Picos de Europa June 2012

Transcription

1 Picos de Europa June 2012 Steve Dudley Lesvos Birding I d long wanted to visit the Picos de Europa for birds and butterflies and the incredible alpine scenery. And it did not disappoint. FLIGHT We flew with EasyJet from London Stansted to Bilbao. Booked four months ahead the flights inc. one 20kg item of hold luggage per person cost 115 each. The EasyJet flights also allowed us to fly out early morning (07.10h dep) and a late evening return (21.55h dep) allowing us to maximise travel days. CAR RENTAL We booked a premium estate car via Hertz. The car turned out to be a Volvo S60 D3 saloon which was just large enough for the four of us and our luggage (one of the larger hold luggage bags had to be strapped in to the centre of the rear seats). What started out as a 170 online booking ended up costing 235 by the time we added a second driver and local taxes on collection. We had to go through the hassle of them offering every different kind of insurance add- on they have dreamt up excess waiver ( 192), tyres and glass ( 30+), etc. Gone are the days you hired a car with fully comprehensive insurance for a single price with everything included! We declined all their offers and spent a week not necessarily worrying about our ability to keep the car scratch free, but very wary of other drivers especially in car parks! The car was however fabulous. Very comfortable and spacious for our daily needs and all the kit we carted around with us. HOTEL We stayed at the Hotel del Oso at Cosgaya (between Potes and Fuente Dé). The rooms cost 66 per night and breakfasts 12 per person per day (a very limited bar breakfast was available for 5 per person per day but we chose the lavish full monty). All prices plus 8% local tax. The hotel was extremely comfortable, with excellent facilities. Excellent communal areas included good TV lounge (for me to enjoy the Euro 2012 footie matches) and an excellent swimming pool. A tennis court and pool room are also available. We ate at the hotel for one lunch (cost 21 pp plus 8% tax for three course meal). The meal was excellent and what was expected of a hotel of this class. We took a packed lunch from the hotel for one day only. At 8.75 plus tax pp for a single sandwich and bottle of water it was very poor value for money. We bought bread, filings, etc. from local stores for the other days. The hotel is situated next to the Rio Deva and we enjoyed views of Dipper everyday. 1

2 EATING OUT We ate away from the hotel each evening (warm enough to eat outside each evening too) and the names of each restaurant we used, and the price we paid per head (excluding tips) is given below in each of the daily accounts. REFERENCES AND MAPS Books Finding birds in North Spain (Dave Gosney, 2010) This is the main site guide for the area. It is very simple and basic but essential for the first time visitor. It could be a little more detailed without increasing the size substantially but it gives you enough to get you to each site easily and areas to focus on. This report should be read whilst referring to the Gosney guide and I have included Gosney s site references in each daily account. Collins Bird Guide (2 nd Edition) (Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney & Dan Zetterstrom, HarperCollins. ISBN ) Trip reports We gleaned various trips reports from the web and from a request made on BirdForum. The reports we found most helpful were Terry Allen, May 2006 ( terry(at)mfa.gsi.gov.uk) Ads Bowley, 1 4 June 2010 ( birdboybowley(at)hotmail.com) Tony Moverley, May 2008 ( supertony9(at)hotmail.com) Maps Asturias & Cantabria Michelin, Espana map no. 572 (1:250,000) excellent for general route planning Picos de Europa, Y Costa Oriental de Asturias Adreados Ediciones, 1998 (1:80,000) excellent for site and more detailed day trip planning within the Picos Picos de Europa, Macizos Central Y Oriental (Central and Easern Maddifs) Adreados Ediciones, 2011 (1:25,000) didn t cover the whole area we needed. Not great presentationally and awkward to use if you can find the 1:80,000 map above then go with that one. DAILY ITINERARY All times are local times Day 1 Saturday, 23 June Flight dep. Stansted 07.10h landing Bilbao 10.00h local time. Collected car and headed west towards the Picos. We chose to go mostly by motorway taking only a short section by A roads to look at the countless Griffon Vultures and Black Kites over the hills running parallel with the coast. Many Cattle Egrets were also seen flying to/from fields of livestock. We lunched in Torralavega where we picked up both Melodious Warbler and our first Black Redstart (both in the town centre in a plot of scrubby waste ground). Our next stops where in the Hermida Gorge where we enjoyed good views of Griffon Vulture, Black Kite and Crag Martin. 2

3 We arrived at the Hotel del Oso in Cosgaya around 1700h. We checked in, rested and then ate at the Cosgaya Hotel directly opposite our hotel as they served food earlier (19.00h instead of from 20.30h at our hotel). A set three course meal here, including drinks is very good value at 15 pp. Griffon Vulture Day 2 Sunday, 24 June The plan was always to get up to Fuente Dé as early as possible if the weather was good. On waking the weather was gorgeous, so after breakfast (08.30h) we drove the short distance up to Fuente Dé. Cable car up to Fuente Dé Fuente Dé (Gosney site 2, pp. 6 7) We arrived at 09.45h and joined a long queue for the cable car. Sunday s are always busier as it s the main day for locals to enjoy the peaks and this had apparently been the best weekend in some weeks. In the queue I spied my Lesvos birding buddy Bob Buckler (Wingspan Tours) ahead of us with a group and we met up with him above the cable car later on. Whilst queuing we enjoyed views of European Nuthatch and Coal Tit around in the trees around us and could see Griffon Vultures beginning to take flight from the cliffs above. We got a cable car up to the upper station at 11.00h. The cable car cost 15 pp return and takes 5 minutes each way and is fabulous! We spent five minutes at the upper cable car station taking in the views and watching Griffon Vultures passing below us, Alpine Choughs at very close quarters all around us, Ravens and Black Redstarts. We took the main path away from the station soon seeing our first Alpine Accentor, Water Pipit, Northern Wheatear and numerous alpine butterflies (many of which were already very active in the warm sun 21 o C and rising at 11.15h). At the main junction/fork in the path (Hdna de Covarrobres) we caught up with Bob Buckler and exchanged news. The track down to La Vueltona proved excellent for Snowfinch, with birds constantly to- ing and fro- ing from their cliff- face nests at the base of the two main peaks here Peña Olivada and Peña Vieja. The views of the males 3

4 directly overhead were stunning. Alpine Choughs were ever present in pairs patrolling the passes on the look out for snacking visitors. We continued along the path and one of our party managed our first Wallcreeper sighting. Unfortunately the bird disappeared just as she found it and despite an hour of searching we failed to relocate it. On the way back to the junction we had excellent views of a female Honey- buzzard and at the junction a couple of Egyptian Vultures circling with the Griffon Vultures. Snowfinch, Fuente Dé We headed back to the cable car station for lunch (sandwiches and drinks for four totalling 20) before making our way back to the junction where we planned on sitting tight viewing the boulder scree here for up to a couple of hours. We settled down on the gassy bank opposite the scree slope and after only 15 minutes we were rewarded with very good views of a male Wallcreeper flying up from below us (from the direction of the alpine pool visible to the left back towards the cable car station). The bird landed right by the junction before boulder- hopping up the slope away from us and eventually taking flight up one of the steep gullies and out of view. Top stuff! We hung around for a further hour but no further sightings but enjoyed watching Black Redstarts, Snowfinches, Alpine Accentors, Alpine Choughs and Griffon Vultures (inc. one perched on the mountain for the whole duration). We ended up taking a cable car back down at 17.30h, straight back to the hotel and then back to the Cosgaya Hotel for dinner after freshening up. Day 3 Monday, 25 June Fuente Dé (Gosney site 2, pp. 6 7) We arrived at 09.45h and joined a much shorter queue than yesterday for the cable car and were on a car at 10.15h. We headed straight for the junction were we settled in the shade of the rocky cliff at the top of the grass slope overlooking the boulder scree area at 10.45h. At 11.15h we had excellent views of a male Wallcreeper which flew from the boulder scree opposite us and landed right above us on the small rocky outcrop! 30 seconds later it was gone. Unbelievable. Buoyed, we decided to stick to plan and stayed put fur a further hour and a half but with no further sightings of Wallcreeper. At 12.45h we headed down the pass towards La Vueltona. We stopped occasionally to scan the scree slopes and cliffs but found only Snowfinches, Alpine Accentors and Black Redstarts. We arrived at La Vueltona at 13.45h and I immediately saw a Wallcreeper flying from the cliffs on our left across to the boulder scree on our right. We soon relocated the bird in the boulders, had good but brief views before it flew off and up to the cliffs on our right and joined a second bird. They very quickly separated and the 4

5 male came back down the boulder scree in front of us but promptly disappeared! We settled down to a disappointing hotel packed lunch and just as we finished the male Wallcreeper appeared right by us and we were treated to a 15 minute show- off performance as it to- ed and fro- ed from the small cliff behind us and the surrounding boulders. Magic! With the bird gone and the arrival of a large tour group we decided to quit whilst we were so far ahead of expectations! The walk back to the cable car was quiet as we revelled in our Wallcreeper experience and quietly enjoyed more views of the regular alpine goodies. After a drink at the café, we descended the mountain by cable car around 16.00h and drove to the nearby village of Espinama. We looked for likely woodpecker areas but contented ourselves with views of nesting Crag Martins, the omnipresent Serins and a couple of Grey Wagtails around the village. We decided to eat in the village at Vicente Campo with mixed results. Despite a sign stating we speak English it proved to be limited and our mis- interpretations both ways meant not all of us got what we thought we were getting! Cost (inc. drinks) pp. Male Wallcreeper, La Vueltona Day 4 Tuesday, 26 June Basieda (courtesy of Ads Bowley trip report) Having well and truly done the mountain, we stayed local and lower today. After breakfast we headed to Potes, took the main road north to Ojedo and then the C- 184 south for 11km were we turned off for Lomena and parked at the first village of Basieda. As you enter the village, at the first main bend to the left is a track to the right and enough room to park several cars by the stone building before the track. There were masses of Swifts tearing through the sky screaming their heads off! We walked back down the road we came in on as far as the village signs and took the concrete path up to the right. The path up to the rocky outcrop was excellent for butterflies and the outcrop itself afforded excellent views but no birds! We continued over the outcrop and down a rough path that joined up with a cinder track after c.200m. We walked to the right and soon had an excellent view across the valley to the birch woods. We knew this was a Black Woodpecker site and also knew we stood no chance of seeing one without using playback. So we stopped and played calling Black Woodpecker several times. We were rewarded quickly with a bird calling from across the valley. A couple more plays of the recording and an adult flew across the 5

6 valley and right over us and up in to the trees above us. Fantastic! A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen flying through the poplars below us. Honey-buzzards, Basieda We continued down to where the track crossed a small stream in the shade of trees. Here we enjoyed a Golden- ringed Dragonfly and many butterflies in the dappled shade areas. Heading back up along the track we picked up a pair of Honey- buzzards which circled overhead for several minutes, and a fly- by Booted Eagle. Passerine activity was minimal but we did manage to hear a brief snatch of song from an Iberian Chiffchaff, but sadly we were unable to locate it this was our only encounter on the trip. A single Willow Tit was also seen. We headed back to the hotel for lunch and a swim/rest. Temperature was increasing daily and it was now up to 32 o C. Puerto de Pembes (courtesy of Tony Moverley trip report) Despite the heat we headed back out at 16.30h and found our way to the village of Pembes, just a few kilometres along the road to Potes on the left from Cosgaya. The village is signed off the main road (3km). We parked by the church and in the village we ignored the first steep path up to the right, but bore right at the next junction and then right again up past a red house on the left called Satinurno Briz Lerin and left up the steep path (the path we ignored now on our right). The path crossed a farm track and up in to the fields. We stopped frequently just from being out of puff going up this steep hillside in the heat. Stops were rewarding though as we continued to pick up butterflies, several Red- backed Shrikes, Corn Buntings and Yellowhammers. After about 45 minutes of climbing we were in the tree line and scattered oak woodland. We continued on through a farm, across a cattle grid and past a terrace of old farm buildings on the right before we came to a right bend in the wood. Here we had brilliant views of two singing Western Bonelli s Warblers (and a third non- singing bird). Within a few meters of the warblers we found a Middle Spotted Woodpecker which gave similarly great views. We failed to find any Pied Flycatchers so we headed back down adding Linnet and Stonechat to the day list. By now we were realising Linnets were pretty much everywhere around here and Stonechats can be expected in some unlikely places including at the tops of some pretty tall ash trees! We drove in to Potes for our evening meal and enjoyed a simple meal of Entrantes (local version of Tapas) at La Majada by the castle. Cost (inc. drinks) 20 pp. 6

7 Day 5 Wednesday, 27 June Puerto de las Señales (Gosney site 6, p. 4) We woke to a cooler day with thick cloud cover. After breakfast we drove westwards to Puerto de las Señales (1 hr 45 mins). We stopped only when we saw anything of note en route picking up several Yellowhammers around Puerto San Glorio, many White Storks between Riano and Puerto de Tarna (including a superb tree colony at Burón), Black Kites and a Short- toed Eagle. Rock Bunting, Puerto de las Señales At Puerto de las Señales we found Bullfinch and Garden Warbler by the parking area before heading along the track to the old mine and scree slope. We spent around 1.5 hrs at the scree slope searching for Rock- thrush and Wallcreeper without any joy, but we had great views of two pairs of Rock Bunting around the bottom of the scree slope. Also here, cliff- nesting House Martin, Crag Martin, Red- backed Shrike and Whitethroat. On the grass slopes above the scree slope we enjoyed very good views of Isard (Chamois). The walk back to the car yielded Tree Pipit and dragonflies on the pool Emperor, Four- spotted Chaser and Broad- bodied Chaser. We drove back to Riano for lunch where we ate at the Hostel Restaurante Sainz in the town centre and had a great meal of Rabbit stew. Cost (inc. drinks) 20 pp. Puerto del Pontón (Gosney site 5, p. 2) After lunch we headed north into the wooded hills around Puerto del Pontón. Although we d seen both Black and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers we thought we d try this area since we were so close. We spent a couple of hours viewing and walking various valleys with nothing, Black Woodpecker not even responding to playback (that s if any where in ear shot the area is huge and there can t be that many pairs in there). We did however get very good views of both Golden and Short- toed Eagles here and heard our only Great Spotted Woodpecker of the trip. Plenty of butterflies in this area too. With the weather closing in (strong winds, occasionally showers) we did a circuitous route from south of Puerto del Pontón, north along the LE- 244 up to Mirador de Piedrafitas, via the villages of Caldeville de Valdeón and Poseda de Valdeón then south along the LE- 243 to Portilla de la Reina, but saw very little of note. Puerto San Glorio (courtesy of a tip- off from Iberian Wildlife) The weather was still unsettled so we pressed on to the spruce forest at Puerto San Glorio. Time was also getting on so we decided to stay by the car park and were very soon rewarded with excellent views of a pair of Citril Finches. Knowing they were 7

8 relatively easy here we headed for dinner knowing we would be back this way tomorrow. We arrived late in Potes (21.00h) and ate at the La Serna pizzaria opposite the main town car park (on west side of town along the CA- 185 Fuenta De road). Cost (inc. drinks) 10 pp. Male Citril Finch, Puerto San Glorio Day 6 Thursday, 28 June Puerto San Glorio (second visit) After stopping in Potes to buy the necessary goodies for our DIY picnic lunch, we returned to San Glorio for a longer visit and were thoroughly rewarded for the drive. We didn t have to stray very far from the car park before we heard a Quail calling from the track behind the wood. Yellowhammers were everywhere (one of the commonest birds here), as were Serin, Whitethroat in the scrub and a calling Cuckoo. In the wood we had great views of Crested Tit and Citril Finch. We returned to the car after an hour to find a pair of Citril Finches seemingly taking grit from a near- dry puddle by the car park giving us great views and a photo opportunity before they flew back in to the wood. We headed across the road and birded the gully immediate east of the car park where we found a pair of Rock Buntings and a singing Garden Warbler. Note to Dave Gosney include this fabulous site in your next update! Portilla de la Reina (Gosney site 4, pp. 2 & 5) We continued west and arrived at the village of Portilla de la Reine for our lunch. On entering the village we parked by a single- storey cabin- like structure on the right immediately after the bar (which is the first building on the right as you enter the village). We walked up the track marked for mirador and picnic site (400m) between the bar and the cabin. The picnic site offered views over the northern side of the village and we enjoyed views of Crag Martin and Black Kite whilst we ate our picnic lunch. A male Rock- thrush appeared on the crag above us and we managed half- decent views as it flew from crag to crag and perched up for while. The wind was getting ever stronger and the Rock- thrush seemingly gone to ground we decided to walk around the village to view the many different crags nothing. We d run out of time and the weather was again against us so we headed back east and to the hotel for an early return (18.30h) before again eating at the Cosgaya Hotel. 8

9 Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao Day 7 Friday, 29 June We had planned on birding around Espinama but decided to head back to Bilbao early and spend the afternoon at the Guggenheim Museum where the David Hockney A Bigger Picture exhibition was showing absolutely stunning! Entrance fee 13 pp (inc. audio guide). Lunch 8 pp. Coffee and cake 4 pp. We returned the car to Hertz after a torturous time finding a petrol station! We didn t see one between Bilbao and the airport (from the city centre the signs simply take you straight back in to the parking/car rental area of the airport), so we found our way back out and within a few hundred meters found a garage on the exit to the airport not accessible on your way in to the airport, really helpful! We filled up with diesel 76 covering the 940km we had driven, and return the car back to Hertz (thankfully given the scratch- free bill of health and so avoiding the extortionate 1010 excess they would have changed for just a single minor scratch). Return flight dep. Bilbao 21.55h and arr. Stansted 22.30h. SPECIES LISTS Birds (86 species) Quail Mallard Great Cormorant Cattle Egret Grey Heron White Stork European Honey- buzzard Black Kite Egyptian Vulture Eurasian Griffon Vulture Short- toed Eagle Buzzard Golden Eagle Booted Eagle Kestrel Black- headed Gull Yellow- legged Gull 1 calling Puerto San Glorio (28/6) A female Rio Deva at Val de San Vicente (24/6) and female with ducklings Rio Elson near Burón (27/6) Embalse de Riano and from the car crossing rivers to/from Bilbao Many seen in flight and in fields of livestock along coastal area to/from Bilbao Several along the Rio Deva valley between Riano and Puerto de Tarna Female Fuente Dé (24/6) and pr Basieda (26/6) between Bilbao and San Vicente and 1-2 seen daily at several sites throughout the Picos 2 adults Fuente Dé (24/6) Very common along inland ridge between Bilbao and San Vicente and in throughout the Picos Singles Cosgaya (23/6), nr Burón (27/6), Puerto del Pontón (27/6) and 2 Portialla de la Reina (28/6) Seen daily throughout the Picos 1 2CY Puerto del Pontón (27/6) 1 Basieda (26/6) Several between Bilbao and San Vicente and 1-2 seen daily at several sites throughout the Picos Seen only Ria de Tina Mayor (23/6) Seen between Bilbao and San Vicente (23/6 and 29/6), Cosgaya (26/6) and Riano (27/6) 9

10 Wood Pigeon Eurasian Collared Dove Feral Pigeon Cuckoo Swift Black Woodpecker Great Spotted Woodpecker Middle Spotted Woodpecker Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Eurasian Crag Martin Barn Swallow House Martin Tree Pipit Water Pipit Grey Wagtail White Wagtail White- throated Dipper European Wren Dunnock Alpine Accentor European Robin Black Redstart Redstart Stonechat Northern Wheatear Rock- thrush Blackbird Song Thrush Mistle Thrush Seen daily throughout the Picos Seen only in Bilbao (29/6) Male and female heard Puerto San Glorio (28/6) and seen at many sites inc. an amazing breeding colony at Basieda One Basieda (26/6) One Puerto del Pontón (27/6) One Puerto de Pembes (26/6) One Basieda (26/6) Seen at Fuente Dé (breeding), Cosgaya, Hermida Gorge (breeding), Puerto de las Señales (breeding), Espinama (breeding), Portilla de la Reina (breeding) inc. cliff nesting colony at Puerto de las Señales Seen only at Puerto de las Señales (27/6) at Fuente Dé between upper cable car station and La Vueltona Seen at Espinama and Portilla de la Reina seen almost everywhere! Seen daily on the Rio Deva at Cosgaya (by the hotel); not looked for anywhere else at Puerto San Glorio and Puerto de las Señales; also Cosgaya, Basieda and Puerto de Pembes Numerous at Fuente Dé between between upper cable car station and La Vueltona inc. adults feeding young and juveniles on the wing A pr at Pembes (26/6) Seen Puerto de Pembes (26/6) and Puerto de las Señales (27/6) Seen at Fuente Dé between upper cable car station and La Vueltona and at Puerto de las Señales (27/6) Male Portilla de la Reina (28/6) Seen/heard at Cosgaya (daily), Puerto de Pembes (26/6), Basieda (26/6), central Bilbao (29/6) Seen/heard Cosgaya (daily), Puerto de las Señales (27/6) Cetti s Warbler Melodious Warbler Whitethroat Garden Warbler One heard Ria de Tina Mayor (west of San Vincente) (23/6) Singles Torralavega (23/6) and Ria de Tina Mayor (23/6) in many hillside scrubby areas inc. Puerto San Glorio (28/6) Heard/seen in many places inc. Cosgaya (daily), Puerto de Pembes (26/6), Puerto de las Señales (27/6), Portilla de la Reina (28/6), Puerto San Glorio (28/6). The song of these birds is very odd, delivered in short, 10

11 Eurasian Blackcap Western Bonelli s Warbler Iberian Chiffchaff Willow Warbler Spotted Flycatcher Long- tailed Tit Marsh Tit Coal Tit Crested Tit Blue Tit Great Tit Eurasian Nuthatch Wallcreeper Eurasian Treecreeper Red- backed Shrike Eurasian Jay Magpie Alpine Chough Carrion Crow Northern Raven Spotless Starling House Sparrow White- winged Snowfinch Chaffinch European Serin Citril Finch European Greenfinch European Goldfinch Linnet Eurasian Bullfinch Hawfinch Yellowhammer often repetitive phrases and not the single song we are used to and it took us a while to work out what was singing but we eventually tracked singing birds down to confirm the ID Very common recorded almost everywhere At least three at Puerto de Pembes (26/6) One heard Basieda (26/6) Singless Hermida Gorge (23/6), Briesda (26/6) and Cosgoya (several days) Only found at Puerto de Pembes (26/6) A single at Basieda (26/6) and a pr nr Puerto del Pontón (27/6) Seen at Fuente Dé (lower cable car station) (24 & 25/6) and Puerto San Glorio (27 & 28/6) Several at Puerto San Glorio (28/6) Seen at Fuente Dé (lower cable car station) (24 & 25/6) and nr La Vega (28/6) One seen above Fuente Dé cable car station (24/6) near the junction and three seen 25/6, one nrar the junction and a pr at La Vueltona One at Fuente Dé lower cable car station (25/6) Several Puerto de Pembes (26/6) and a male Puerto de las Señales (27/6) Singles nr Burón (27/6), Puerto del Pontón (27/6) and Puerto San Glorio (28/6) Numerous at Fuente Dé (upper cable car station and above) (24 & 25/6) and Puerto de las Señales (27/6) Seen at several plaves inc. Fuente Dé (upper cable car station and above) (24 & 25/6), Puerto de las Señales (27/6) and Puerto San Glorio (28/6) Numerous between Bilbao and San Vicente around habitation Numerous above Fuente Dé inc. several birds visiting nests (24 & 25/6) 2-4 seen at Puerto San Glorio (27 & 28/6) Recorded only from Cosgaya (most days) and Puerto de Pembes (26/6) in all upland areas Pr at Puerto de las Señales (27/6) Two flew over the car near Burón (27/6). Several Puerto de Pembes (26/6), several along roadside nr Caldeville de Valdeón (28/7) and numerous Puerto San Glorio (28/7). Gosney suggests that this is a scarce species but we found it at several sites and it was one of the commonest species at Puerto San Glorio and would 11

12 Cirl Bunting Rock Bunting Corn Bunting appear to be a feature species of Spanish Broom areas (we didn t see it at Puerto de las Señales which Gosney mentions) Seen only at Basieda (26/6) Two pairs at Puerto de las Señales (27/6) and a pr at Puerto San Glorio (28/6) Several Puerto de Pembes (26/6) Mammals Isard (Chamois) Several at Puerto de las Señales (27/6) Reptiles Iberian Rock Lizard Wall Lizard Southern Smooth Snake Seen Fuente Dé above the upper cable car station Seen Potes One Puerto San Glorio (28/6) Dragonflies Golden- ringed Dragonfly Emperor Four- spotted Chaser Broad- bodied Chaser One Hermida Gorge (23/6) and three Basieda (26/6) Two Puerto de las Señales (27/6) Several Puerto de las Señales (27/6) Several Puerto de las Señales (27/6) Butterflies Large Skipper Dingy Skipper Red- underwing Skipper Grizzled Skipper Mallow Skipper Swallowtail Scarce Swallowtail Wood White Clouded Yellow Mountain Clouded Yellow Cleopatra Black- veined White Large White Small White Red Admiral Small Tortoiseshell Comma Dark Green Fritillary High Brown Fritillary Queen of Spain Fritillary Heath Fritillary Marsh Fritillary Weaver s Fritillary Speckled Wood Large Wall Brown Small Heath Chapman s Ringlet Meadow Brown Marbled White False Ilex Hairstreak Small Copper Long- tailed Blue Lang s Short- tailed Blue Small Blue Holly Blue Garvarnie Blue Brown Argus Blue 12