Destinations
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Picos de Europa 6 – 13 June 2012
Flowers
Deep-azure gentians and almost-black pasque flowers are just some of the delights in store during the week. There are many wildflowers once common in the British Isles but rarely seen today, such as spotted rock-rose, rock cinquefoil, ground-pine, greater yellow-rattle, round-headed leek and whorled Solomon's-seal. Here too grow some 50 species of orchids, of which we can expect to see at least half during our stay, including early spider and woodcock ophrys, and lizard, pink butterfly and elder-flowered orchids. We should also encounter several plants that are unique to the Picos de Europa, notably the stunning yellow-flowered saxifrage Saxifraga felineri.
Butterflies and moths
Among the 70-odd species that we might see at this time of year are both swallowtail and scarce swallowtail, black-veined white and Provence orange-tip, Duke of Burgundy, sooty copper, Spanish purple and blue-spot hairstreaks, blues such as turquoise, green-underside and mazarine, many early fritillaries, including pearl-bordered, Glanville and marsh, and red-underwing, Oberthür’s grizzled and chequered skippers. Day-flying moths might include fiery clearwing and several species of burnet moth, and there will also be the opportunity to put out a moth trap on Teresa’s terrace in the evenings, which usually attracts several eye-catching species of hawkmoths, cream-spot and Spanish tigers, and many more.
Birds
The Picos de Europa supports healthy raptor populations, some 500 griffon vultures as well as a score or more pairs of Egyptian vultures. The eagles are represented mainly by golden, short-toed and booted, the last two in fair numbers throughout, with honey buzzard and goshawk in forested areas. Black kites are particularly abundant, hobbies occur in drier habitats and peregrines are regularly seen preying on choughs around higher crags. Middle spotted and black woodpeckers and citril finches are also possible in the forest habitats, with red-backed shrikes, citril finches and rock buntings in the meadow-scrub mosaic. Above the tree-line, birds include snowfinch, alpine accentor, rock thrush and both red-billed and alpine choughs, not to mention wallcreeper, on which front we are rarely disappointed.
Other wildlife
Although mammals are difficult to spot during the day, we should encounter southern chamois (isard) at altitude, with roe deer, red squirrel and wildcat possible at lower levels. A good range of reptiles and amphibians can be observed in June, including large psammodromus, Schreiber’s green, western green and ocellated lizards, alpine and marbled newts and midwife toad; Seoane’s viper can be found in upland heaths.
Nigritella gabasiana
Fiery clearwing Pyropteron chrysidiformis
Alpine accentor
Marbled Newt Triturus marmoratus
