Las Médulas, Mirador de Orellán, Lago de Carucedo and Villablino, Castile and León, Spain.

Out and about in the El Bierzo area.

Ebird List Lago de Carucedo.

 

The edge of Las Médulas showing the fire damage which cover huge areas.

We headed out to the SW and started with a visit to the Las Médulas but the information centre was being rebuilt and the area had been badly damaged by a large fire last August so we had a quick look at a couple of spots but headed off pretty quickly and only added Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

The Tree.

Not far along the road we turned up towards the pueblo of Orellán but stopped just before there and checked out a view point with a carved tree, here we did a short walk along a quieter part of the road as I heard but couldn't find a Eurasian Bullfinch (Camachuelo Común / Pyrrhula pyrrhula), however we did see Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin, Eurasian Blue Tit, Cetti's Warbler (Cetia Ruiseñor / Cettia cetti), Eurasian Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Curruca capirotada), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Eurasian Jay (Arrendajo Euroasiático / Garrulus glandarius), Common Chaffinch, European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteño / Emberiza cirlus).

The only two ducks on this nice looking lake, a bit of a surprise really.

We dropped back down the hill and went to a nearby lake where we parked at Playa fluvial Carucedo and then walked around the trees along the edge of the lake and then out onto the wooden boardwalk.

Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus).

Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).

European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

During the walk we had a few nice species including Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Great Spotted (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito ibérico / Picus sharpei), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Firecrest (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapilla), Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Europeo / Certhia brachydactyla), Zitting Cisticola (Cistícola Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), European Robin, European Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba).

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta).

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta).

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♀.

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) ♀.

Also seen were several Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta), Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) x1♀, Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), Peacock (Aglais io), Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), European Hornet (Vespa crabro), Red-eared Terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans) and Bidens frondosa.

Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).

Red-eared Terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans).

Bidens frondosa.

We returned to the car and decided to do a run up to a village called Villablino, on the way we stopped at a view point and a picnic area on the way were we saw and heard Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia) and European Hornet.

Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia).

European Hornet (Vespa crabro).

We reached Villablino where we had a drive around and then had some lunch which was nice, the town was a bit ordinary but OK, after lunch we drove back to Molinaseca seeing a ♀ Eurasian Bullfinch fly across the road in front of us.

A street in Molinaseca.

Looking across the river to our Hotel.

Later we had another walk around the town and then chilled back at the hotel with a Bocadillo and a drink.