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Friday 13 May 2022

Vulture Feeding Station and around Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos Province, Spain.

A great morning at Lolo's feeding Station and a new Butterfly in the afternoon.

Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) waiting for a feed.

Santi had been busy before I arrived sorting out getting us a second visit to Lolo's Vulture feeding station as he knew I really wanted to photograph the European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).
European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).
European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).
We met Lolo on the edge of the nearest village to the spot and then followed him up to the hide where we were greeted by masses of Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) but with my first scan of the birds I could not see any of the 9 European Black Vultures that had been seen a few days earlier.
European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).
European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).
However as soon as Lolo put out the first bag of food a single bird dropped in on to the far field but it remained there out of range so we got on with getting some pictures of the Griffon's, once Lolo had empted the first bag he had to leave us and head off but he left us another bag of meat behind the hide to use later.
European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).
European Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).
After just a short while we were aware that at least 3 different European Black Vultures had managed to join the crowds of Griff's without us seeing them fly in, they were somewhat less aggresive than I had expected and ust watched the carnage of the feeding from the edge of the main groups but later picked off a few scraps.
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).
As we sat there we also saw Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus), Red (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) and Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica).
Santi with the second bag, checking that no one was getting too close.
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) younger bird.
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) drying out after a bath.
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).
Santi went out to put out the second bag of meet and the Vultures were soon in again and gave us loads more chances to get more shots.
Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus).
Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax).
Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax).
After the food was gone many of the birds had a bath in the pool then sat around the site drying out which again gave us the chance to get more nice picture, very pleased that Santi was able to contact Lolo again and get us a second visit to the hide. Thanks to them both.
Ophrys Rijoana.?????
Ophrys Rijoana.?????
After a while we returned to the car and left the birds to have a quiet afternoon and headed back to silos, later whilst Santi had a siesta I went for a walk along the river looking for Butterflies and Orchids.
Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula).
Around the Ermita I again saw the stunning Ophrys Rijoana as well as lots of Yellow Bee Orchid (Ophrys lutea), Dark Spider Orchid (Ophrys incubacea) and Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula).
Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion).
Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion).
Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion).
I then followed the river looking for butterflies and found a real stunner, a male Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion) x2 which behaved very nicely and allowed me to get some nice pictures.
Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes).
In the same area I added Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).
Green-underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis).
Other Butterflies seen included Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) x4, Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) x3, Green-underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis) x1, Large White (Pieris brassicae) x2, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x4, Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes) x30+, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x1, Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) x4, Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)  x5 and Provence Orange-tip (Anthocharis euphenodes) x1.
Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina).
Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina).

Thursday 12 May 2022

Sad Hill Cemetery, Burgos Province, Spain.

One of my favourite places, made even better with a few Orchids and Butterflies.

The Cemetrey.
When ever I visit Santi I look forward to a visit to Sad Hill, partly because I like the film (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) and for some more personal reason but today it was also to see what was growing and flying at this time of the year.
Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea).
Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea).
On the way up we looked at the Juniper woods as we drove through and saw really good numbers of what look like Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula), a male Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and at the top of the hill I found two spikes of the beautiful Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea), one of which was looking spot on as well as a possible Lange's Orchid (Androrchis langei).
Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula).
Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula).
Lange's Orchid (Androrchis langei) ???????
We drove down to the parking spot and then walk around the edge of the Cemetery seeing
Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Subalpine (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans), Bonelli's (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Western Orphean Warbler (Curruca Mirlona / Sylvia hortensis), Wryneck (Torcecuello / Jynx torquilla), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Parus cristatus), Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and House Martins (Avión Común / Delichon urbica).
Barton's Orchid (Dactylorhias insularis).
Barton's Orchid (Dactylorhias insularis).
We also found lots more Champagne Orchids (Orchis champagneuxii), a few spikes of Barton's Orchid (Dactylorhias insularis), Sand Crocus (Romulea bulbocodium), Hoop-petticoat Daffodil (Narcissus bulbocodium) and a new butterflySpecies for me the Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides) which Ed MacKrill helped to sort for me.
Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides).
Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides).
We walked back up through the Cemetrey paying a visit to Jayne's post on the way and then went back down to the house. 
Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula).
Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula).
Hoop-petticoat Daffodil (Narcissus bulbocodium).

Wednesday 11 May 2022

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

Birding in Santi's Garden and a walk near La Yecla.

Swallowtails (Papilio machaon).

Santi and I spent a while getting some weeding done in his garden and whilst we were doing we saw Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), House (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) and plenty of the usual Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).
Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).
Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).
Swallowtail (Papilio machaon).
Later we went for a visit to the road I had taken yesterday near La Yecla and up by a small pool at the far end of the road we saw or heard
Red-backed Shrike (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio), Western Orphean (Curruca Mirlona / Sylvia hortensis) and Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).
Wood White (Leptidea sinapis).
Wood White (Leptidea sinapis).
In the same area we also had Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene), Provence (Anthocharis euphenodes) and Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines), Panoptes (Pseudophilotes panoptes) and Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) along with Champagne Orchid (Orchis champagneuxii) and White Rockrose (Helianthemum apenninum).
Escher's Blue (Agrodiaetus escheri).
Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus).
Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela maroccana).
We came back along the road and parked near a stream and checked out an area of mud / cattle pooooo where there were at least 5x
Swallowtails (Papilio machaon), 1x Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli), 2x Wood White (Leptidea sinapis), a mating pair of  Green Tiger Beetles (Cicindela maroccana), and out on some nearby fields 8x Clouded Yellows (Colias corceua), 4x Berger's Clouded Yellows (Colias alfacariensis), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), a calling Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) and Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius).
Sword-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanathera longifolia).
Sword-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanathera longifolia).
As we drove back towards the house we checked some Pines where I had seen a spike of Sword-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanathera longifolia) as I drove yesterday, we parked and walked up to the spike and found just one more before heading back.