Covarrubias, Monasterio de San Pedro de Arlanza and around Santi's, Burgos Province.

A day out and about with Santi, Howard, Jayne and Barb.

Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Our first visit of the day was to the River side town of Covarrubias which lies on the banks of the Rio Arlanza. 

Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

We strolled around the town, having a coffee break as we went and as we were walking past a house which in the past had been the villages pharmacy a guy asked us if we would like to have a look around his families house. 

Pharmacy in Covarrubias.

He had restored it to the way it had been for several generations whilst it was being run by his family and we were very lucky to get to see it as it is not generally open to the public.

Pharmacy in Covarrubias.

After the walk around the town I had a walk along a short stretch of the river and saw Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Grey (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), a single Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) and several Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), some with young still in the nest.

Covarrubias.

We moved on along the river to the Monasterio de San Pedro de Arlanza where we were given a tour by one of the guides, this was the Monasterio that was in the movie the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, great place.

Covarrubias.

In the surrounding scrub and Elder-flower trees I saw Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Garden (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin), Subalpine (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans), Western Orphean (Curruca Mirlano / Sylvia hortensis) and Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla) and in the sky Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and lots more Griffon Vultures. 

Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans).

During the tour we found a single Brown Long-eared Bat (Murciélago orejudo dorado / Plecotus auritus) roosting in the roof space but there were signs of some quite large colonies in the building.

There were also a few butterflies on the wing including Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora), Bath  (Pontia daplidice) and Small White (Pieris rapae) and Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans).

We then went back to Santi's and had lunch and then later I went for a walk up the track behind the house and found Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) and Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor).

Inside the Monasterio de San Pedro de Arlanza.

I also had several more butterfly species including False Mallow / Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus tripolinus / alceae), Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina), Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia), Striped Grayling (Pseudotergumia fidia), Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Polyommatus albicans/arragonensis), Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides baeticus) and Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea). 

The entrance to the Monasterio de San Pedro de Arlanza.

In the evening we went for a walk down town to the bar and had a couple of beers before having a very nice evening meal at Santi's.

Brown Long-eared Bat (Murciélago orejudo dorado / Plecotus auritus).

Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Long-tailed Blue (Lampides baeticus).