Astún and Candanchú, Aragon and travelling.

Granada Wildlife's tour of Belchite and the Pyrenees.

Day Seven. Back to the high mountains.

Old Bridge over the Rio Aragon.

Around the hotel after a great breakfast we saw Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Aquilegia vulgaris.

En-route to the mountains we took the cross country route and stopped a few times picked up Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major),  

Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides).

Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus) and then on the bridge which crosses the Rio Aragon we picked up Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Black Redstart, Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin),

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera).

Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalia), Ivy-leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis), Aquilegia vulgaris, Large Blue Flax (Linum narbonense), White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum) and Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera).

Robust MarshOrchid (Dactylorhiza elata).

Moving on we came to a picnic area and had a good look around the area of Pine woods and along the river seeing Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), at least three Bonelli's Warblers (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) which were chasing each other round the trees, European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus) and along a small damp patch in the center of the site Greater Butterfly (Platanthera chlorantha), Robust Marsh (Dactylorhiza elata), Fragrant (Gymnadenia conopsea), Pyramidal, Bee (Ophrys apifera) and several well over with Lady Orchids (Orchis purpurea).

Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha).

In the same area we also found Branched Asphodel (Asphodelus ramosus), Marsh Violet (Viola palustris), Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides), Large White (Pieris brassicae) and Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha).

Further along the road in an area of more open fields we made another stop and checked the hay meadows for birds but they came from the sky's first including Egyptian and Griffon Vultures, Red Kite, Carion Crow, Eurasian Magpie, Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), male and female Red-backed Shrikes (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio) sat out on a wire along with a male Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra). 

Agrimony (Agrimonia Eupatoria).

In the hedgerow bushes a Common Nightingale sang and a couple of Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) called. 

Common Marbled White (Melanargia galathea).

There were also a couple of new plants found Agrimony (Agrimonia Eupatoria), Sainfoin (onobrychis viciifolia) and lots of Perez's Frogs (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi) which were calling from  nearby farm pool.

Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Polyommatus albicans).

In a wooded valley further on we stopped and had a pair of Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) which circled over nearby trees along with a Booted (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) and these were followed by an American F15 being chased down by a Euro-fighter.

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca).

In the same area we had Eurasian Wren, Common Nightingale, Common Chaffinch, a singing Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba), Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Common Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) and Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia).

Lizard Species.

At high spot in the road near a refugio we parked up and wandered seeing Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus), Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra albicans), Large Wall Brown, Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata) and little further on we saw a few road side Lizard Orchids (Himantoglosum hircinum).

Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe).

On the way up to the mountain summits we picked up Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and just after we parked at Astún and started the walk we saw European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Citril Finch (Verderón Serrano / Carduelis citrinella), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), a singing Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) which came up over the ridge with a Golden Eagle (Águila Real / Aquila chrysaetos) in tow.

Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe).

We continued on along the track finding more butterflies as it warmed up including Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae), Little Blue (Cupido minimus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Wood Whites (Leptidea sinapis), Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) and Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus) as well as Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) and a Forester Moth Species.

Heath Spotted (Dactylorhiza maculata).

More species were seen including Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), another Golden Eagle, Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), 2 Tree Pipits (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis) one of which was singing whilst the other was carrying food, Citril Finch, European Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) as well as Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca), Common Spotted (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), Broad-leaved Marsh (Dactylorhiza majalis), a single spike of Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula) and a couple of yelling Marmot (Marmota / Marmota marmota).

Wood White (Leptidea sinapis).

We had some lunch in Candanchu and then went above the town seeing a good number of Alpine Choughs (Chova Piquigualda / Pyrrhocorax graculus) along with a few Red-billed (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax). 

Forester Moth Species.

Later we had a walk along a track along a small stream where we had good views of a stunning male Common Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis), Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Working them too hard??????

In the grassy areas around the stream we found Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa), Mountain Ringlet (Erebia epiphron), Large-flowered Butterwort (Pinguicula grandiflora), Horminum pyrenaicum, Alpine Asphodel (Tofieldia calyculata), Heath Spotted (Dactylorhiza maculata), Broad-leaved Marsh Orchids (Dactylorhiza majalis) and what were possibly a few Alpine Marsh Orchids (Dactylorhiza alpestris) but this is a difficult group to sort.

Mountain Ringlet (Erebia epiphron).

Once we returned to the van we headed back to the hotel on the quick roads but finished off with Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) on the Rio Aragon.

Alpine Marsh Orchids (Dactylorhiza alpestris).

Alpine Asphodel (Tofieldia calyculata).

Alpine Asphodel (Tofieldia calyculata).

Horminum pyrenaicum.

Large-flowered Butterwort (Pinguicula grandiflora).