Sad Hill and La Yecla, Burgos Province, Spain.

An important bit of painting and then later some butterflies again.

 

Sad Hill.

I got up at Santi and Howard's and after a good breakfast Santi and I got a few bits done in the garden before we drove up to Sad Hill where part of the film the Good, the Bad and the Ugly was filmed and had a walk down to the spot where Jayne's Post was to give it a new coat of paint. 

An artist in action.

On the way we saw loads of French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), Spotted Rockrose (Tuberaria guttata), a Silene species which still needs naming along with Dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris).

Where the Gun Fight took place.

One of the locals.

After a soggy search we found Santi's and Jayne's Posts and Santi got to work with the paint brush, as strange as it sounds I felt much closer to Jayne here than anywhere back in the UK.

Spotted Rockrose (Tuberaria guttata).

Silene Species.

Dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris).

We spent a while having a wonder around looking at the different Grave markers before we headed back down to the house, on the way we saw 15+ Cardinal Fritillaries (Argynnis pandora), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus) and Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

We got back to the house and had some lunch and then later I headed out for a couple of hours in the area around La Yecla area, I first spent quite a while watching a pair of Red-backed Shrikes (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio) which were feeding a nest of youngsters in a Hawthorn bush a 100 meters away from the road.

Red-backed Shrike (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio) Female.

Red-backed Shrike (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio) Male.

Red-backed Shrike (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio) Male.

Red-backed Shrike (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio) Male.

After getting some distant views of the female and some great views of the male I parked at the Pooooo Pile again and walked up the valley again but went a bit further this time, around the pile I saw a nice High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe), Iberian Marbled White, Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) and further up the valley in the grassy meadows Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe), Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri) and lots of spikes of Robust Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza elata).

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe).

Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).

Escher's Blue (Polyommatus escheri).

On the second meadow area there were lots of Robust Marsh Orchids (Dactylorhiza elata) and smaller numbers of Pyramidal (Anacamptis pyramidalia), Bee (Ophrys apifera) and Woodcock Orchids (Ophrys Scolopax).

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo).

Comma (Polygonia c-album).

Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus).

Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus).

Grayling (Hipparchia semele),

In the same area I also had male and female Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo), Comma (Polygonia c-album), Common Blue (Polyommatus celina), Grayling (Hipparchia semele), Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus) and Small White (Pieris rapae).

Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella).

Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa).

Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii).

I got back to the car and as I did yesterday I checked out the water deposit where I found a male Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa), Iberian Bluetail (Ischnura graellsii) and Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella).

Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus).

My last stop of the day was by the small pools in the boggy area just along the same road where I didn't find anything except for the Robust Marsh Orchids again and then a Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus) which flushed from a couple of Hawthorns.