Road to Potes and around to the North of the Picos and Fuente De, Asturias.

A bit of a mixed day with some rough weather.

Pico´s Day Four.

The early morning view up to the hills behind the Hotel.

Pink Flax (linum Viscosum).

On an early morning stroll I picked up a family party of Middle-spotted Woodpeckers (Pico Mediano / Dendrocopos medius) and a calling Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) which was further down the valley.

Around the village.

Purple Gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum).

In the trees around the hotel I also had Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius).

Around the village.

Rusty-back Fern (Ceterach officinarum).

We had planned to go back up the Cable car today as the five of us who had gone up yesterday had enjoyed it and it also gave Bob and Sophia the chance to catch up with some of the important species but the weather was not good so we decided to head out to Potes and then up and around to the North west far as Cavadonga where we found that the road up to the lagoons we had wanted to visit was now blocked with barriers.

Our first stop was at the lovely little village Los Llanos, next to the spot where we had seen Middle-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Mediano / Dendrocopos medius) a few days earlier. We parked and walked around the towards the village, in the way we again had views of a couple of Middle-spots as the flew away and also caught up with our first Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Treecreeper (Agateador Norteño / Certhia familiaris) and quite a few wildflowers including Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum), Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca), Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum), Greater Burdock (Arctium lappa), White Stonecrop (Sedum album) and lots more.

The Village.

During the rest of drive out we had views of Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), an unexpected Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) along the river near Panes, Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) and Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).

We reached the barriers and Bob went to have a word about getting the bus up to the lakes but the guy in the hut selling the tickets said it ws all covered in thick cloud and would be a waste of the €9 each to go.

Bloody Cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum).

After having a coffee back lower down the road we started the return trip and made several stops along the Rio Cares on the way back and had good views of a couple of Iberian Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Ibérico / Phylloscopus brehmii), one of which showed very well and called nicey clinching the ID. 

Large-flowered Butterwort (Pinguicula grandiflora).

During one of the breaks in the rain we had a walk along one of the side roads which went up over the River seeing Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap, Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Common Treecreeper as well as Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Pellitry of the Wall (Parietaria officinalis), Mexican Fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus), Common Daisy (Bellis perennis), Purple Gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum), Chicory (Cichorium intybus), Hedgerow Cranesbill (Geranium pyrenaicum), Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), White Flax (Linum perenne), Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca), Red (Silene dioica) and Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris), Common Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris), Pink Flax (linum Viscosum), Rusty-back Fern (Ceterach officinarum), Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) and Elder Flower (Sambucus nigra).

Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes).

Further along the river at one of the larger crossings we made another stop and Mike found a Dipper (Mirlo Acuático / Cinclus cinclus) on a stretch where we did not expect to find one as it looked to deep and fast moving. 

Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris).

On the banks the flower list grew with Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), Dwarf Elder (Sambucus ebulus), Musk Mallow (Malva moschata),  Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), Malling Toadflax (Chaenorhinum origanifolium), Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris), Bloody Cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum) and on a very damp cliff face there were lots of the leaves of the paracitic Large-flowered Butterwort (Pinguicula grandiflora) but no flowers, we also had the first Spotted Flycatcher (Papamoscas Gris / Muscicapa striata) of the trip which was picked up on the opposite bank by Bob.

Large-flowered Bugle (Prunella grandiflora).

Another couple of stops were made along the river with scree slopes on the far bank which we scanned for birds, we added Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin) in the trees along the river and both Chamois (Rebeco / Rupicapra rupicapra) and Mouflon (Ovis orientalis) as well as Small White (Pieris rapae), Clouded Yellow (Colias Común / Colias corcea), White Wagtail, Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Rock Dove (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia).
We got back to the hotel we went and had a walk out to the hawthorn woods behind and above towards the crags getting nice views of a stunning Red-backed Shrike (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio) which showed well for us.
In amongst the trees we had Clouded Yellow, Hoary Plantain (Plantago media), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Yellow Rockrose (Helianthemum nummularium), Large-flowered Bugle (Prunella grandiflora), Pyrenean Germander (Teucrium pyrenaicum), Red (Trifolium pratense) and White Clover (Trifolium repens), Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans), Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys), Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), Field Eryngium (Eryngium campestre) and Large-flowered Bugle (Prunella grandiflora) which was very common.

Rock Basil-thyme (Clinopodium alpinum).

We also had an adult Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus) overhead as well as Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans).

The original Cable Car support, not liking the look of that 😁😁😁

Matted Globularia (Globularia repens).

Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys).