Butterflies & Moths of the Spanish Pyrenees

This holiday focuses on the wonderful variety of butterflies and moths of the Pyrenees — that rugged mountain range so rich in wildlife which forms an imposing and spectacular 450-kilometre barrier between southern France and north-eastern Spain. The southern, Spanish slopes of the range, though supporting extensive Beech and conifer forests, are much more Mediterranean in character than the northfacing French slopes. Here, the mosaic of habitats presents exciting opportunities for the butterfly and moth enthusiast, and the scrub, maquis, arable farmland, wide river valleys, semi-desert steppe, high alpine meadows, cliffs, canyons and stunning limestone erosions of this diverse region support a wonderful array of Lepidoptera! Alpine species such as Apollo, Clouded Apollo and ‘mountain’ ringlets will be among our expected highlights, as well as a multitude of fritillaries … and blues such as Gavarnie and Forster’s Furry Blue. At night we will set a moth-trap, weather permitting, hoping for such specialities as Giant Peacock; indeed the moth fauna is very diverse here, so the morning moth-trap inspection is likely always to be a highlight! During this week-long holiday, we will hope to see up to 120 butterfly species on our leisurely daily walks, taken amongst spectacular surroundings where Griffon Vultures and Lammergeiers soar overhead and orchids may still be found in the highest valleys and meadows during this season.

Our base for this week is a charming guesthouse that sits beneath the pretty hilltop village of Berdún, from which fine views of the Pyrenees, surrounding foothills, and the valleys of the Veral and Aragon Rivers may be enjoyed. Here, our hosts make us most welcome, keeping us well fed on wholesome local cuisine. Berdún occupies a truly prime position, for it is very close to a great many key sites for butterflies and moths, many of them within walking distance of our accommodation. It is also quite close to the small, historic town of Jaca which lies to the east and offers cultural interest with its 15th century fort and an interesting 11th century Romanesque cathedral.

During our holiday, we will explore the area around Berdún looking for butterflies and moths, and also enjoying the birds, plants and mammals of the area. The Aragon and Veral Valleys and the spectacular Biniés Gorge are home to a variety of low-level plants, and attendant butterflies include several different hairstreaks and walls, Spanish Gatekeeper and such blues as Adonis, Idas, Small and Spanish Chalkhill Blue. In addition, we may hope to see such species as Scarce and Purple-edged Coppers, Swallowtail, Camberwell Beauty, Great-banded Grayling, and Grizzled, Marbled, Dingy, Small and Large Skippers amongst many more! The birdlife here is also rich, and we may hear the distinctive call of a Golden Oriole, or see a passing flock of Bee-eaters as we look for butterflies and moths.

We will also visit the beautiful Hecho Valley, where we’ll look for Apollos, ringlets, skippers, blues and fritillaries in the alpine meadows, and Camberwell Beauty and other species in the limestone gorges. The mixed Beech and Silver Fir forests of the high valley are ideal places to look for a variety of hairstreaks, as well as Silverwashed Fritillary and Purple Emperor. Among the birds to be seen are Alpine and Red-billed Choughs and, if we are fortunate, Wallcreeper. We will also explore the hills and limestone outcrops to the south-east of Berdún, looking for birds such as vultures, Black Wheatear and Blue Rock Thrush at the spectacular red pinnacles at Riglos. Here the hotter, even more Mediterranean, terrain should reveal a quite different set of sun-loving Lepidoptera, including Black-veined White, Scarce Swallowtail, and some of the migrant hawk-moths such as Hummingbird, Spurge, Bedstraw and even Striped Hawk-moth.

We will end our holiday with a visit to the beautiful Aisa Valley, situated to the northwest of Jaca. On a gentle walk up the valley amongst some of the finest Pyrenean scenery, we will look for more meadow and alpine Lepidoptera: the Apollo, Clouded Apollo and many of the ringlet and blue species. The botanists in our party will enjoy the carpets of gentians and Pyrenean Buttercups in the valley bottom, and numerous saxifrages and other rock-dwelling plants on the scree slopes above. The Pyrenean race of Chamois also occurs here, together with Alpine Marmot and Wild Boar. It’s a truly tranquil and magnificent place to conclude a holiday awash with wildlife and spent amongst some of Europe’s most spectacular scenery, all enjoyed from a quite delightful guesthouse.