My Spanish Pyrenees Adventure

Hola! From May 22nd to May 29th, I went on a week long trip to the Spanish Pyrenees as part of a group tour holiday package ran by Naturetrek. It was an adventure for me, full of ups and downs (quite literally in some cases). There were about 11 of us plus 2 guides, one of which owned the place we were staying and would also cook our meals with his wife. Here's all that happened and what we saw along the way... 

 Day 1

It was an early start as my parents drove me to Stanstead to catch my plane for Zaragoza. Once there, I met up with my group, got into one of our two mini buses and made our way to our base for the week, a small hotel in the picturesque town of Berdún. Along the way, I was adding new birds to my list starting with spotless starlings at the airport. Black and red kites were everywhere along the roadside, white storks were on their nests built on telegraph posts and, as fields became mountains, griffon vultures soared above.

At our base, we had a very late lunch. We were shown our rooms and I had a little amount of time to admire the garden and the view surrounding it. Nightingales were singing everywhere, including one by my bedroom window, but they were so well hidden in the undergrowth that I couldn't see them. Serins also jangled their songs from wires and branches, while house sparrows, swallows and house martins flew around us and on the buildings we were calling home for the week.

Once lunch was over and that we've settled in a bit, our guides took us to a beech forest area in Belagua. Here we found many orchids such as white helleborines, bird's-nest, lesser butterfly, green-winged and common spotted. There were also many interesting plants here too like green hellebore, purple toothwort and dragon's teeth and also butterflies including wood whites, speckled woods (which are orange here), and clouded yellows. I also encountered a large dor beetle.

On our way back, our guides suddenly grinded to a halt. There, sitting in the middle of a small field by the roadside was... A WILDCAT!!! It was a completely unexpected, out-of-the-blue highlight of all highlights of our holiday. It was only day one! It just sat there for a while, looking at us unfazed for several minutes. It then moved closer to us before eventually walking away into the nearest wooded area and vanishing from sight. Absolutely WOW!!!! 

There were a couple of other botanical highlights before we ended day one. First some greater butterwort (which traps and absorbs insects for their nutrients within the hairs along their leaves and stem) and then a spectacular lizard orchid in full flower while a thunderstorm suddenly rumbled in. The storm continued when we returned for the evening. This wasn't enough to prevent the nightingales from singing however. The one by my bedroom continued to belt out its loud, but beautiful song. These birds are known to sing throughout the night, which made me think if I was going to get any sleep at all.

Serin, Bee-eater, Griffon Vulture, Subalpine Warbler,
Woodchat Shrike, Lammergeier, Golden Oriole, Black Kite,
Crested Lark, Firecrest, Nightingale, Blue Rock Thrush,
Sardinian Warbler, Egyptian Vulture, Northern Wheatear, Hoopoe,
 Melodious Warbler, Citril Finch, Rock Sparrow, Corn Bunting
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Water Pipit, Rock Bunting & Black Redstart

Day 2

I did get some sleep, but the nightingale did wake me up like some natural alarm clock. I tried to find one but was unsuccessful. I did have great views of serin and a pair of black redstart that was feeding their chicks in their nest built on top of a light fitting on the outside wall of one of our apartments.

Once breakfast was eaten, we spent the morning walking around Berdún and down a slope to the nearest river, the Rio Veral. There were plenty of wildlife very close to our base's doorstep. This included 11 new bird species to my list. Booted eagles, short-toed eagles, a bee-eater, a melodious warbler, rock sparrows, golden orioles, cirl buntings, Egyptian vultures, subalpine warblers and heard a western Orphean warbler and a western Bonelli's warbler, boosting the list to 168 and we also came across a spotted flycatcher and more griffon vultures, black kites and serins.

It was a good morning for plants, orchids and butterflies also with a variety of beautiful things like violet horned poppy, dodder, beautiful flax, an early spider orchid, a bee orchid, pyramidal orchids, a scarce swallowtail, clouded yellows, green-underside blues, Osiris blue, province charkhill blue, Panopti's blue, southern white admirals, knapweed fritillaries and many more. We spent so much time here that it was getting hotter and I was getting fairly tired with my clothes getting drenched in my own sweat. Spain was in a heatwave before we arrived, and though it wasn't as bad as it had been, I was beginning to feel the heat draining me.

We had lunch back at base, which helped gave me time to recover quite a bit to the point in which I was feeling myself again. But we were back out on the road again as soon as we had finished, heading to another nearby river, the Rio Aragón. We were keeping it very local today, but there was so much to see here still. The highlights for me had to be a colony of very colourful bee-eaters that were nesting together within a riverbank. We also heard a wryneck, came across some military orchids, sombre bee-orchids, an Adonis blue and added woodlark, yellow-legged gull and heard an Iberian green woodpecker to my list, taking it to a tally of 174 species.

As we kept getting distracted by everything we kept finding, the afternoon sun was taking a toll on me again. I was feeling really tired and light-headed. Our guides wanted us to walk around the other side of the river, however, other members of my group were worried about me and wanted me to head back to base with a few others that had also had enough. I reluctantly left with the group heading to the base, but not to miss out on anything, I gave my camera to someone and they got me a woodchat shrike for my bird photo collection (but will not count towards my list), some brown bluebells and a woodcock orchid, of which I also found back at base while I was waiting for them to return.

Bird's-nest Orchid, White Helleborine, Sword-leaved Helleborine, Champagne Orchid
Lizard Orchid, Early Spider Orchid, Lax-flowered Orchid, Lady Orchid
Military Orchid, Woodcock Orchid, Elder-flowered Orchid & Lady's Slipper Orchid

Day 3

I woke up on day 3 looking for nightingales around our base. I managed to find one, but the light was poor for a photo and it moved around a lot. I was so close in achieving one thing I wanted to do on this trip. My nightingale hunt continued. On the plus side, I did get a photo of a crested lark that was perched on top of the swing set in the hotel's garden.

This time, our guides took us to a couple of gorges in the Fargo Valley region. They were taking us to the foothills of the Pyrenees, a little higher in altitude than we've been so far. The weather was different, being overcast and slightly chilly. It was actually a relief for me after suffering yesterday, but it was a rubbish day for butterflies. There was even a bit of rain at one point. We stopped at a viewpoint and were greeted by many griffon vultures sitting on the cliffs waiting for a good thermal to appear on this cold, dull day.

They did eventually find one and took to the air circling over the valley. They were joined by Egyptian vultures, alpine swifts, common swifts and crag and house martins. Not only that, we had a rock bunting, a western Bonelli's warbler, a short-toed treecreeper, a firecrest and a blue rock thrush that leapt into the air to perform it's song flight displays.

Further up, we investigated an area of small hilly meadows, but didn't see too much other than another Bonelli's warbler, a black-veined white and a large tortoiseshell. We then had a picnic lunch at some picnic tables beside an abandoned outdoor swimming pool that is now a makeshift wildlife pond full of water plants and Iberian water frogs.

Next, we stopped at the lovely, little old town of Ansó for a coffee and toilet break. We found a café that initially was closed, but the owner noticed us and kindly reopened. Most of us went inside, but I joined the guides and drank at the tables outside. It was at this moment the bird I've been hoping to see the most on this trip appeared over the town. A lammergeier! Also known as a bearded vulture, this was a big orange-breasted bird with a slight moustache that gives the bird its alternative name. It caught us by surprise and had enough time to grab and fumble around with the camera for one dodgy photo. After it disappeared behind all the buildings, I needed to make my visit to the toilet. And it was at this moment the lammergeier decided to return! I missed it and as I had the camera with me, missed my shot.

Refreshed, we left Ansó and headed to our next location. However, our guides had other plans for this location and purposely drove passed it and beyond. They dropped us of a few miles down the road alongside a river. We were inside a gorge and the plan was for us to walk back up the road, following the river all the way back to our intended destination, a meadow. It was a long walk, but the cool weather helped a lot and the hope of spotting a dipper got me going. We never found one, but I did see plenty of vultures, crag martins, a brief glimpse of a short-toed treecreeper, spotted flycatchers and a grey wagtail.

The plant hunters of the group were happy finding some endemics including Pyrenean saxifrage and ramonda, a very tiny purple flower that they made me risk my life to peek around a rock on the sharp edge of the gorge to look at it! When we finally reached the meadow, there was nothing there! Nothing at all! A waste of time, but a fun walk anyway.

Wildcat, Praying Mantis, Pinnacles of Riglas
Berdún, Alpine Marmot, Castle of Loarre, Chamois
Wall Lizard, Hecho Valley, Egyptian Locust & The Pyrenees

Day 4

It all started pretty well and fairly early on day 4. I woke up to go on my own little walk before breakfast. One other member of the group decided to get up to join me at 6am, in which it was still dark with nightingales singing from almost every bush. I wanted to revisit the Rio Veral again to try and get some photos of some of the birds that I was unable to the other day. This time, I was able to photograph a subalpine warbler and a black kite eating a bird on the wing.

 We went as far as a bridge, but while I was distracted by a few birds on a rocky outcrop, my walk partner somehow managed to get right under a golden oriole while my back was turned. By the time I reached to the spot he was standing, the bird of course flew off. If I was not distracted, I would have gotten a shot of it! We also heard a turtle dove, a cuckoo and saw corn buntings, black redstarts, linnets and short-toed eagles.

On the main agenda, we were heading to the Hecho Valley to climb a steep rocky slope to try and see a wallcreeper at its nest. We were pretty much hiking up a mountain with a 50/50 chance of seeing a small but colourful rock-loving nuthatch that prefers to live at the highest peaks. Before we made the ascent, however, I added a few more birds to my list close to the car park; citril finches, crossbills and a red-backed shrike. The plants were good too with Pyrenean trumpet gentian, sword-leaved helleborine, ciliate rock-jasmine and a one-flowered wintergreen.

The climb up to the wallcreeper ledge was hard for me. The path was narrow and very uneven. For someone who lives in a county which is very flat, this was becoming a challenge to far and I was really struggling. It was also very cold, not the place to be wearing shorts. Good job I packed a pair of trousers with me. I found a spot further up to change away from the group. After a while, all that we could see was lammergeier, some chough, a distant herd of Pyrenean chamois and several griffon vultures. The wallcreeper was a bust! It was a waste of our time as patience waned and the cold was getting too much. I did not enjoy the journey down. My phobia of slipping down high places did not help at all here as I ungracefully navigated each dodgy foothold.

Back at the car park, we then drove on to a grassy spot for a picnic with a crested tit as company. But then, after lunch, I noticed something missing. My phone!! I could not find it anywhere! I last remember using it up the mountain taking photos of the scenery and plants. I must have lost it on the way down somewhere! Unfortunately, we weren't heading back to find it. My phone was lost forever!

Despite my loss, we moved on to some breathtaking viewpoints and a couple of monasteries (including San Juan de la Peña) with encounters of a mole, a scarce swallowtail and some champagne orchids along the way. However, my heart was not really in it. I was feeling rather depressed after losing my phone. Without it, I had no sense of time as I used it as my clock and as my alarm to get up in the mornings. I was unable to keep in touch with my parents directly either. I had to use my guide's phone. I could only remember their house number, but all I could get was their answer machine. I got really angry, really upset and was in quite a bad place mentally.

Southern White Admiral, Knapweed Fritillary, Clouded Apollo, Camberwell Beauty,
Pearly Heath, Black-veined White, Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Passenger Moth
Scarce Swallowtail, Duke Of Burgundy, Oak Hawkmoth & Bordered Straw 

Day 5

I had a terrible night. My mind was eating at me the whole night. Not only that, my stomach was playing up and I had to rush to the toilet to avoid soiling the bed and I was also fighting the stupid bedsheets the entire night. With no phone, I had to ask someone to wake me up for an optional morning walk at 6:45am.

I joined half of the group that also decided to go to this little place a short ride down the road. There were nightingales everywhere (but I was unable to see a single one), turtle doves, corn buntings, a woodchat shrike, woodlarks and a melodious warbler and some lax-flowered orchids. A nice start of the day that cheered me up just a little.

After breakfast, before boarding our buses for our latest outing, I finally achieved something I always wanted to get while out here at long, long last. A photo of a nightingale! One was singing in full view at our base long enough for me to get my shot. With all that had happened and the fact I got this photo after half the week failing, I became so unusually emotional that I teared up! At last, something to feel happy about.

It was going to be a less tiring day as we were heading to some tourist-y places. First was a stop at the Embalse de la Peña dam, where many house martins nested in the cliff crevices by the roadside. The odd crag martin was here too, but they were overshadowed by a male blue rock thrush with a beak-ful of worms on the dam wall. An absolute stunner that was clearly feeding young nearby.

The Pinnacles of Riglas was up next. These huge towers of rock are a very popular climbing destination. Thankfully, we weren't going interested in joining the thrill seekers that were already half way up them. The area around the pinnacles were really good for Sardinian warblers and after many failed attempts, I eventually got a photo of one, one of the best of the holiday in fact. Vultures, alpine swifts and choughs were high in the blue sky and there were some butterfly highlights including a blue-spot hairstreak. 

On the way to Agüero church, our picnic destination, our bus dodged an Iberian grass snake that slithered across the road. The church itself had an interesting history, but we couldn't go in it, so we ate our lunch next to it with rock sparrows and a short-toed treecreeper for company.

As the hot afternoon sun hit, our final stop of the day was at the Castle of Loarre. Here, we split up to do our own thing. Most of us were at the café, its air condition and cool drinks made it a perfect place to refuge from the heat outside, a few paid entry to the castle, while I and a few others had a walk around the grounds for wildlife. There was a raven flying above my head, corn buntings, stonechats, serins, clouded yellows and an Egyptian locust. Nothing too overly exciting, but it ended a day I really needed and I felt like I was far more happier than I was yesterday. Then news came that I was getting a replacement phone and I was able to talk to Mum finally when we returned to base for the evening.

Purple Toothwort, Greater Butterwort, Green Hellebore, Dragonmouth,
Violet-horned Poppy, Ramonda, Pyrenean Snakeshead, Pyrenean Daffodil,
Pyrenean Saxifrage, Pyrenean Trumpet Gentian, Brown Bluebell & Creeping Globularia

Day 6

We returned to rocky slopes and tiring amount of walking today. We were heading even higher in altitude into the Aisa Valley. It was a hot day, but up we were going, it was to be a little cooler. On the way, we came across a pair of Montagu's harriers beside the road and, while driving up and up and up to the car park, we were greeted by the sight of 6+ lady orchids in great condition.

A steep concreate path awaited us as we made our way up to the meadows of the valley itself. Once up there, it was a botanist's dream with many alpine plants on display. This included many orchids such as broad-leaved marsh, fragrant, early purple and two colour versions of elder-flowered orchid (yellow and purple). It was a colourful place full of gentians, buttercups and many other plants, covering a rainbow of colour as a stream cuts through between them. There were a variety of butterflies up here too, including dingy and grizzled skippers, Queen of Spain fritillaries, clouded yellows and a green hairstreak. 

Citril finches, lammergeiers, red billed choughs, a raven, a short-toed eagle, kestrels, red kites, rock buntings and a colony of house martins nesting in a cave provided me with the avian highlights, though I did manage to add alpine chough to my list as well. There were also many lizards and a few alpine marmots and chamois. 

With the long day of hiking around rough terrain and crossing the stream several times via stepping stones, we returned to base for our evening meal. After that, our guides took us to a spot where eagle owls often appear from their roosts to fly over the tops of a forest. Sadly, not this time. However, we did see nightjars and heard a midwife toad peeping in the dark. 

Day 7

Our final full day as a group and we began with a moth session. The guides had set up a moth trap overnight and there were so many moths and even a couple of praying mantis. There were moths everywhere, not just in the trap but on the surrounding walls too. The highlights include a oak hawkmoth, the passenger, a goat moth, a bordered straw and the shark to name just a few.

Once that was over, we travelled to the Spanish/French border. Our first stop was a special one as we parked beside a busy road in the Tena Valley region. A man with a pipe and hiking stick was on guard as he had been for a couple of decades or so. What was he guarding? One of only two locations in Spain to see lady's slipper orchids. This roadside spot was discovered about 50 years ago. They were so beautiful! I've always wanted to see one. It wasn't a very long visit, but it was a very satisfying one.

We then travelled to Portalet, a place that gave me a feeling of deja vu as it was to be another place of up and down rocky slopes just like yesterday. Thankfully, it wasn't quite as long and there was a bar nearby to retreat to. This was a place the guides knew that had alpine accentors. Unfortunately, not this time as those of the group fit enough to go up to a high spot that usually had them were nowhere to be seen. That section of the site was just too steep for me, so I didn't join them. However, I did see many wheatears, water pipits, black redstarts and a few alpine marmots. We had some good plants too, such as Pyrenean snakeshead and some alpine daffodils.

We didn't find the alpine accentors, but I was responsible in finding one bird better. I was scanning the rocks and I noticed something poking out of one. It was a rufous-tailed rock thrush! The bird was so inconspicuous that the group couldn't believe I even found it. I took a couple of photos, but they were a bit effected by the distance and heat haze that they were a bit blurry to really appreciate its bright colours.

Sallent a la Sarra was our destination for lunch and our final walk of the trip. We followed a river on both sides, making a loop back towards the car park. Butterflies were amazing here. There were so many of them and of many species, from skippers to blues to fritillaries and everything in between. My favourites were the magnificent Camberwell beauties, the small but colourful Duke of Burgundies and some clouded apollos. We also had a golden eagle soaring very high in the bright blue sky.

Day 8

We travelled back to Zaragoza for our plane home. It was kind of sad as we went by places we've visited before. Leaving the Pyrenees behind, I added two new birds to my list on the way to the airport; a hoopoe and a purple heron, both flying by or over the bus. It leaves me on 197 species, an additional 46 species. Though, I will have to kind of reset back to 151 species and try and make the same number for my British list. 

The plane was very delayed, which kind of soured things just a little bit on what was a fun yet tiring and emotional vacation. I've even got a new phone out of it and many great memories of things I've always wanted to see or never thought I'd see.