JUNE 18TH 2014 - PYRENEES & PICOS DE EUROPA - 9 DAY TOUR - DAY 6

MONESTERIO AT SAN JUAN DE LA PENA - RIO GALEGO VALLEY - AGUERO - EMBALSE SOTONERO - RIGLOS

What a difference a day makes, yesterday was full of new sightings and exciting finds and today was quite the opposite. That's birding for you.

It started off quite chilly with 8C and a cool breeze making it feel like 2-3C, but we set off heading down the valley away from the mountains and by the time we got to the Monastery it was about 12C

 

San Juan de la Pena monastery

 Along the way we saw the usual kites and Shrikes, a Common Buzzard and not much else. We then spent 2-3 hours walling through the woods looking for Black Woodpecker, we found every almost woodland species  except the woodpecker! Eurasian Chiffchaff, Crested Tit, Firecrest, Eurasian Nuthatch, Coal, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch and lots of butterflies came out as the sun got higher.

The views from the escarpment at the edge of the woods were simply stunning we had a wide panoramic vista of the snow covered peaks which no camera could capture sufficiently. We waited for quite a while to see what raptor species came up on the thermals but again we were disappointed with just Griffon Vultures, Red Kite and Common Kestrels.

Spanish Chalkhill Blue

Back at the monastery we saw a family of Black Redstarts, some Crag Martins and Common Swifts, even the cafeteria was closed so we couldn't get a coffee.

Driving down the valley we followed the course of the Rio Galego and stopped near the bottom where a wide expanse of reeds were growing in a roadside pool. Whilst eating our picnic lunch we saw a few more species, Common Nightingale, European Bee-eaters, Marsh Harrier, several Golden Orioles dashed about never giving prolonged views and our first Great Reed Warbler was seen by a couple of the group.

looking for a Black Woodpecker

From there we drove to the scenic village of Aguero where magnificent pinnacles of 'pudding stone' rise vertically some 100-200 meters, again photographs can't depict how dramatic the scene really is.
Whilst looking from the mirador we found a few more bird species and lots of butterflies. Common Quail and Turtle Doves called from the fields and olive groves and overhead we saw Booted Eagle, Red Kite and Wood Pigeons. Above the village a host of Griffon Vultures were joined by Red-billed Chough, a Short-toed Eagle and a single Egyptian Vulture.

Aguero viewed from the mirador

Our next stop was at the Embalse Sotonero, by now it was getting very warm, up to 28C! We spent an hour so at two places where we could some of the water. We amassed a little lost which included: Mallard, Common and Red-crested Pochard, Gadwall, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Little Egret, Great White Egret and Great Crested Grebe. In the pine woods around the lake we found Turtle Dove, Orphean Warbler (heard), Serin, Zitting Cisticola and a few finches.

Fritillary

Back on the road we headed for Hecho Valley via Riglos, the most famous of the villages with the 'fingers' Mallos de Riglos towering above the tiny village, we stopped to photograph the scene and found a pair  of Orphean Warblers that showed very well.


We had to stop there, it was getting late and we had a long journey back to the hotel, we made good time and arrived back at 7pm. Dinner was at 8pm which was enjoyed by all.