3/6/22 – We drove across the mountain road to Roncal seeing a Black Kite near the village of Burgui. A Corn Bunting was on a wire and House Martins were around the village of Nevascues. At the Arbajan Gorge three Red-billed Chough flew over and a single Griffon Vulture was on the cliffs. We were unable to visit the Lumbier Gorge as the car park would only take card payment and we only had cash.
We continued to the Aibar area and drove up the concrete road to the water tower. Near the top We immediately spotted a lovely Black-eared Wheatear perched on top if a bush. It stayed for ages before moving to another perch nearby. We walked a short way down the hill where another bird was singing on top of a small tree. After checking with the bins and getting a few photos we were able to confirm it as an Ortolan Bunting. Another longed for species.
We drove back down the road and entered a track through a farming area seeing a Corn Bunting and more Ortolan Buntings and another in a small stream which crosses the road. Lots of butterflies were in a patch if mud for some reason and a very bright Linnet was in a tree. A Woodchat Shrike was on the other side of the water.
We headed back down the road to have our lunch in the picnic area where a couple of Griffons flew over and Nightingales were singing in the undergrowth.
As we left Aibar a White Wagtail and a Black Redstart were around the buildings and a Kestrel was over the fields.
We took a long drive back and up the bottom of the Anso Valley seeing a Wheatear, a possible Peregrine, three Linnets and a Yellow Wagtail on the way.
