Travelling back south from the coast to Riaño, ready for tomorrow's hide booking.
I was up early but spent a while watching what I could see from my room window whilst I packed, species included Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).
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| Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia). |
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| Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia). |
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| Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia). |
I had a coffee in the Hotel before setting off back towards Potes where I had some breakfast in Nisio y Edith before heading up towards Puerto de San Gloria but made a roadside stop just below Mirador del Corzo where I checked the bramble bushes and scrub up on the slopes nearby finding
Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) x15+,
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) x2,
Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x5,
Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae) x1, Lesser Marbled (Brenthis ino) x1 and Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia) x2,
Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) x2,
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1,
Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) x6,
Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) x4,
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) x12+, Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania) x3 and Great Banded Grayling () x1.
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| Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae). |
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| Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae). |
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| Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae). |
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| Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino). |
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| Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino). |
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| Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus). |
My next stop was up at Puerto de San Gloria, I did the same walk as I had with Karen and Rob but it was a little bit quieter as I only heard a single
Common Quail (Codorniz Común / Coturnix coturnix) briefly, I also added
Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis),
Tree Pipit (Bisbita Arbóreo / Anthus trivialis),
Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes),
Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis),
Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula),
European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola),
Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia),
Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) and European Serin (Serin Verdecillo / Serinus serinus).
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| Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis). |
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| Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia). |
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| Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia). |
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| Niobe Fritillary ( niobe). |
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| Dark-green Fritillary (). |
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| Dark-green Fritillary (). |
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| Dark-green Fritillary (). |
There were good numbers of butterflies nectaring at the many flowers on the meadows which included
Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius),
Scarce Copper x2, Clouded Yellow x3,
Dark-green () x9+ and
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene),
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x1,
Chapman's Ringlet (Erebia palarica) and
Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera).
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| Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene). |
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| Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae). |
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| Dark-green Fritillary (). |
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| Dark-green Fritillary (). |
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| Dark-green Fritillary (). |
Other species included
Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii), Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata),
Tormentil (Potentilla erecta), Large Self-Heal (Prunella grandiflora),
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium),
Bistort (Bistorta officinalis) and
Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor).
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| Zygaenidae species ?????? |
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| Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus). |
I went back to the car and returned to the roadside
Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous) where I bumped into Caitriona and Martin, whom I had met once before in the area, whilst we were chatting they said that they had seen one of my most wanted species the
Large Chequered Skipper (Heteropterus morpheus) and they kindly gave me the pin for the site.
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| Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous). |
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| Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous). |
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| Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous). |
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| Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous). |
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| Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris). |
I spent a while trying to get some photo's of the blues and also saw
Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris),
Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas),
Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra),
Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus),
Meadow Brown, Southern Heath (Melitaea
nevadensis) and
Lesser Marbled Fritillary. |
| Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia) and Dark-green Fritillary (). |
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| Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia). |
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| Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino). |
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| Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) and Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae). |
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| Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus). |
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| Chalk Hill Blue () ♂. |
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| Chalk Hill Blue () ♂ and Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera). |
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| Chalk Hill Blue () ♂. |
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| Chalk Hill Blue () ♂. |
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| Chalk Hill Blue () ♂. |
I continued on up the valley making a stop at a roadside site on the Arroyo de Mostajal, where I checked a very nice-looking wet flush and found Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli),
Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae),
Clouded Yellow,
Common Blue,
Silver-studded (Plebejus argus) and
Chalk Hill Blue (),
Southern Brown Argus,
Queen of Spain and
Dark-green Fritillary.
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| Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus). |
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| Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus). |
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| Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera). |
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| Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera). |
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| Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae). |
I again moved on further along the road and parked at Puerto de Pandetrave where I spent a while sat on a rock photographing species that were coming into an area of Thistles, these included
Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae), Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione), Esper's Marbled White (Melanargia russiae),
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and
Chapman's Ringlet (Erebia palarica).
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| Esper's Marbled White (Melanargia russiae). |
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| Esper's Marbled White (Melanargia russiae). |
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| Esper's Marbled White (Melanargia russiae). |
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| Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione). |
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| Provençal Fritillary (Melitaea deione). |
I dropped a little further down the other side of the hill and made a stop in amongst the woodland, there were quite a few butterflies on the wing including
Scarce Copper, Queen of Spain,
Southern Heath Fritillary,
Marbled White,
Chapman's Ringlet,
Heath Spotted Orchid,
Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) and
Musk Mallow (Malva moschata).
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| Chapman's Ringlet (Erebia palarica) ♀. |
Best of all was a small Ringlet species which looked interesting, so I spent a while chasing it down and getting some bad shots, which was good as with help from Ed Mckrill and Andy Tweed it was identified as a Large Ringlet (Erebia euryale), a new species for me.
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| Large Ringlet (Erebia euryale). |
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| Large Ringlet (Erebia euryale). |
I returned to the car and then made my way to Riaño where I was staying tonight ready for an early start tomorrow.
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