Finca La Sayuela, Roadside stop nearby, Embalse de Rosarito, Ávila, Spain.

A second day out with Keith on his patch.

 

We were all out fairly early as it was forecast to be another warm one, before we left the Finca we saw and heard Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oropéndola Europea / Oriolus oriolus), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Nightingale (Ruisenor Común / Luscinia megarhynchos), Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

Our first stop was at a roadside spot that Keith knew for European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Europeo / Merops apiaster), unfortunately they didn't want to play and disappeared as soon as we pulled up. 

We did see Black Kite, Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).

Embalse de Rosarito.

We continued on to the shore of the Embalse de Rosarito, which we could see from the Finca where we parked under a tree near the shoreline and scanned the lake, finding some nice bird species including Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), European Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Great (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Black Kite, European Bee-eater, Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Common Nightingale, Crested Lark and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

As we walked around the shore and amongst an area of brambles we added a few Butterflies and Dragons, butterflies included Small White (Pieris rapae), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus),  Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

♂ Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta).

 Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) ♀.

 Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) ♀.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♀.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♀.

Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) teneral ♂.

The dragonflies were starting to fly, we soon found a nice ♂ Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta), several Violet Dropwings (Trithemis annulata) including a very cooperative ♀, Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), a couple of teneral Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) and the star of the day, a stunning ♂ Green Hooktail (Paragomphus genei).

♂ Green Hooktail (Paragomphus genei).

♂ Green Hooktail (Paragomphus genei).

♂ Green Hooktail (Paragomphus genei).

♂ Green Hooktail (Paragomphus genei).

We returned to the car and headed to a spot not too far away on the same Embalse, on a narrower arm which looked more like a section of river we found European Turtle Dove, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Cinereous  / Eurasian Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus), Black Kite, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Iberian Magpie, Small White x3, Wood White (Leptidea sinapis) x2, Clouded Yellow x3, Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera) x12, Tree Grayling (Hipparchia statilinus) x1, Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) x2 and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x6.

Embalse de Rosarito.

Cinereous  / Eurasian Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus).

Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera).

Wood White (Leptidea sinapis).

Tree Grayling (Hipparchia statilinus).

We went a little way back along the track we checked the shoreline again for waders and found Common (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Thinornis dubius), more Banded Groundlings x14+ and a couple of Violet Dropwing x2♂.

Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta) ♀.

As Keith and I were walking back to the car we heard a calling Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Menor / Dryobates minor) before we went to a cracking spot along a nearby river which was very good for more dragonflies, species seen included Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo), Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis), White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes), Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus), Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) and Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata).

Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis) ♀.

Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis) ♂.

White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes) ♂.

White Featherleg (Platycnemis latipes) ♀.

Small Pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) ♂.

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) ♂.

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) ♂.

Other species included Small White, Meadow Brown, Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris), Barn Swallow, Common Kingfisher (Martin Pescador Común / Alcedo atthis), Melodious Warbler (Zarcero políglota / Hippolais polyglotta), Spanish Sparrow (Gorrión Moruno / Passer hispaniolensis) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

The River.

Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris).

We left this really nice river site and headed into Candeleda where we sat in a very pleasant Plaza and had some lunch, as we sat there, we saw Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a surprise White Featherleg which flew past us.

We walked back to the car and moved on to the nearby Ermita-Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Chilla where we walked around the gardens which were very nice even in the heat as there was lots of water around.

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus).

Species seen were Eurasian Golden Oriole, Common Blackbird, European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), White Wagtail, Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Small White, Clouded Yellow, Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis), Cardinal Fritillary, Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi). 

Ermita-Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Chilla.

On the way back to the car, Karen spotted that the Restaurante El Refugio de Chilla was open, so we spent a while sitting on the terrace testing out some of the different flavours of the homemade ice cream before heading back to the Finca where we had another very nice evening with Keith and Jane on their own terrace.