Second part of trip here:

Pyrenees

WARNING: Photos not as good this time!

Stayed again in the Pyrenees to watch Tour de France over Tourmalet but did get loads of birding in around it. Highlights being:

Portsmouth-Bilbao:
- Great Shearwater (lifer!)

Jaca:
- Black Redstart
- Serin
- Rock Sparrow (lifer!)
- Bee Eater (lifer!)
- Kestrel (nesting!)
- Tree Sparrow

Riglos/Aguero:
- Griffon Vulture
- Black Kite
- Red Kite
- Egyptian Vulture (lifer!)
- Subalpine Warbler (lifer!)
- Crag Martin

Col du Portalet:
- Rock Thrush
- Chough
- Alpine Chough
- Golden Eagle
- Water Pipit

St Lary-Soulan (and surrounds):
- Red-backed Shrike (exactly where I left it!)
- Whinchat
- Corn Bunting
- Linnet

First half's photos on my blog for those interested in that sort of thing.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 16th of August 2012 11:16:48 PM

Excellent report Joe. It really whets the appetite.

Stayed in St. Lary Soulan, in the High Pyrenees, near to the Bielsa tunnel to spain in the Aure valley. IT was really a family holiday, so no 'proper' birding, but its amazing what you find on walks and even just about. A seemingly small tally of 58 birds, but with 10 lifers for me (Griffon vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Lamergeir, Snowfinch, Melodious Warbler, Rock Thrush, Honey Buzzard, Nightingale, Firecrest, Alpine Chough and Water Pipit) that's not so bad!

The route we took from manchester to the Pyrenees was to Portsmouth, ferry to St Malo and drive from there. This got us Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Cattle Egret, Little egret and black shouldered Kite.

In town loads of good stuff, most common being Serin, Black Redstart, Blackcap, Melodious Warbler, Grey Wag, White Wag, Collared Dove, Firecrest, Blackbird, Chaffinch and House Sparrow. Crag and House martin are aplenty,with Alpine Swift present only really in the mountains, although a few closer to town. Red and Black Kite are by far the most common raptors. I had red backed shrike, too!

Headed up on the cable car on a number of occasions to watch the vultures from above, yielding good views of all 3 species, as well as Golden Eagle. Up there in the meadows is exceptionally good for butterflies, my highlights being Dark Green and Pearl Boardered Fritillaries, Silver Spotted Skipper, Holly and Common Blue, Swallowtail, Marbled White and Mountain Ringlet. Loads of huge mountain grasshopper too.

We did head out to the Tourmalet, and I can only subscibe to how good the views of snowfinch at the top are. This late in the summer they are no longer nesting (obviously), so trying to locate them is quite difficult, but once found they are easily approached. I found some in the meadows opposite the famous cyclist statue, and also on the scree as you approach from Lourdes. Also alpine chough here.

We headed up into the hills a few days, and although we didn't do any peaks, we did do around 2000m of assent one day! Most hillsides have a huge flock of Alpine and Normal Chough roving about it, although they're not so easy to get close to and photograph. Water Pipit everywhere, which I think are a great improvement on meadow pipit, as are le marmot, huge burrowing rodents (see my flickr) and on one occasion even a stoat. We didn't get Alpine Accentor when there, but did get Rock thrush.

All in all, its a brilliant area for birding, even if you're just out with your family the whole time! All my half way decent shots are on flickr, and i'll send Ian some of the better ones!

ive just returned from a week in the pyrnees.what a wonderful place it is.seven days of glorious weather and incredible bird life.my hosts peter and jude are english but have lived here over twenty years and so know where to help you find the best areas for birds. i stayed in a tiny vilage called bareges in an excellent appartment.its situated thirty miles south of lourdes at the bottom of the col du tourmalet much loved stage finish in the tour de france.the highlights of the week were. Griffon vulture...up to 30 at once rising higher on the thermals. Egyptian vulture.....2 pairs of these most colourful birds Golden eagle...saw quite a few Short toed eagle....1 pair Booted eagle.......1 pair. Red kite.........lots Black kite....below the high peaks they are everywhere.literally hundreds of them. Raven.....common Chough.....flocks of them Alpine chogh........very common Honey buzzard.....1 Black woodpecker......fairly common Redstart and black redstart very common especially the blacks Citril finch.......1 pair Snow finch...quite a lot at the col du tourmalet nesting in the ski lift. Red backed shrike....saw 3 Water pipit are everwhere on the mountain sides cirl bunting.......1 Crag martins very common lots of dippers, grey wags,goldcrest,firecrest and every village has a flock of swifts.over lourdes there are hundreds also saw lots of marmots,lizards and a wild cat for people who like orchids and alpine plants this is possibly the best place in europe for people who like butterflies there are over 400 species finally a plug for mine hosts who went out of their way to find the birds for us.if you ever want to go contact them on borderlinehols.com or google their website borderlinehols