Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Fuente De and the drive to Palo de Somiedo, Asturias.

Wednesday 26 June 2019

Fuente De and the drive to Palo de Somiedo, Asturias.

Back into the hill and then the drive to Somiedo.

Pico´s and Somiedo Day Five.

Immature Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

It was looking more promising this morning so we decided to go up on the cable car and head out for the hills again but before breakfast I managed to get some shots of an immature Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) in one of the trees from my hotel room.

Immature Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).

Whilst all seven of us were waiting to get the cable car we heard and saw Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and the trips only Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla) which was calling regularly but remained unseen.

Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) in the car park.

We got the cable car up to the top station and started to walk out towards the crags, on the way we had good views of an adult Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus) and a soaring Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), several Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), a cronking Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) and the usual parties of Red-billed (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and Alpine Choughs (Chova Piquigualda / Pyrrhocorax graculus).

The stunning mountains.

Wild flowers on the side of the path included both Snow (Gentiana nivalis) and Pyrenean Trumpet Gentian (Gentiana occidentalis), Spurge Laurel (Daphne laureola), Iberian Greenweed (Genista legionensis), Matted Globularia (Globularia repens), Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima ssp. alpina), Pink Sandwort (Arenaria purpurascens), Purple Gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum), Malling Toadflax (Chaenorhinum origanifolium), Fairy Foxglove (Erinus alpinus), Rock Jasmine (Androsace villosa), Yellow Rockrose (Helianthemum nummularium), Matthiola fruticulosa, Erysimum duriaei, Navel-wort (Omphalodes commutata), Pyrenean Germander (Teucrium pyrenaicum), Rock Basil-thyme (Clinopodium alpinum) and Pyrenean Squill (Scilla liliohyacinthus).

Pyrenean Trumpet Gentian (Gentiana occidentalis).

As we walked out we had views of several Water Pipits (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), a fine male Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) the first of several, small groups of Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Black Redstarts, Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and as we turned the corn at the junction and started the walk along the scree slopes we had the first of a few Snowfinchs (Gorrión Alpino / Montifringilla nivalis).

Iberian Greenweed (Genista legionensis).

We continued on along the screes checking the slopes for birds and had views of a couple of Alpine Accentors (Acentor Alpino / Prunella collaris), Rock Doves (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia) and down at the side of the path Alpine Toadflax (Linaria alpina ssp. filicaulis) and a couple of Small Tortoiseshells (Aglais urticae).

Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus).

As we reached the area of snow where we had ended the walk last time we soon had incredable views of a Wallcreeper (Treparriscos / Tichodroma muraria) as it moved around on nearby cliffs and then dropped down to the lower area of the slope and spent ages dust bathing and through Judy and Mike's brilliant scope.

Higher up.

On the slope we also had good views of a Chamois (Rebeco / Rupicapra rupicapra) as it was feed and scratching, it gave us great views and was still there when we started to walk back down towards the Cable Car.

Wallcreeper (Treparriscos / Tichodroma muraria).

On the way we had more good views of Snowfinch, Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and a very smart purple Toadflax / Linaria species right by the cafe which remains unidentified at the moment.

Spurge Laurel (Daphne laureola).

We dropped down to the Hotel again seeing the regular male Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and then headed straight off for the longish drive to Somiedo, we called in once more for a quick successful look for both Dipper (Mirlo Acuático / Cinclus cinclus) and Middle-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Mediano / Dendrocopos medius) on the way and also had Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea) along with Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina ssp hispulla), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and Large White (Pieris brassicae).

Alpine Chough (Chova Piquigualda / Pyrrhocorax graculus).

Later we were heading up to and along the coast and then dropping down to the next hotel. On the way a few more species were added to the days list including Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Bob had a Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalia) and both Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) and Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).