Fuente De and Argüébanes, Potes, Cantabria, Spain.*

Thinking about going up High but just couldn't be bother in the end.

Looking down the slope of the top meadow.

Over night I again heard the Tawny Owl (Cárabo Común / Strix aluco) calling several times and the churring of the European Nightjar (Chotacabras Europeo / Caprimulgus europaeus) and later once it was light I added Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei).

Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus).

Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

I was out at 08:00 and drove down to the Cable Car station at Fuente de, on the way I saw Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and around the building at the station Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada). 

Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino).

Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino).

As I sat there waiting for 09:00 to arrive I decided that due to the dodgy chest, cough and a lingering headache I just couldn't be bothered to go up so I drove back down the valley and turned up the road to Argüébanes again and parked next to Andy's car, I did the usual walk up to the butterfly spot but today it seemed a hell of a lot harder than usual.

Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia).

Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia).

Just after I left the car I had the first Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) of the trip and a Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and in the grassy area in front of the church Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae) x1, Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) x2 and Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo).

Marbled Skipper (Muschampia lavatherae).

Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae).

Marbled Skipper (Muschampia lavatherae) and Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae).

Up on the fields just before I reached the first of the puddling area I picked up Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) x2, Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x1, Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis) x2 and at the damp flush Common / Southern (Polyommatus icarus / celina) x2 and Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) x3 and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1.

Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous).

I walked on up the hill and met Andy who had just started to make his way back down, we chatted and then returned to the fields a little further up the track to see some nice freshly emerged Sooty Coppers (Lycaena tityrus) x3 he had seen, we first found a Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) x2 which was surprisingly the first of my trip and then a couple of very nice Sooty Coppers, Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) x1, a Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino) x1, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x5 and Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) x2.

Marbled Skipper (Muschampia lavatherae).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

We returned to the track and slowly made our way down to the furthest of the wet patches and stayed there for a while and added Marbled (Muschampia lavatherae) x4, another Mallow Skipper x1 and a fly through Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis) before Andy headed off.

Short-tailed Blue (Cupido argiades).

I decided to stay for a while and during the next hour and a half or so I found Silver-Washed (Argynnis paphia) x2 and Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x1, Small White (Pieris rapae) x8, Short-tailed (Cupido argiades) x2 and Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous) x1, Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) x2, Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii) x1, Middle-spotted (Pico Mediano / Dendrocopos medius) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).

Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens).

Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens).

On the walk down I stopped at the water trough, had a drink and found several Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria) x4, a Wood White (Leptidea sinapis) x1 and Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus) x1 and then just before I reached the car I found 4 migrants up from Malaga, Barbara and Derek Etherton with Sonia and Ricky Owen who where up for a few day birding.

Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus).

After a chat I reached the car and then headed back to the Campsite to collapse in a S**TY heap and do a bit of stuff on the laptop.