Thursday 16th May 2013

Rock Sparrow

 
   I decided to go and have a look around the Citadel, in Jaca village, before the folks were ready to go out. I had some Common Swifts and a Pallid too. But, my main aim was to photograph the Rock Sparrows which nest there. I managed to get quite close to some, before realising this is where the whole village has their morning runs, with & without their dogs!!!! What a pain, every time i got close they were off, flushed by runners or dogs. I did though manage to get close enough, and then the runners seemed to run around me instead.

Rock Sparrow

   I went back, and we headed for the Hecho Valley, especially Garbardito. This time i was hoping to get photos of the Citril Finches, but also hoping to get to see Wallcreeper, and maybe a closer Lammergeier. The Citril Finches were showing quite well in the car park, as mentioned in most of the books i had read, at last one had it right!

Citril Fich

Citril Finch

Alpine Chough

Chough flock

 



   While there, 2 couples walked back to the car park, and we started chatting. The had been around to the rock face where the Wallcreepers breed. No sign!!! But, they told me of a place where they had, had Alpine Accentor the day before. So, we headed to Zuriza. On the way up to the Ski car park at the top, we found quite a few Black Redstarts. By now we were getting regular snow flurries. As we turned a corner and over a small bridge, the valley opened up a bit, and there was a nice meadow. It was covered in unto 200 Choughs, a look through and they were mainly Alpine Choughs, with just a handful of Red-billeds in amongst them. Lifer!!!! they were rather flighty, but i did manage some photos.
   Sadly, we didn't find the Accentors there. We went up to the car park at the top. and looked around. Then it really snowed, heavy!!!! We stayed around for a while, but then decided to head back down the valley. We got to a cross roads, near a campsite, there was a very steep slope on one side of the road, with some stunted trees, including some pines. On top of one of these pines was a beautiful male Rock Thrush. I had to get some photos of that one, obviously!!!!

Rock Thrush

Rock Thrush

    Just below the village of Hecho, we had noticed a couple of Egyptian Vultures coming down into a cattle field. They had been there every time we had gone past, so i slowed down near there and did manage the photo below, before they went over to the other side of the valley.

Egyptian Vulture