I'm back into the swing of things after my 5-week trek of Hungary & Spain and It's only now, having been back in Aberdeenshire for the last 10-days, that I've taken time to review the trip and troll through the 100s of images I've yet to process. I've also spent time updating my bird journal and after recording a creditable 138 species of birds in Hungary over the 10-day visit I finished my Spanish trip with 130, which I've listed at the bottom of the post.
 |
| Female Cleopatra butterfly |
As the heat was starting to build my final few days in Spain after the Sierra de Loja visit was spent chilling out on the terrace although I did enjoy a walk at Cantera los Arenales on the 27th (site details HERE). I took my normal accent up to Puerto de la Graja and encountered the usual selection of species seen on my many other visits. Although on this particular visit there appeared to be a few more butterflies on the wing, including the gorgeous Cleopatra's.
 |
| Short-toad Treecreeper |
I have amassed many images of Firecrests and Crested Tits from the woodlands around here but today I spent a little more time watching and listening to the Short-toed Treecreepers, which at this time of year are very vocal. They never normally stay still for long but on this occasion, one or two paused and enabled me to grab a few images.
 |
| Pearl-bordered Fritillary |
So having missed out on the whole of May it's time to begin my catch up on this year's UK Birding and Wildlife lists and on the afternoon of June 6th I began at the excellent Muir of Dinnet NNR. Here there were plenty of Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterflies on the wing, along with Four-spotted Chaser Dragonfly, Large Red and Common Blue Damselfly and year-ticks also included Spotted Flycatcher, Sedge Warbler and Osprey! It's great to be back in the heart of Aberdeenshire.
 |
| Several young Mistle Thrush encountered at Muir of Dinnet |
 |
| A fresh-looking Four-spotted Chaser |
BIRDS (130)
Shelduck, Gadwall, Marbled Duck, Mallard, Red-crested Pochard, Pochard, White-headed Duck ~ Little Grebe, Black-necked Grebe ~ Red-legged Partridge ~ Cormorant ~ Little Bittern, Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, White Stork, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo ~ Griffon Vulture ~ Golden Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle ~ Black Kite ~ Western Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier ~ Common Buzzard, Honey Buzzard ~ Sparrowhawk ~ Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Peregrine ~ Moorhen, Coot ~ Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Little-ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Redshank ~ Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Meditteranean Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Audoin's Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull ~ Gull-billed Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Tern ~ Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Turtle Dove, Collared Dove ~ Barn Owl, Little Owl ~ Red-necked Nightjar ~ Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift ~ Kingfisher ~ Bee-eater ~ Monk Parakeet ~ Skylark, Crested Lark, Thekla Lark ~ Crag Martin, House Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow ~ White Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail (flava) ~ Wren ~ Robin ~ Common Nightingale, Black Redstart ~ Stonechat ~ Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Blue Rock Thrush, (Rufous-Tailed) Rock Thrush ~ Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Black Wheatear ~ Blackcap, Western Orphean Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Chiffchaff ~ Firecrest ~ Spotted Flycatcher ~ Great TIt, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Crested Tit, Long-tailed Tit ~ Short-toed Treecreeper ~ Iberian Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike ~ Jay, Azure-winged Magpie ~ Jackdaw, Red-billed Chough, Raven ~ Spotless Starling, Golden Oriole ~ House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Rock Sparrow ~ Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Serin, ~ Common Crossbill ~ Corn Bunting, Rock Bunting.
BUTTERFLIES (16)
Brimstone, Black-veined White, Cleopatra, Clouded Yellow, Iberian Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady, Small White, Large White, Spanish Gatekeeper, Wall Brown, Western Dappled White, Speckled Wood, Iberian Scarce Swallowtail, Spanish Festoon.
