SPAIN: RAPTORS, BUSTARDS, & ALPINE
MEADOWS
DATES
APRIL 16 – 30, 2009
COST (PER PERSON)
DOUBLE: $6950
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $500
DEPOSIT: $1000
INCLUDED
Return flights London/Barcelona/Malaga/ London, all accommodation in en
suite rooms, all meals except lunch on first day, ground transport in Spain,
services of leaders and reserve entrance fees.
Not Included: Transport to/from London airport, travel insurance,
gratuities, drinks and items of a purely personal nature.
PARTICIPANTS: 10 MAXIMUM
GUIDES: 2 with 2 vans
TOUR
DIFFICULTY
Relaxed, but with long hours
in the field and occasional, long drives.
OVERVIEW
This three center tour offers in our opinion the
best spring birding available in Spain. These famous bird watching areas are lands of contrasts. Diverse Eco-systems will see us
visiting habitats such as sierras, plains and river valleys in Extremadura,
large expanses of coastal wetlands in the Do–ana National Park and lush valleys
and snow capped peaks in The Pyrenees.
You can expect to see some of EuropeÕs rarest breeding species as we
travel the length and breadth of this vast country. There is an impressive
historical interest as well with many Roman remains and medieval towns, and
Extremadura is the original home of the conquistadors. The spectacular wildlife is well known
to anyone with an interest in European conservation, with many rare species
found here. Mammals such as Iberian Lynx, Chamoix, Egyptian Mongoose and Otter
still survive here in reasonable numbers, though as always are never easy to see.
The walks are generally easy over mostly flat terrain and average three or four
miles per day. Dave Gosney and Dr Forrest Davis will lead this tour. You can
expect to see between 150 and 175 species.
ITINERARY
DAY ONE
Fly London/Barcelona and transfer to our accommodation, birding en
route. As we travel weÕll be looking out for our first raptors which could be
species such as Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Red Kite, Black Kite and
MontaguÕs Harrier. We may also see our first Bee-eaters and Hoopoes and will
make a stop at a site with an exceptional variety of larks. We should be able
to sort out Lesser Short-toed, Thekla and Calandra Larks and thereÕs a slim
chance of seeing the rare and elusive DupontÕs Lark too.
Dinner and overnight in Lo Foraton in Hecho.
DAYS TWO – FOUR
As well as being a region
blessed with spectacular scenery, the Pyrenees are home to some of EuropeÕs
most wanted and exciting breeding birds such as Lammergeier and
Wallcreeper. Our first full day
will be spent in the beautiful Hecho Valley where weÕll enjoy lots of views of
raptors. Lower down the valley are Red Kites and Booted Eagles and further up
thereÕs always a chance of Golden and Short-toed Eagles. Griffon and Egyptian
Vultures will be seen at close
range and Lammergeiers often pass overhead. The fabulous Wallcreeper is one of
EuropeÕs most elusive species but the Hecho Valley is one of the best places in
Europe to look for them. WeÕll walk in the meadows at the top of the valley
where weÕll search for species such as Water Pipit and Citril Finch. The next
day will be spent at San Juan de la Pena, the site of a monastery perched on
a dramatic pinnacle. This is a
great place for getting superb views of soaring vultures and eagles. ThereÕs a
chance of seeing Lammergeier here too and, if one does show, the views should
be amazing. This is also a great spot for woodland birds such as Black
Woodpecker, Crested Tit, Firecrest, Short-toed Treecreeper and Western
BonelliÕs Warbler and we have a second chance here of finding Citril Finch. Our
third day will be a drive to a high mountain pass where weÕll see both
Red-billed and Alpine Chough and weÕll look for birds such as White-winged Snow
finch and Alpine Accentor. Other birds weÕll be looking for in the Pyrenees
include Rock Sparrow, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Thrush, Subalpine and Dartford
Warblers, Crag Martin, Rock, Cirl and Ortolan Buntings and Alpine Swift.
Dinner and overnights in Lo
Foraton in Hecho.
DAY FIVE
Transfer from Huesco to
Trujillo. This is a long travel day and stops will be at a premium, but naturally,
we will make time for some birding and comfort stops.
Overnight Hotel Vi–a las Torres near Trujillo
DAYS SIX – NINE
La Serena plains are
considered as one of the most important steppe habitats in Western Europe. But
the region is not only well known for its Great and Little Bustards and
Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, as in some nearby wooded and rocky
areas we can expect to see Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, Crag Martin, Alpine
Swift, Black Wheatear, Bonelli's Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Roller, Black-eared
Wheatear, Short-toed and Calandra Larks, Whinchat, Tawny Pipit, Black Vulture,
MontaguÕs Harrier, Spectacled Warbler, Spanish Sparrow. Cirl Bunting, Thekla Lark and Woodlark among the more
interesting species. MonfragŸe is one of the most important raptor areas in
Europe, being home to the critically endangered Spanish Imperial Eagle. At the raptor watch
point, we may see this species plus BonelliÕs Eagle and Egyptian Vulture, as
well as Subalpine Warbler and Wood Lark in surrounding terrain. At Tietar
cliff, Black Storks often nest among the Griffon Vultures and Rock Bunting sing
from the boulder covered slopes. A highlight of today will no doubt be our walk
to the Castillo, atop the mountain ridge and overlooking the cliffs of Penafalcon
across the gorge. Views are breathtaking across the dehesa, and the views of
the Griffon, Black and Egyptian Vulture are amazing!
Booted and Short-toed Eagles can glide by at eye level, Northern Goshawk
can occasionally be seen and both Peregrine and Red-billed Chough patrol the
ridge. Rock Bunting, Blue Rock Thrush and Alpine Swift delight us, but we will
be keeping an eye out here for Rock Sparrow, which is also present around the
cave mouth on the walk up. Black-shouldered Kite is an Extremadura speciality,
and we will visit a site one day
where we hope to watch this superb raptor hunting, and where eagle and stork
nests adorn the electricity pylons! A colony of noisy Spanish Sparrows is often
present and Common Quail can be heard calling in the fields. We will also head
to the Alange reservoir where
BonelliÕs Eagle, Purple Heron and Gull-billed Tern may be seen and we will
drive to the nearby Guadiloba reservoir, which will provide us with chances to
see Black-winged Stilt, Collared Pratincole, Little Ringed Plover, Eurasian
Spoonbill and perhaps some migrant shorebirds. You will never forget the first time you visit MonfragŸe National Park!
Here Griffon and Eurasian Black Vultures are abundant, while Black Storks and
Egyptian Vulture are fairly common. With some luck we could see Eagle Owl
breeding in one of the cliffs of this superb spot, but the pair we know change
the place of its nest every season. Many chances for Spanish Imperial,
Short-toed, Booted and BonelliÕs Eagles. WeÕll have our picnic lunch join the
Tagus River surrounded by thousands of Barn Swallows and House Martins. Within
the flocks of these two species are often seen Red-rumped Swallow and Crag
Martin, while Alpine Swift will be detected thanks to its noisy calls. Good
spot for Subalpine and Sardinian Warbler. We will spend an evening within the
boundaries of the Park till dusk when the Red-necked Nightjar start to call. Finally, we drive
to Trujillo where we have time for some relaxed birding in the main square of
the town where Lesser Kestrels and Pallid Swifts will fly overhead.
Overnights Hotel Vi–a las Torres near Trujillo
DAY TEN
Transfer from Trujillo to El Rocio. This is another long travel day, but
once again we will try and make birding stops to break the day up as well as
comfort stops. Our superbly located accommodation are cottages on a traditional
working farm and are furnished to a very high standard.
Overnight El Cortijo de lose Mimbrales near El Rocio.
DAYS ELEVEN – THIRTEEN
Optional pre-breakfast
strolls to check for passerine migrants such as Sardinian and Subalpine
Warblers, Melodious and Olivaceous
Warblers, Zitting Cisticola, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Eurasian Serin and Common
Nightingale. Following breakfast, we will go right into the heart of the
National Park along a poor road that is little used by locals that leads to the
Jose Antonio Valverde visitor centre and which is named in honour of that
naturalist. In the surrounding lakes, it is possible to watch several species
like Great Reed Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Purple-swamp Hen, Squacco Heron,
Marbled Teal and White-headed Duck. We will make several stops along the road
searching for typical species of the open fields such as Short-toed and Lesser
Short-toed Larks, Stone Curlew, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and Spectacled Warbler.
In the nearby Ca–os del Guadiamar we hope to encounter the rare, but increasing
Red-knobbed Coot, though an element of luck will be needed to see them. We will spend time walking through some of the most
important marshy areas along the Atlantic Coast, where we hope to see AudouinÕs
Gull, Little Bittern and Ferruginous Duck. The most popular sites along the La
Rocina River, known as the El Acebuche viewpoints, are where Azure-winged
Magpies are abundant and we can also hope to encounter species such as Golden
Oriole, Hoopoe and a selection of migrant shorebirds. Apart from its rich bird
life, the Do–ana National Park is home to the main population of the most
threatened feline: the Iberian Lynx. Another typical mammal of this ecosystem
is the Egyptian Mongoose, the only species of mongoose in the whole of Europe.
Both are very rare mammals and with crepuscular behaviour, but they are very difficult to observe and our luck
will really need to be in to see them.
Overnights El Cortijo de lose Mimbrales near El Rocio.
DAY FOURTEEN
We will transfer back east to
Malaga Province passing through several excellent birding areas, where we can
hope to perhaps encounter migrants arriving from Morocco which is just a short
journey away over the Straits of Gibraltar. If the winds are in our favour from our Watchpoint right at
the southern tip of Europe, we may encounter good numbers of soaring birds such
as European Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, White
Stork and European Bee-eaters, as well as passerines such as Woodchat Shrike,
Melodious Warbler and Red-rumped Swallow, while offshore, we may see small
numbers of Northern Gannets and perhaps a passing skua or shearwater. The beach
at Tarifa should provide us with AudouinÕs Gull if we havenÕt already encountered
them and we should also get a final look at shorebirds such as Kentish Plover.
Overnight Hurricane Hotel
Tarifa
DAY FIFTEEN
Depending upon flight times, we will do some local birding in the area
before transferring to Malaga for the onward flight to London.
RESERVATIONS
For
reservations or detailed brochures contact:
HIGH LONESOME BIRDTOURS
570 S. Little Bear Trail, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
Phone (520) 458-9446 or 1-800-743-2668
Email: hilone@hilonesome.com
Website: www.hilonesome.com