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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

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.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

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 25th June and 2nd 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.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

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.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

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.