postcard from the Pyrenees

 Spanish gatekeeper

Orthetrum brunneum

Tawny pipit

Honey buzzard

Lizard orchid

Lady's slipper orchid

Pyrenean brook newt

Bird's-nest orchid

New Odonata

A week spent driving down through Germany and chasing Odonata resulted in three lifers for me, the best easily being the incredibly range-restricted montane European race of Coenagrion hylas.

Another lifer for me this time in Germany (and rather embarrassing as it occurs in northern Sweden) was the splendid Ophiogomphus cecilae.

Butterflies - Pyrenees

Lesser spotted fritillary (Melitaea trivia)

Chestnut heath (Coenonympha glycerion)

Marbled white (Melanargia galathea)

False heath fritillary (Melitaea diamina), vernetensis the Pyrenean subspecies

Scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)

Adonis blue (Lysandra bellargus)

Marbled fritillary (Brenthis daphne)

Duke-of-Burgundy (Hamearis lucina)

Lovely longhorns (Cerambycidae) - Spanish Pyrenees

Dorcadion fuliginator

Monochamus sutor

Cerambyx scopolii

Odonata - Pyrenees

With just three species of Odonate recorded during working hours on a recent trip to the Spanish Pyrenees, I eventually cracked and went out one evening exploring and found a small reservoir (Balsa la Estanca) above Bailo that satisfied my Odo-needs. This Sympetrum fusca male was my first in Spain. [A full list of the Odonata recorded on the tour follows these photos]

My only odo-lifer of the tour came in the form of this splendid Coenagrion scitulum, a long overdue addition to my list.

Another Spanish first for me was Erythromma lindeni

A few Sympetrum fonscolombii were also my first in Spain

An encounter with Gomphus pulchellus at Balsa la Enstanca was my first in many years and most welcome.

Odonata recorded in the Spanish Pyrenees between 25^th June and 2^nd July 2013

Common winter demoiselle	Sympecma fusca	Two males at Balsa la Enstanca.
Blue-eye	Erythromma lindeni	A few at Balsa la Enstanca.
	Ischnura spp.	A few at Balsa la Enstanca.
Dainty damselfly	Coenagrion scitulum	Two males at Balsa la Enstanca.
Common bluet	Enallagma cyathigerum	Small numbers at Balsa la Enstanca.
Yellow clubtail	Gomphus simillimus	One at the Atares junction stream for Bruce and Mary only...
Western clubtail	Gomphus pulchellus	A few males at Balsa la Enstanca.
Emperor	Anax imperator	Small numbers at Balsa la Enstanca, including an egg-laying female.
Broad-bodied chaser	Libellula depressa	Pair on roadside runnel high up the Hecho Valley.
Black-tailed skimmer	Orthetrum cancellatum	One male at Balsa la Enstanca.
Southern skimmer	Orthetrum brunneum	Single male along the Aragon River on the afternoon of the first day.
Red-veined darter	Sympetrum fonscolombii	Small numbers at Balsa la Enstanca. One at Casa Sarasa on the last day.

siberian jay

Been busy touring recently. I should manage a post from my recent Pyrenees trip at some point soon but I am currently busy on a Swedish Lapland tour. Managed two Swedish ticks today though which is always special. We opted to avoid a day of rather inclement weather in the mountains by heading south-east to Kiruna and got into the woodland to the east. Here we found Siberian jay and Siberian tit in pretty short order before the weather caught up with us.

garden tick

Back from the Pyrenees but too busy to bird at the moment. I could not ignore the hobby over the garden during dinner this evening though. Species 107 on the garden list and now we have an outdoor dining area the list may improve some.