From Finca La Sayuela in Ávila to Potes in Cantabria, Spain,

A long drive north for a few days in the Pico's de Europa.

Karen and Rob, Day Five.

 

Jane, Rob, Karen and Keith.

We were up early and getting the car packed ready for our drive to the North, After breakfast we said our goodbyes to Jan and Keith, who had again been great hosts at their amazing Finca La Sayuela which I can't recommend enough.

I don't think Karen and Rob wanted to leave but we hit the road and started to make our way North, we made a quick stop at Fuente de Los Romeros to top up the drinks bottles, here we saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo Ibérico / Cyanopica cooki), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis), Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe) and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina).

Rob and I at our first stop just south of Ávila.

A little further towards Ávila we made another stop at Puerto de Menga where we spent a while checking an area of scrub finding Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), European Goldfinch, Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Small White (Pieris rapae), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron), Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus), Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe), Iberian Marbled White, Great Banded Grayling and Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides).

Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus).

Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus).

Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus).

Common / Southern Blue (Polyommatus icarus / celina).

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe).

We now started the longer part of the drive to Potes, on the way we had some lunch and as we drove we saw Iberian Brown Hare (Liebre ibérica / Lepus granatensis), Common Woodpigeon, Griffon (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and Cinereous  / Eurasian Black Vulture (Buitre Negro / Aegypius monachus), Western Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Black and Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Northern Wheatear (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Eurasian Magpie, Woodchat Shrike and European Serin.

Mirador de Las Matas.

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta).

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta).

After we left the motorways we went up into the hills, we made a stop at the Mirador de Las Matas where we found good numbers of species including Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta), Small Skipper, Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra), Purple (Favonius Quercus),  False Ilex (Satyrium esculi) and Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis), Knapweed (Melitaea phoebe), Silver-Washed (Argynnis paphia) and Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia), Iberian Marbled White, Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania) and Great Banded Grayling.

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni).

Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis).

Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis).

Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis).

Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis).

Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia).

Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia).

Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia).

Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis).

Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis).

Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis).

Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis).

Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis).

Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania).

We arrived at Hotel Toscana and got settled in, from the window of my room I picked up Common Swift, Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Western House Martin (Avión Común Occidental / Delichon urbicum), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Spotted Flycatcher, Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Hawfinch (Picogordo Común / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes), European Goldfinch. 

Later we went for a meal at the Hosteria Peña Sagra which was very good, later we returned to the Hotel and turned in after a coffee.