Western Palearctic Birding

France and Spain - Pyrenees, May/June 2008

Following my trip to the Spanish Pyrenees last September I'd wanted to return to take my girlfriend and visit to the French side of the mountains for one target species - Red-billed Leiothrix!

I booked Ryanair flights from Stanstead to Zaragoza and eventually managed to book accommodation at the following hotels:

28 May 2008 - Holiday Inn Express, Zaragoza (good and handy if arriving on a late flight into Zaragoza)

29 and 30 May 2008 - Hostel Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz de la Seros (nice location but food poor) http://www.santacruzdelaseros.com/ingles/ptopartida.htm 

31 May 2008 - Hotel De France, Laruns (very good, old fashioned feel) http://www.vallee-ossau.com/hotel/france/index.html

1 June 2008 - Hotel Sanchez, Ainsa (poor but at least clean and cheap)

 

28 May 2008

Our flight on the ever punctual Ryanair (not) landed at 22.40 so it was a quick pick-up of my hire car from Hertz (where they'd upgraded us to a nice VW Golf) and off to find the Holiday Inn Express for some much needed sleep. The hotel is handily situated in the northern outskirts of Zaragoza just south of the main ring road and by the road leading north to Huesca. Due to loads of roadworks and poor signage I overshot the turn but eventually found the place and crashed out.

29 May 2008

After a surprisingly pleasant breakfast at the Holiday Inn we headed north via Huesca to the village of Riglos huddled beneath an impressive red sandstone massive. Soon after leaving Zaragoza our first Griffon Vultures, Black Kites and Spotless Starlings were encountered. Arriving at Riglos there were several Nightingales in song near the carpark and Serins everywhere. We wandered up through the narrow village streets to explores the scrub at the base of the cliffs above the church. This yielded 3 Sardinian Warblers, c10 Black Redstarts, a nice male Blue Rock Thrush perched low down on the cliff itself and then a 1st summer male Subalpine Warbler in the valley to the left of the main cliff. Crag Martins and Griffon Vultures were in the air the whole time as we ambled back along the track and as we passed the church again the main target species of Black Wheatear was finally seen with 2 birds chasing each other through the trees. After dipping on them in September it was nice to score this time even if it was just as we were leaving. The route back to the main road produced a couple of Woodchats from the car and a brief stop on the road north (and still within sight of Riglos) gave me us Short-toed Eagle and singing Cetti's Warbler.

Black Wheatear, Riglos

 

Riglos

The red sandstone cliffs near Riglos 

Not being able to wait any longer we headed north to the Pyrenees proper and straight to one of my favourite spots, the Hecho Valley. The scenery gradually gets better and better as you proceed north up the valley and heading through Hecho, Siresa and the Boca de Infierno and passing 2 young Red Fox cubs right by the road we made it to the upper valley. The road here peters out into a track and turns right to follow parallel the French border. The birding was pretty good with an impressive wheeling flock of c300 Alpine Chough, c50 Chough, 2 Ravens, 3 Grey Wagtails, 2 Black Redstarts, a male Red-backed Shrike and some inquisitive Alpine Marmots numbering about 15. The main valley also gave up 2 Egyptian Vultures, numerous Griffon Vultures, several Red Kites and one Black Kite and Common Buzzard.

Elderflower Orchid, Upper Hecho Valley

As time was getting on we then made our way to our accommodation for the next 2 nights in the village of Santa Cruz de la Seros approximately 15km to the south. From the sunny balcony overlooking the church were White and Grey Wagtail, several Serins and a Firecrest at arms length in a pine.

I'd booked the Hostel Santa Cruz on a half board basis but the evening meal of Beans with Chorizo, Tomato Chicken and Ice Cream was a bit disappointing. Nowhere near as bad as the Hotel Uson back in September though and a bottle of Rioja certainly helped it slip down!

Hostal Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz de la Seros

30 May 2008

Following a breakfast of hard toast, buns and cafe con leche we headed up the lane from the village to the Monasteries of San Juan de la Pena. Stopping a couple of miles up and at almost excatly the same spot as I'd ticked it last year a superb adult Lammergeier sailed over. After a brief stop to take photographs at the lower monestary (the one built into the cliff) we proceeded up to the carpark by the upper monastery. A stroll through the woods to the viewpoint and around the meadow opposite the monastery yielded several Griffon Vultures, Red and Black Kites, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Bullfinches, 1 Firecrest, 1-2 Garden Warblers, 1 Blackcap, 2 Nuthatches and several Crag Martins but the best was left til last with 2 Black Woodpeckers calling their distinctive 'cleweee' from the woods and drumming. Butterflies were starting to get going and we saw Clouded Yellow, Grizzled Skipper and Glanville Fritillary.

Glanville Fritillary, San Juan de la Pena

On the San Juan de la Pena escarpment

With no further ado we then headed back to the Hecho Valley. After a very pleasant exploration of the atmospheric vllage of Hecho and a jamon bocadillo for lunch we headed up the winding road to the Garbardito Refuge for a walk up through the woods and into the crags and meadows beyond. On the way up we spooked a Roe Deer and upon arrival at the refuge Citril Finches were immediately obvious at this stake out for them. c8 individuals showed very nicely in pines around the edge of the meadow as did a pair of Black Redstarts and a Marsh Tit. Walking through the woods an Iberian Green Woodpecker flew across the valley almost imitating the events of my last visit to the site. I walked past the famous Wallcreeper crag but didn't linger long enough to stand any reasonable chance of success but found a great little spot by a waterfall and stream crossing. Coal Tits are extremely common in the woods here and raptors were as awesome as ever with 3 Lammergeiers, loads of Griffons Vultures, 3+ Egyptian Vultures, c8 Red Kites, c5 Black Kites and 1 Common Buzzard. I also managed c4 Ravens, c6 Chough and loads of Crag Martins. During a brief stop near Embun back down in the lower Hecho Valley we were serenaded by a Nightingale before we made tracks back towards Santa Cruz de la Seros.

Gabardito Refuge

Paddling in snowmelt, brrrrr!

Pyrenean Trumpet Gentian, Upper Hecho Valley

Pyrenean Water Sprite

On the way back we made a quick stop at near Alastuey and although not as productive as hoped for it did have a spanking male Red-backed Shrike, Garden Warbler, Black Redstart, Black Kite, and best of all a singing Melodious Warbler which showed nicely.

Dinner back at our digs that night was a similar affair to the night before.

31 May 2008

After a night of storms we awoke this morning to leaden skies and steady rain. It was off through the border tunnel at the Col de Somport and into France today so we hoped the weather would be better on the north side of the mountains.

Our main destination of the day was a birding one - woods by the village of Laroin near Pau. After a wet but interesting drive down through the Valle d'Aspee we eventually arrived at the site around midday. For anyone else visting the GPS co-ordinates for the carpark are N 43 18.257 W 00 26.154. Park here and walk into the strip of woodland between the main road and the river. I walked into the woodland and within 2 minutes had located my first Red-billed Leiothrix. Another 10 minutes and I'd seen about 6 individuals and some great views down to just a few yards in the narrow belt of trees between the path and the river. The woods were pretty good for general birding too. On the approach along the main road (the D2) a superb Black Woodpecker flew high over the road at treetop height and the woods also held several Blackcaps, 1 Cetti's Warbler, a Marsh Tit and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers. The 'menu de jour' at a cafe/restaurant in Laroins village proved to be a huge cassolet followed by casserole d'cheval which was a first. Best described as having a very strong flavour with an aftertaste of horse shit!

 

Red-billed Leiothrix, Laroin, near Pau

Red-billed Leiothrix site, Laroin, near Pau

By the time we'd finished eating the weather was becoming warm and steamy so we decided to head back towards the mountains and my overnight stop at the village of Laruns. After a stop for groceries we made our way up to the Lac de Bions-Artigues for an afternoon walk. The rain stopped enough to stay dry and whilst the low swirling cloud was dramatic it wasn't exactly ideal birding or walking conditions. All I managed were c6 Crag Martins, Grey Wagtail and Nuthatch.

Back down in Laruns we found the Hotel de France to be the best place we'd stayed in. Old fashioned and with a 1940's sort of feel to it. I almost expected the cast of 'ello 'ello to walk in at any minute! The proprietor Francoise Mornaut made us some cafe au lait in the comfortable lounge and we chilled out before venturing out for the evening. We decided not to eat out that evening but to have a few beers followed by some scoff in our room. The bar just 100 yards up the road (towards the village square) proved to be excellent and friendly and we had one too many of the local brew before we were done.

Hotel de France, Laruns

1 June 2008

Back into Spain today. We'd planned to venture over a couple fo the french Pyrenean passes of the Col de Aubisque and the Col de Tourmalet and enter Spain to the east but Francioise informed us that they were both still closed due to snow. Instead we drove south from Laruns to cross the border at the Col du Portalet.

Stopping for a short walk a couple of miles before the crossing we found a Black Redstart, Water Pipit and 3 Northern Wheatears plus a couple of de Prunner's Ringlets and then at Formigal on the Spanish side a male Red-backed Shrike was eclipsed by a fly-over Golden Eagle.

de Prunner's Ringlet, Col du Portalet

Col du Portalet

At the Col du Portalet

Formigal

We headed gradually east towards the Parc Natural de Ordesa, stopping for lunch near the Biescas at the Puerto de Cotefablo where a Cirl Bunting was singing, a Green Woodpecker sp calling and both Red Kite and Common Buzzard in the air.

Our aim for the afternoon was to walk through the Valle d'Ordesa (also known as the Ordesa Canyon) and despite the intermittent rain that's what we did. By the road on just north of Torla was a superb male Moroccan Orange Tip which was a butterfly I'd long wanted to see. The canyon itself was slightly disappointing. The scenery was undoubtedly spectacular but most of the walk was in thick woodland obscuring the view! The water falls were spectacular though and a smattering of half decent birds were seen too - Lammergeier, Griffon Vulture, Crag Martins, 4 Crested Tits, several Firecrests, Song Thrush and Chiffchaff.

 

Torla and the Ordesa Canyon

Following that we drove up the track towards the border hamlet of Bujaruelo for another walk. A refuge here marks the end of where you can drive and provided a very welcome coffee before we spent a very pleasant couple of hours walking further up the river valley. Birding was slow but 2 Citril Finches showed well on the return walk plus 3 Bullfinches and Grey Wagtail. Back at the refuge a flighty and elusive warbler in the riverside bushes was eventually nailed as a Melodious Warbler.

 

Near Bujaruelo

Making the long drive down to the town of Ainsa we found the Hotel Sanchez I'd booked only to find they had no record of the booking. There was plenty of room however but this won't be a hotel I'd recommend to anyone. It was clean but the smell of fried food drifting up to my balcony was enough to make you gag! Combine this with being told breakfast was included and then to find it wasn't, the reception never being manned and a member of staff pursuing us out onto the carpark when we checked out the following morning to try to explain god knows what to us and you get the general picture. All that was missing was a certain Spanish waiter named Manuel!

That evening we declined to dine at the hotel and headed up into the atmospheric old part of the town to find a restaurant. We found one that looked reasonable but once again the quality of Spanish cuisine let us down. My medalions of wild boar were nice but the rest of it was pretty poor.

 

2 June 2008

No breakfast at the hotel unless we wanted to pay for it and eat it in a smoky bar. No thanks!

Instead we wandered up the the old town to take some photographs. Perhaps surprisingly the town did have some good birds with 2 singing Cetti's Warblers by the river, a Common Sandpiper, 3 Nightingales (including one very showy bird singing from the top of a bush by the river), Black Redstart, Serin, both Black and Red Kite and a good find of several Rock Sparrows presumably breeding in the walls of the old citadel.

 

The Old Plaza, Ainsa

The plan for our last day was to explore the hills and mountains to the north of Ainsa. Driving north we clocked the only Booted Eagle of the trip as we headed along the lanes from the village of Escalona up the the abandoned village of Escuain. This village overlooks a gorge known as the Gargantua de Escuain and from the viewpoint here we saw at least 5 Lammergeiers, c20 Griffon Vultures and several Crag Martins. The village environs also yielded Spotted Flycatcher, Cuckoo, a male Cirl Bunting, 2 Red-backed Shrikes, 2 Jays, 2 Mistle Thrushes and a Green Woodpecker sp. It's also worth noting that despite the village being abandoned and in ruins there is a plush and manned visitor centre devoted to Lammergeiers!

 

The abandoned village of Escuain

The rest of the day was spent driving west through the amazingly sheer gorge towards the village of Fanlo. Stopping for an hours walk at the mouth of the Ainslo Canyon was an execellent idea despite the rain showers never being far away. The only birds of note seen along this stretch were a Woodchat and 2 Bee-eaters.

Alas we then had to head south and back towards Zaragoza for my late evening flight home. We stopped to get packed and changed by a windfarm near El Temple and had Crested Larks, Corn Bunting and a single White Stork to boost the trip list. A text message from Justin then informed me that I'd have a Norfolk Trumpeter Finch to go for on my return - on the end of Blakeney Point. Not an ideal location as I wouldn't be getting home until 3am and I had work in the morning! The very last bird of the trip was then a Little Ringed Plover on wasteground on the approach to the airport in Zaragoza. Here we spent a boring few hours killing time in the newly refurbished airport before our delayed departure.

As a postscript - the Trumpeter Finch was duly bagged the next day but boy did my legs ache on the walk back!