Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Valle de Hecho, Aragon, Spain.*

Sunday 30 June 2024

Valle de Hecho, Aragon, Spain.*

A better day than expected considering the cloud.

Ebird List for Siresa.

Just south of the Barranco Boca del Infierno.

After a second wet night I decided to head for the Hecho Valley and concentrate on birds and Orchids instead of Butterflies however in some late half sun I did pick up a few species.

Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus).

I started by making my way over to Hecho and then up to the Barranco Boca del Infierno where I made my first proper stop but on the way I couldn't resist doing a quick U-turn when I saw a smart looking Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus) sat on a Post near the road.

Barranco Boca del Infierno.

Other species seen on my way included Red-backed Shrike (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Welsh Poppy (Papaver cambricum).

I parked on the roadside just to the south of the gorge seeing Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and on the crags quite a few Pyrenean Saxifrage (Saxifraga longifolia) spikes.

Pyrenean Saxifrage (Saxifraga longifolia).

I walked up to the Northern side of the gorge, through the tunnel but didn't add anything new bird wise but did find Wild Aquilegia's (Aquilegia vulgaris), Pyrenean Cranesbill (Geranium pyrenaicum) and Large-flowered Butterwort (Pinguicula grandiflora).

Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella).

I returned to the car and then drove right through to the point where the tarmac ends and parked, almost straight away I could hear a couple of Yellowhammers (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) singing so I headed up the hill and found a couple of males as well as Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) and another couple of Egyptian Vultures.

Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata).

In the meadows I found large numbers of Heath Spotted Orchids (Dactylorhiza maculata) and smaller numbers of Burnt Orchid (Neotinea Ustulata) and Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia).

Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia).

Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza Majalis) or Alpine Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza Alpestris).

I turned around and made my way back down the valley stopping lots of times finding Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris), Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria), Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca), Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), a single Wood White (Leptidea sinapis) x1, Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus) before I reached Siresa.

Moth species.

Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria).

Goldcrest (Reyezuelo Sencillo / Regulus regulus).

I parked near the camping ground and checked the trees there and put he Merlin app on and it detected both Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) and Goldcrest (Reyezuelo Sencillo / Regulus regulus) which I managed to see along with Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Garden Warbler (Curruca Mosquitera / Sylvia borin).

Marbled White (Melanargia galathea).

Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia).

Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne).

I had a coffee in the camping ground bar and then dropped down to the turning into Gabardito and parked on the first area of grassland and went for a walk down over the river and around to the right, the sun was making it quite warm if not shining so there were a few butterflies on the wing including Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) x8, Weaver's (Boloria dia) x2, Pearl-bordered (Boloria euphrosyne) x2, Twin-spot (Brenthis hecate) x1 and Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis) x4, Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus) x2, Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) x4, Small White (Pieris rapae) x2, Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) x2, Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) x2, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x3, False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi) x1, Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba) x4, Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides) x1 and Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina) x2.

Twin-spot fritillary (Brenthis hecate).

Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis).

Bird wise I picked up a nice Red-backed Shrike, Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus).

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina).

False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi).

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

I started to walk back towards the car but decided to check the track which ran north along the river, on the verges I picked up Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis) leaves only, Pyrenean Rock-rose (Helianthemum nummularium ssp. pyrenaica), Martagon Lily (Lilium Martagon), Pyrenean Cranesbill (Geranium pyrenaicum), Pyrenean Aquilegia (Aquilegia pyrenaica), Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalia), Comma ( c-album) x1 and a year tick Marsh Tit (Carbonero Palustre / Poecile palustris).

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

Marsh Tit (Carbonero Palustre / Poecile palustris).

Marsh Tit (Carbonero Palustre / Poecile palustris).

Comma (Polygonia c-album).

Martagon Lily (Lilium Martagon).

I returned to the car and made my way back to Ansó but made a stop at the highest point on the way across and walked along the track there and then back along the woodland edge seeing Turquoise Blue (Polyommatus dorylas) x2, Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides) x4, Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis) x1, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x1, Berger's Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis) x3 and Large Pincertail (Onychogomphus uncatus).