IMG_20240627_072344
Berdún and the Fago Gorge Thursday 27th June
The wild-flower meadow and rows of lavender at Casa Sarasa had plenty of insect activity to keep the early risers entertained just outside the front door as Helena and Peter did some juggling with the vans. It was hot and close as we set off on our first exploratory walk directly from the house. Walking along the pathway immediately behind the hotel, past our old favourite Lizard Orchid, we came across the first Spanish Swallowtail, Spanish Gatekeepers and Southern White Admiral as well as a host of other invertebrates buzzing around the wayside flowers. The last of the year’s Nightingales sang for us as we made a stop in the village cemetry. Spanish cemetries anre unlike British ones, so there was an opportunity to learn about local culture as well as enjoying the wildlife. Peter’s explanations were interrupted by a pale-phased Booted Eagle cruising slowly overhead, while the Rock Sparrows earned their Spanish common name of “Gorrión chillón” – or whining sparrow with their incessant chirping amongst the tombstones. We headed down to the Veral river, through the grey, eerily sculpted marl layers known as the Badlands. Swallowtail, Spanish Chalkhill Blue and Pearly Heath were amongst the butterflies spotted
Once we got down to the lusher vegetation in the shade of the poplar trees we quickly started noticing the hairstreaks, as Blue-Spot, False Ilex and Spanish Purple were found, while on a patch of mud we found a pristine Long-tailed Blue. This short walk of little more than a kilometre and a half had taken the better part of three hours, and the day was becoming progressively hotter and more humid, so it was a welcome sight to find one of the vans waiting for us at the walk’s end to save the hot walk uphill back to base.
We drove to the nearby Fago Gorge, a limestone chasm with a narrow winding road that runs along the top. First stop was our picnic lunch at a spot with fabulous views of the gorge below and the rocky crags all around. Eating was interrupted by birding, as Griffon Vultures glided over, a Peregrine zoomed by and a Melodious warbler perched in full sight. Then we slowly ambled along the road, upstream, enjoying the flower-rich rocks and verges. Blue-spot and False Ilex hairstreaks were abundant, as were Marbled Whites, Cleopatras, Brimstones, Spanish Gatekeeprs and Essex Skippers. A very obliging Dusky Meadow Brown landed on someone’s forearm, while a Stick Insect and later on a Praying Mantis caused a lot of excitement. There was a general abundance of butterflies here on this 2km stretch of road, with dozens, sometimes more, of individuals of maybe 15 different species, flitting from Scabious to Santolina flowers and into the oak trees overhanging the road. An “Osiris Blue” was spotted but later debate downgraded this to a Mazarine, and a couple of Weaver’s Fritillary were particularly fresh. Botanical highlights included some beautifully flowering Thick-leaved stonecrop and the enigmatic Leuzia conifera pretending to be pine-cone and a ground thistle at the same time.
Satisfied and hot, we returned to Casa Sarasa for cool drinks, reference books and the comfortable meeting room before dinner. Total butterfly species seen today 41
IMG_20240627_072344
Berdún and the Fago Gorge Thursday 27th June
The wild-flower meadow and rows of lavender at Casa Sarasa had plenty of insect activity to keep the early risers entertained just outside the front door as Helena and Peter did some juggling with the vans. It was hot and close as we set off on our first exploratory walk directly from the house. Walking along the pathway immediately behind the hotel, past our old favourite Lizard Orchid, we came across the first Spanish Swallowtail, Spanish Gatekeepers and Southern White Admiral as well as a host of other invertebrates buzzing around the wayside flowers. The last of the year’s Nightingales sang for us as we made a stop in the village cemetry. Spanish cemetries anre unlike British ones, so there was an opportunity to learn about local culture as well as enjoying the wildlife. Peter’s explanations were interrupted by a pale-phased Booted Eagle cruising slowly overhead, while the Rock Sparrows earned their Spanish common name of “Gorrión chillón” – or whining sparrow with their incessant chirping amongst the tombstones. We headed down to the Veral river, through the grey, eerily sculpted marl layers known as the Badlands. Swallowtail, Spanish Chalkhill Blue and Pearly Heath were amongst the butterflies spotted
Once we got down to the lusher vegetation in the shade of the poplar trees we quickly started noticing the hairstreaks, as Blue-Spot, False Ilex and Spanish Purple were found, while on a patch of mud we found a pristine Long-tailed Blue. This short walk of little more than a kilometre and a half had taken the better part of three hours, and the day was becoming progressively hotter and more humid, so it was a welcome sight to find one of the vans waiting for us at the walk’s end to save the hot walk uphill back to base.
We drove to the nearby Fago Gorge, a limestone chasm with a narrow winding road that runs along the top. First stop was our picnic lunch at a spot with fabulous views of the gorge below and the rocky crags all around. Eating was interrupted by birding, as Griffon Vultures glided over, a Peregrine zoomed by and a Melodious warbler perched in full sight. Then we slowly ambled along the road, upstream, enjoying the flower-rich rocks and verges. Blue-spot and False Ilex hairstreaks were abundant, as were Marbled Whites, Cleopatras, Brimstones, Spanish Gatekeeprs and Essex Skippers. A very obliging Dusky Meadow Brown landed on someone’s forearm, while a Stick Insect and later on a Praying Mantis caused a lot of excitement. There was a general abundance of butterflies here on this 2km stretch of road, with dozens, sometimes more, of individuals of maybe 15 different species, flitting from Scabious to Santolina flowers and into the oak trees overhanging the road. An “Osiris Blue” was spotted but later debate downgraded this to a Mazarine, and a couple of Weaver’s Fritillary were particularly fresh. Botanical highlights included some beautifully flowering Thick-leaved stonecrop and the enigmatic Leuzia conifera pretending to be pine-cone and a ground thistle at the same time.
Satisfied and hot, we returned to Casa Sarasa for cool drinks, reference books and the comfortable meeting room before dinner. Total butterfly species seen today 41