A mixed day weather wise up high but hot down below.
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The view down the valley from above Col du Pourtalet. |
I started the day by driving straight up to the Col du Pourtalet, on the way I saw
Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus),
Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula),
Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata),
Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica),
Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and
Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).
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Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis). |
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Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella). |
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Alpine Marmot (Marmota marmota). |
However I did record
Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum),
Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix),
Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata),
Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella), Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra) and
Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) on the walk out.
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Houseleek (Sempervivum arachnoideum). |
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Great Yellow Gentian (Gentiana lutea). |
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Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha). |
Other species seen included lots of well over with
Elder-flowered Orchid (Dactylorhiza sambucina),
Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha),
Great Yellow Gentian (Gentiana lutea),
Houseleek (Sempervivum arachnoideum),
Horned Pansy (Viola cornuta),
Centaurea montana,
Ox-eye Daisy (
Leucanthemum vulgare), Ground Lackey (Malacosoma castrensis),
Chimney Sweeper (Odezia atrata) and Alpine Marmot (Marmota marmota).
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Looking up the Rio Estarrón.
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It started to warm up a bit by the time I turned around and I then heard the call I want to hear from a nice male
Ortolan Bunting (Escribano Hortolano / Emberiza hortulana) which was calling from quite a long way up the slope above me. |
False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina). |
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False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina). |
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False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina). |
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False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina). |
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False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina) and Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus). |
As I walked back I had Piedmont Ringlet (Erebia meolans) x5, Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x1 and a small flock of Alpine Chough (Chova Piquigualda / Pyrrhocorax graculus) back at the Col where I went and got another coffee and walked into France so that I could say I was on a foreign holiday before heading off to a spot Steve Griffon had given me nearby.
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Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis). |
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Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus). |
I drove to the Northern end of the Embalse de la Sarra where I parked and checked the fields to the right of the river which was running in and then walked the track up the western side of the water, in the fields I didn't see a great deal but along the track I checked out several piles of cow poooooooo which turned out to be more productive than you would think. |
Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami). |
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Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami). |
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Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami). |
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Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages). |
Just as I started the walk I found the first Southern Heath (Melitaea
nevadensis) 120+ in total and
False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina) x7+,
Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi) 15+,
Small Blue (Cupido minimus) x18,
Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina) x3 and
Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides) x1.
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Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus). |
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Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus). |
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Small Blue (Cupido minimus). |
Further on I found what must have been a particularly tasty lump of poo as it was covered in butterflies, so I sat down next to it (as you do) and started to take photo's, during the hour or more I was there I was passed by several groups of walkers, most just looked a bit sideways at me and must have been thinking "what is this pillock doing" or something similar.
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Amanda's Blue (Polyommatus amandus). |
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Amanda's Blue (Polyommatus amandus). |
One young Spanish family sat down with me for 20 minutes or so, the two kids and the lady were mesmerized by the comings and going but I think the Guy was a tad embarrassed and walked off up the track a bit and sat down.
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Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus). |
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Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus) and Small Blue (Cupido minimus). |
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Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus) and Small Blue (Cupido minimus). |
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Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina). |
Whilst I was there I / we saw
Wood (
Leptidea sinapis) x2,
Green-veined (Pieris napi) x1,
Black-veined and
Small White (
Pieris rapae) x4,
Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x1,
Adonis (Lysandra bellargus) x5, Amanda's (Polyommatus amandus) x1, Small and
Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus),
Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania) x30+, Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages) x4, Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami) x8,
Southern Heath and
False Heath Fritillary.
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Wood White (Leptidea sinapis). |
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Wood White (Leptidea sinapis). |
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Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi). |
Also seen away from the poo were Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) x3,
Turquoise Blue (Polyommatus dorylas) x3,
Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) x2,
Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli) x1,
Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe) x1m, a
Camberwell Beauty (Nymphalis antiopa) x1 which didn't live up to it's name as it was in a right state, Duke of Burgandy (Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina),
Common Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines),
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) and
Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra).
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Small White (Pieris rapae). |
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Green-veined White (Pieris napi). |
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Large White (Pieris brassicae). |
As I walked up and back again I also saw
Round-headed Rampion (Phyteuma orbiculare), Fragrant (Gymnadenia conopsea),
Heath Spotted (Dactylorhiza maculata) and
Burnt Orchid (Neotinea Ustulata),
Bladder (
Silene vulgaris), Red (Silene dioica) and
White Campion (Silene latifolia), Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca),
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium),
Yellow-wort (
Blackstonia perfoliata), Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor),
White Stonecrop (Sedum album), Greater Meadow-rue (Thalictrum aquilegiifolium),
Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Eurasian Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).
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Greater Meadow-rue (Thalictrum aquilegiifolium). |
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???????????? |
I returned to the car and after getting something to eat nearby I dropped back down to Jaca and to a woodland spot near there that I had visited on the first day in the area but it was extremely windy today but I still gave it a go.
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Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe). |
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Duke of Burgandy ( |
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Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni).
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Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi). |
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Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania). |
As I walked I saw
Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis Helleborine), Pyramidal (Anacamptis pyramidalia), Robust Marsh (Dactylorhiza elata) and
Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata),
Macroglossum stellatarum (Hummingbird Hawkmoth),
Weaver's (Boloria dia) x5,
Silver-Washed (Argynnis paphia) x3 and Dark-green Fritillary () x5,
Great Banded Grayling () x2,
Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) x2, Large (Ochlodes sylvanus) x4 and Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) x3, a
Large Pincertail (Onychogomphus uncatus) x2, White Featherlegs (Platycnemis latipes) x3 and several
Beautiful Demoiselle's (Calopteryx virgo) x5. |
Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia). |
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Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia). |
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Great Banded Grayling (). |
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Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia). |
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Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus). |
Bird wise there were a good number of calling Western Bonelli's Warblers (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus) and
Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus),
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major),
Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius),
European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula),
Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes) and
Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita). |
Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo). |
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Large Pincertail (Onychogomphus uncatus). |
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White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes). |
As it was so windy and getting hot I headed back to the Camp site and spent some time in the bar having a beer and catching up with the blog.
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