Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos Province, Spain.

A Christmas mornings walk along the Arroyo Matviejas Valley.

Ebird Link for the full List.

The Monastery in Santo Domingo de Silos.

After getting a very nice video call from my Son Alan, Becki and the boys I went out for a walk, I dropped down passed the monastery and then walked through the allotment area around to the right along the stream.

I then doubled back but on the higher track, crossed the Camping Ground and then continued on up the valley to a small gorge where I needed wellies to continue so I turned around and walked back to the Camping area and took the track which followed the stream again.

I crossed the stream and walked back up to Santi's via the track above the ring road around the village.

Highlights included Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) and both Rock (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus). 

La Yecla PNat and nearby fields, Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos Province, Spain.

Just a short visit before the rains arrived.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

After lunch I popped just up the road to La Yecla Gorge but the light was really bad and it was rather cool so It was a very brief visit and I only managed to see Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) and Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) before I jumped back into the warm car.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

I had a drive along one of the track which has farm land one side and uniper woodland on the other, just after starting out I had a very nice female Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus) which stood in a patch of cultivated ground amongst the Junipers, it stood nicely as I went up the track and was still there when I came back giving me a second chance.

Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus) female.

Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus) female.

I also saw White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Song (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), a single Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris), several Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and a flock of 50 or so Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) before the rain arrived.

Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus) female.

Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus) female.

Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus) female.

Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus) female.

Roe Deer (Corzo / Capreolus capreolus) female.

 

Between Santo Domingo de Silos and Carazo on the BU-910, Burgos Province, Spain.

A walk through a different gorge.

Ebird List.

 

Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) female.

I parked on the side of the road a few hundred meters out of Silos and walked up the road for around 4KM scanning the cliffs and Juniper trees along the way.

Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) female.

Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) female.

Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) female.

The light was again quite bad so when a pair of Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) showed well as part of a passing Tit flock I was surprised to get anything shot wise, they are not great but still nice.

Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).

Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus).

Other highlights were Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus), Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) and the omnipresent Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

La Yecla PNat, Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos Province, Spain.

The Wallcreeper is still playing hard to get.

Ebird List.

The largest Crags at La Yecla.

Again I went up to the gorge hoping for the wintering Wallcreeper (Treparriscos / Tichodroma muraria) but as with all my other visits it did not show for me, however I still had a good hour or so watching the masses of Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) going about their daily tasks including some nest rebuilding, Mating and just general flying around incircles just for the hell of it, anyway it kept me entertained.

Griffon's along the Crags.

I also had Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) in the sky above the site.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) with nest material.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) mating.

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

In the trees lower down there were several noisy Jays (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Iberian Green (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax).

 

Sad Hill Cemetry, Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos Province, Spain.

Back with the Thrushes and Finches again at Sad Hill.

Ebird List.

Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris).

I drove up to the Sad Hill cemetery and then walked through Juniper woods to the North West before dropping further down the Valley.

Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris).

In this first area there were loads of birds including at least 40+ Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris), 2x Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) and amongst a flock of Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Goldfinches (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) I was very pleased to see at least 3 Citril Finches (Verderón Serrano / Carduelis citrinella). 

Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus).

In the same area I also had Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) and Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), the full list is on the Ebird Link at the top of the post.

Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) male.

La Yecla PNat, Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos Province, Spain.

A return to the crags looking for but not seeing the Wallcreeper again.

Western Spanish Ibex (Capra pyrenaica victoriae) ???????

I drove just up the road to La Yecla Gorge to look for the Wallcreeper (Treparriscos / Tichodroma muraria) again but with the same results as last but I was pleased to see 4 male Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica) which I am told are not all that common locally.

Western Spanish Ibex (Capra pyrenaica victoriae) ???????

Western Spanish Ibex (Capra pyrenaica victoriae) ???????

They look a little different to the Hispanica subspecies we get down our way so I wonder if it could be the Western Spanish Ibex (Capra pyrenaica victoriae)???????

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Birds were as expected, lots of Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros).

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

The only unexpected species was a Eurasian Black / Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) which drifted across, heading North East. 

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).