We left the rolling plains of Belchite and headed North West for the mountains of the Picos de Europa. The weather was on the change with grey sky and temperatures as low as 4C in the mountains! This was a real shock after all the glorious sunshine we had experienced so far in Spain. It was very long drive, heavy rain showers did nothing for our seen from the car list, which served to make the journey seem even longer. Some crazy Spanish driving was interesting, they do have speed limits but it seemed we were the only ones taking any notice. At last we reached the Picos and marvelled at the magnificent mountain scenery, how much better will it be if the clouds lift completely? It felt like going back in time driving up into the Picos as the scene was more reminiscent of winter, especially at 1300m, compared to the wonderful warm spring conditions we had experienced in the Coto de Donana. Not long after we entered the tortuous twisting roads of the Picos, we came across a feeding flock of Yellowhammers on the roadside. We enjoyed great views of these beautiful buntings, made even better by the fact that this was a new bird for our 2008 year list. It was early evening by the time we reached our accommodation, Apartments Olmares in the tiny village of Basieda, not far from Potes. A beautifully appointed apartment in a converted traditional stone farmhouse, this will be our base for the next few days. The view from the balcony alone is fantastic (check out www.olmares.com for a taster), and the garden list as the light was fading included male Black Redstart, Blackcap and Chiffchaff so it was good to see that a few migrants have made it this high into the hills. Species list: 1907
Posted 8th April, Potes, Spain