned just before the village and went a short way to the gorge of La Yecla. 
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) in La Yecla.
Once we were parked we walked along the suspended walkway which was pinned to the cliffs, in some places it was very tight but a superb walk and whilst we were there we saw lots of Griffon Vultures and a flyby Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).
Santi, Howard and Jayne in La Yecla.
We then had lunch and then Santi and I went for a walk along a nearby river but the birds were quite but we did have superb views of a Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) before we headed back to the house to collect Jayne before we went down to the monastery to have a look around the fantastic cloisters. 
Jayne and Howard infront of the monastery in Silos.
It was an amazing building and Santi's knowledge made it far more interesting. Later we walked up to the large cross on the far side valley and had super views over the town back towards the house.
A view over Silos.
We walked back to the house again and had five minute before going back down to the Monastrey for the evenings Gregorian Chants which were amazing. 
Silos.
Later we called in at one of the villages bars and had a beer before our evening meal back at Santi's.
Old wash house in Silos.
Around the Monastrey in Silos.
Around the Monastrey in Silos.
A view of the Monastrey in Silos.
A view of the Monastrey in Silos.
Virgen de la peña above Silos.

1 comment:

Bas. said...

wat een geweldig mooie momenten.