N/W Spain with Speyside Wildlife

9th - 14th April 2009 :- This was an Easter short break to the Sierra de Culebra and it's environs looking for it's very special wildlife. We had a full compliment of 13 guests and I would very much like to thank 'the excellent Roy Atkin' for co-leading this with me. We had a great time and wed were very fortunate to have a group that got on so well, making for a fantastic trip. During our time we visited several areas such as Villafafila, Arribes de Duero and local area of San Pedro de la Herrerias finding Garganey, a brief roadside Black winged Kite, Egyptian & Griffon Vultures, loads of Montagu's, Marsh & Hen Harriers, Short toed & Booted Eagles, a displaying Golden Eagle, which then chased away a Goshawk!!!, Lesser Kestrels, Hobby, 200+ Great Bustards, Gull billed Terns, Common Cuckoo, Wryneck & Iberian Green Woodpecker, Bee-eaters, Short toed & Woodlarks, Iberian Chiffchaff, Sub-alpine & Dartford Warblers, Firecrest, Crested Tits, Nuthatch, Serin, Rock & Cirl Buntings. Mammals included a Wild Boar and Red Deer, the reptiles and amphibians were well represented by Bocage's Lizard, Fire Salamander, European Tree Frog, Bosca's & Marbled Newts. Finally despite the cold weather we did see a few butterflies including Pearl bordered Fritillary, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Copper and Scarce Swallowtail. All in all a fantastic break.

Three Man Road Trip

1st - 7th April 2009 :- During this week I was joined by Andy Bates & Dave Stanbridge from Kent, they have been to Spain several times before and were here for some specific targets. The first four days were spent like a Valencian Short Break (featured here) with the last two days being spent around Madrid. Although we couldn't find all their target species we did do very well by seeing Lesser Flamingo, Great White Egrets, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Garganey, White headed & Marbled Ducks, Black Vulture, Spanish Imperial, Golden & Short toed Eagles, Lesser Kestrel, Quail, Purple Gallinule, Red knobbed Coot, Great & Little Bustard, Stone Curlew, Collared Pratincole, Grey Phalarope, Audouin's & Slender billed Gulls, Gull billed Terns, Pin tailed & Black bellied Sandgrouse, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Scop's Owl, Lesser Spotted & Iberian Green Woodpeckers, Calandra, Short toed & Thekla Larks, Water Pipit, Black eared Wheatear, Redwing, Moustached, Savi's, Great Reed, Western Bonelli's, Sub-alpine Warblers, Iberian Chiffchaff, Penduline Tit, Azure winged Magpie, Brambling, Citril Finch and Rock Bunting. A full trip report will follow shortly.