Birdwatching Trip Report from Northern Spain, Picos de Europa / Asturias region

Introduction

This report lists the birds and some of the other wildlife seen whilst my wife and I were on an independent walking holiday arranged by Inn Travel of York in the Asturias region of Northern Spain. The walk started at Arenas de Cabrales a small town beneath the peaks of the Picos De Europa mountains, wound through the Picos 'foothills' (Sierra De Cuera) and finished at the Atlantic coast near the small fishing port of Llanes.

We then transferred to a superb hotel (Pasada Del Valle) in the rural village of Collia, near the small town of Arriondas, where we spent a further 3 days exploring the local countryside on foot and by canoe!

Landscape

The Picos de Europa are wild, spectacular mountains with several peaks rising above 2,500 metres. They are formed of limestone, which has been eroded into a dramatic landscape of high rugged crags, cliffs and peaks, dissected by deep steep sided gorges containing clear fast flowing rivers.

Here the highest areas are bare and rocky with the lower slopes wooded. Wild flowers and small shrubs also grow well in places

In the wider valleys non intensive agriculture prevails with cattle grazing in flower filled fields, and orchards of apples, pears and sometimes citrus fruits. Mixed woodland is also widespread with Sweet Chestnut being particularly common. Plantations of eucalyptus are also very obvious. These introduced trees are flourishing and are beginning to dominate some of the natural woodland as well. We met a couple from Tasmania who felt very at home in these surroundings, expecting at any time to see a Koala Bear!

Between the Picos and the Atlantic Coast (Costa Verde) are the Sierra De Cuera, a range of rolling hills, rising to over 1200 metres in places. Again on the lower slopes there are mixed woodland, eucalyptus plantations, streams, and fields giving way to extensive 'moors' of bracken, heather, and gorse. There are also high 'alpine' pastures with large rocky outcrops.

Long stretches of the Costa Verde are still undeveloped, with steep cliffs interspersed with long empty sandy beaches.

Weather

The weather here is normally mild with plentiful rainfall. It was very noticeable when coming in to land at Bilbao airport how green and lush the area looked compared with the yellow and parched appearance of the South of England we had left.

During our stay the sun shone relentlessly from dawn to dusk every day, with temperatures climbing to the high 20s / low 30s.

Detailed Itinerary

Each day we walked between 8 and 15 miles along a route planned by Inn Travel, who also arranged the transfer or our luggage. These were delightful walks taking us at times into remote and beautiful countryside and always ending in a small and charming hotel in a rural village.

Date	Trip
12/9	Home to Arenas De Cabrales (BA Flight from Gatwick to Bilbao then taxi to destination. 2½ hour drive)
13/9	Walk along the Cares Gorge from Puente Poncebus to Cain and return.
14/9	Walk along country lanes following the foot of the Sierra de Cuera ridge of mountains through isolated villages from Arenas de Cabrales to Besnes.
15/9	Walk from Besnes to Alevia.
16/9	Walk from Alevia to Villanueava via the 'Hermitage' ( a tiny chapel on one of the highest peaks of the Sierra De Cuera (880mtrs))
17/9	Walk from Villanueva to La Pereda
18/9	Walk from La Pereda to Llanes and return
19/9	Taxi from L Pareda to Collia. Then walk from Collia to La Vega beach along the Fito Hills
20/9	Taxi from Collia to Fito viewing point and then walk through Sueva protected reserve to Pico Pienzu (1167 metres), then walk back to Collia
21/9	Canoe trip from Arriondas down the Rio Sella for about 10 miles.
22/9	Return home

Birds

This was a walking holiday not a birdwatching trip. Therefore it was really a matter of observing whatever we came across and could be seen with binoculars. Carrying a 'Scope' was out the question. I could not 'stake out' any particularly promising looking areas to see what turned up e.g. there were sections of the Cares Gorge which looked ideal for Wallcreepers but I could not stop too long to check, and I needed to be careful about watching and walking at the same time in case I ended up making a quick trip to the bottom of the gorge!

The countryside was wonderful, and there was nearly always something of interest to see. If the birds were quiet there were usually plenty of butterflies and other insects about. I did not observe any visible migration as I had done in Andalucia on a similar holiday the year before. I presume Northern Spain is not on a major migration route. There may have been a small 'fall' of Pied Flycatchers on 15 September. Most of the summer visitors to the area had departed as there were few hirundines and warblers, and I didn't encounter any shrikes, hoopoes, or orioles.

The sea was very quiet, probably as it was almost a flat calm and hazy in the heat. Nice for a refreshing dip though!

Birds I 'missed' included a pair of Wallcreepers seen well by a couple of women ( They weren't even 'Birders'!) at Bulnes near Arenas, and Egyptian Vulture, which had successfully nested on a high crag above the Hotel Pasada Del Valle. They were last seen 2 days before we arrived.

No.	Bird	Comments
1	Cormorant	2 flying above Rio Sella
2	Grey Heron	Only a couple seen in wetland areas from the Taxi on the journey from Bilbao
3	Little Egret	2 seen from Canoe on Rio Sella
4	Mallard	Seen on Rio Sella
5	Griffon Vulture	Seen most days soaring around the highest ridges of the Picos and Sierra De Cuera. Often in groups of up to 20, being most active in the heat of the early afternoon. Able to look down on them from the 'Hermitage' and the Pico Pienza, a truly wonderful sight.
6	Short Toed Eagle	4 seen. 1 above the Cares Gorge. 1 just outside Arenas. 1 from Alevia, and 1 above the Pico Pienza. A couple of them gave prolonged views whilst typically 'hanging' motionless on the wind
7	Common Buzzard	Much of the habitat at slightly lower levels was ideal for Buzzards and not surprisingly several seen every day.
8	Goshawk	3 definite sightings. I normally have to see Goshawks well to be satisfied they are not Sparrowhawks!
9	Sparrowhawk	Seen most days. 1 was mobbed by dozens of House Martins as it flew past past a colony inhabiting a cave above the Cares Gorge
10	Peregrine	2 juveniles were flying around Collia
11	Hobby	1 seen on 14th and another on 17th
12	Kestrel	1st bird seen in Spain. From the plane as it taxied along the runway at Bilbao airport. 4 other sightings
13	Coot	Only seen from the taxi going to and from Bilbao airport.
14	Lapwing	Only seen from the taxi going to and from Bilbao airport.
15	Yellow Legged Gull	Common along the coast
16	Black Headed Gull	Surprisingly few seen.
17	Wood Pigeon	Quite common
18	Feral Pigeon	Common in towns and villages.
19	Collared Dove	Seen in most villages and towns
20	Tawny Owl	Heard from the Hotel at Collia
21	Alpine Swift	Only 1 seen, above the Cares Gorge
22	Kingfisher	1 on Rio Sella from canoe
23	Green Woodpecker	Quite common
24	Great Spotted Woodpecker	Quite common
25	Swallow	Most already departed. A few seen on some days. No migratory movements evident.
26	House Martin	A large nesting colony seen in a large cave above the Cares Gorge. Otherwise only a few seen.
27	Crag Martin	A lot around the Cares Gorge. Otherwise only seen above Alevia.
28	Water Pipit	A few small flocks and individuals seen in pastures both at lower levels around villages and in the mountains.
29	White Wagtail	Quite common
30	Grey Wagtail	Seen on all the rivers and larger streams.
31	Wren	Common
32	Dipper	1 seen on the river in Llanes and another from the canoe on the Rio Sella
33	Dunnock	Only noted a few times although no doubt they are quite common here
34	Northern Wheatear	Seen on 3 days. Once on coastal cliffs and twice on rocky outcrops in mountain pastures.
35	Stonechat	Fairly common on the stretches of moorland.
36	Whinchat	Only seen on 17th in fields near the coast.
37	Black Redstart	A few seen in the Cares Gorge and on rock outcrops in the Sierra De Cuera
38	Rock Thrush	1 seen well in the high pastures above Alevia. Surprisingly it was singing albeit somewhat softly.
39	Robin	Common
40	Blackbird	Common
41	Chiff Chaff	A few
42	Willow Warbler	Only 1 recorded
43	Blackcap	A few
44	Garden Warbler	Only 1 recorded
45	Dartford Warbler	Several seen and heard in the moorland areas of the Sierra De Cuera, not surprising considering the huge amount of gorse present.
46	Cettis Warbler	Heard several times in lower damper areas with trees and shrubs. Heard frequently whilst canoeing down the Rio Sella.
47	Zitting Cisticola	1 near La Vega beach
48	Firecrest	Seen well in the grounds of the hotel at La Pereda and also in the Fitu hills.
49	Pied Flycatcher	Quite a lot seen on 14th and 15th. Some (presumably migrating) were in the open moorland areas
50	Blue Tit	Common in woods
51	Great Tit	Common in woods
52	Coal Tit	Common in conifer woods
53	Crested Tit	Seen in woods in the Fitu hills
54	Long Tailed Tit	Quite common
55	Nuthatch	Several heard calling
56	Raven	Seen most days
57	Carrion Crow	A few seen every day
58	( Red Billed ) Chough	Seen most days, particularly in the high pasture areas above Alevia and at Pico Pienzu. In both places there were flocks of over 100 typically calling noisily and performing their spectacular flying skills.
59	Alpine Chough	Mixing with the large Red Billed Chough flocks mentioned above, were Alpine Choughs. Once 'tuned in' I was able to distinguish them by their calls even when unable to see their bright yellow bills clearly.
60	Magpie	Seen mainly in the bigger villages and towns.
61	Jay	Seen or heard every day
62	Starling	Common around the more cultivated areas.
63	House Sparrow	Common around the more cultivated areas.
64	Greenfinch	Quite common
65	Chaffinch	Common
66	Goldfinch	Common
67	Serin	Several times encountered flocks of 20 - 30 birds, usually in fields and orchards around villages.
68	Linnet	Common around farms
69	Rock Bunting	Excellent views in rocky high pasture areas below the Hermitage.

Other Wildlife

Species	Comments
Wall Lizard	Very common
Unidentified snake	Very dark about 1metre long. Only saw for a brief moment as it quickly moved off a track into long vegetation.
Common frog
Red Squirrel	Only a road casualty seen
Blue & Crimson Flash Winged Grasshopper
Preying Mantis
Common Darter
Migrant Hawker
Golden Ringed Dragonfly
Banded Demoiselle

Butterflies & Moth

Species	Comments
Hummingbird Hawkmoth	These delightful creatures were common.
Large White
Small White
Wood White
Bath White
Clouded Yellow	Common
Speckled Wood
Wall Brown
Heath Brown
Grayling Sp.	At least 2 species but unable to identify
Ringlet Sp.	At least 2 species but unable to identify
Brimstone
Cleopatra	Some stunning males seen in the Cares Gorge
Swallowtail
Painted Lady
Red Admiral
White Admiral
Adonis Blue
Blue Sp.	Unable to identify species

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