- Home
- Photography Tours
- Diary / Blog
- Galleries
- Foreign Trips
- Tasmania 2016
- NE Queensland 2016
- Western Alps 2016
- NE Spain 2016
- Australia's Wet Tropics 2015
- Australia's Top End 2015
- SW Australia 2015
- Switzerland 2015
- Andalucia 2015
- Belize 2015
- Australia 2014
- Switzerland 2014
- Belize 2014
- Bahama Islands 2014
- Switzerland 2013
- Ecuador 2012-2013
- Florida 2011-2012
- Vancouver Island 2011
- Australia 2010
- Peru 2008
- Bulgaria 2007
- Lesvos 2006
- California 2006
- New Zealand 2005
- Extremadura 2005
- Goa, India 2004
- The Gambia 2003
- About
Northeastern Spain
April / May 2016
Part 4 : Alquezar
The medieval town of Alquezar
Perched on top of a cliff overlooking a spectacular gorge, the picturesque medieval town of Alquezar and its surrounding area was probably my favourite location on this trip despite it being a popular tourist destination and the weather continuing to be mostly dull and wet.
 |
 |
Rio Vera Gorge
Pyrenean-violet (Ramonda myconi)
The walls of the gorge were covered with masses of Pyrenean-violets, a relictual endemic member of the African Violet family found only in shady rock crevices in the Pyrenees and north-eastern Spain.
Pyrenean-violet (Ramonda myconi)
Pyrenean-violet (Ramonda myconi)
In the surrounding maquis, the wildflower diversity was pretty good and included many colourful and conspicuous species such as Gladiolus communis, Beautiful Flax and Bearded Iris.
 |
 |
Eastern Gladiolus (Gladiolus communis)
Bearded Iris (Iris x germanica) |
Beautiful Flax (Linum narbonense) |
Beautiful Flax (Linum narbonense)
Brown Bluebells were common but easily overlooked due to the soft, pastel brown colour of the flowers merging in with the surrounding dead vegetation.
 |
 |
Brown Bluebell (Dipcadi serotinum)
Brown Bluebell (Dipcadi serotinum)
Pyrenean Hyacinth (hyacinthus amethystinus) |
Common Vetch (Vicia sativa) |
Pitch Trefoil (Psoralea bituminosa)
Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis) |
Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) |
 |
 |
Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)
Lesser Periwinkle (Vinca minor) |
Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) |
With the weather being so cold and wet most of the time, insect activity was negligible and it was only during the rare sunny spells that any appreaciable activity was obvious.
Bee sp.
Anthaxia nitidula (Bupestridae)
Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
Both Egyptian and Griffon Vultures were commonly seen soaring above the cliffs, with the Griffons outnumbered the Egyptians by about 10:1.
Eurasian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus)
Ray Wilson owns the copyright of all images on this site.
They may not be used or copied in any form without prior written permission.
raywilsonphotography@googlemail.com