Navarredonda de Gredos / Pinares, Plataforma de Gredos / Senda de la Laguna Grande, Navarredonda de Gredos / Pinares, AV-941, San Martín del Pimpollar in Castilla y León, Spain.

A cracking days birding with Keith Hamilton from Gredos Nature / Finca La Sayuela.

Deb and Ian, Day Fifty Three.

Ebird List for Navarredonda de Gredos--Pinares.

Ebird List for Sierra de Gredos--Prado de las Pozas.

Ebird List for Navarredonda de Gredos--Pinares.

Ebird List for AV-941, San Martín del Pimpollar.

 

We left the wonderful Finca La Sayuela with Keith at 07.00 and headed for the Sierra de Gredos in search of a bird we had all wanted to see the Iberian subspecies of Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica azuricallis) which has the completely blue throat.

A walk amongst the tall Pines.

We started the day in the Pine woodlands of Navarredonda de Gredos where we were looking for Citril Finch (Verderón Serrano / Carduelis citrinella) but we didn't have any luck, however we did find Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater) and European Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus), Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Cecropis daurica), Western Bonelli's Warbler (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus). 

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae).

Linaria elegans.

We continued on towards the Plataforma de Gredos, just before we arrived we made roadside stop as there were a good number of butterflies on the verge flowers, most were Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) but we also had a very nice Peacock (Aglais io), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe) and on the verge there was a new plant for me Linaria elegans.

Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis).

Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis).

We continued on up to the car park, got our kit sorted and the headed of along the path to Laguna Grande and almost straight away we had a very well behaved Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis) at the top end of the car park which was followed as we moved on by a distant male Common Rock Thrush (Roquero Roja / Monticola saxatilis), Rock (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia) and Ortolan Bunting (Escribano Hortolano / Emberiza hortulana), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe) and a pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe).

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

We reached an area of what could be Yellow Bridal Broom Retama sphaerocarpa) or one of another 20 odd possible species 😀😀😀😀😀 and we started to scan the bushes for the target Bluethroat, we found more Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Dunnocks, Woodlark (Alondra Totovía / Lullula arborea), Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix) another Booted Eagle and then another bird popped up onto the top of one of the bushes which was a stunning male Bluethroat, it sat there for around 30 seconds before dropping into cover again.

Iberian Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica azuricallis).

Iberian Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica azuricallis).

Iberian Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica azuricallis).

Iberian Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica azuricallis).

Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis).

Very happy with this record we continued on a way along the track up to a small lake and wet area at Puente de las Pozas which crossed Garganta de las Pozas, on the rock by the bridge we saw a couple of the very smart lizard Iberolacerta cyreni ssp. castilliana which were new for me.

Iberolacerta cyreni ssp. castilliana.

Iberolacerta cyreni ssp. castilliana.

Iberolacerta cyreni ssp. castilliana.

Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).

We walked out and around the pools in the river, here we saw Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica), 6478 Eurrhypis pollinalis, Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Small White (Pieris rapae), Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Common Chaffinch and Ortolan Bunting.  

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica).

We dropped back down along the track to the car and then headed off to a spot along the Rio Tormes at the Área recreativa Tamborríos, on the way we stopped for a good lunch in Bar La Bodeguilla in Hoyos del Espino.

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).

We continued on towards the woodlands but pulled into a lay-by at Navarredonda de Gredos when we saw a large Kettle of Vultures which contained mostly Griffon's (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and a couple of Cinereous Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus), on the buildings next to the road we added White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia) and on a small stream Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) and Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens).

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula).

Once we arrived at the next spot we parked and did a loop walk along the Rio Tormes and then back along the road, along the river we saw Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula), Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus), Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene), Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Robust Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza elata), Echium flavum, Hemlock Water-Dropwort (Oenanthe crocata) and  Mountain Sandwort (Arenaria montana).

Hemlock Water-Dropwort (Oenanthe crocata).

 Hemlock Water-Dropwort (Oenanthe crocata). 

Echium flavum.

Robust Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza elata).

Further round the walk we came into a more open area where we saw Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi), Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea celadussa), Queen of Spain, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera) which was very nice and behaved very nicely.

Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).

Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera).

Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera).

Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera).

Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera).

We returned to the Woodlands where we were this morning to give the Finches another go but the results were the same on that front and we didn't add anything new so we headed back to the Finca picking up a pair of European Honey Buzzards (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus) on the way. 

European Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus).

Back at the Finca we had a very nice evening enjoying some food and a few beers with Keith and Jane on their terrace.