Spain in Spring

Day 1: The tour begins this evening at our hotel in Malaga.

Day 2: We’ll set off this morning after breakfast. Our journey takes us to one of the most famous migration routes in the world, the Strait of Gibraltar, and depending on the weather conditions we may stop at various migration watch points along the way. Depending on the wind direction we should see moderate numbers of local and migrant raptors, including Booted Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Black Kite and maybe eye-level views of the first returning European Honey-buzzards - the latter species having spent the previous winter or two in western Africa before returning as adults to breed in Europe. Distant groups of Scopoli’s Shearwaters enter the Mediterranean Sea to return to their island breeding grounds, while the endangered and early nesting Balearic Shearwater can also regularly be seen, often already heading out into the Atlantic at this time. Many Yellow-legged Gulls are present along the coast, often forming their own ‘welcome’ party for any incoming Short-toed Snake Eagles. Migrant passerines are usually present in a few wooded areas and we may see both European Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Western Subalpine Warbler, our first Western Orphean Warblers and Woodchat Shrikes or even groups of European Bee-eaters making their way north. Night in Tarifa.

This tour was a wonderful introduction to Spain and its birds. The itinerary and pace were very good and John Muddeman was an excellent guide, a good all-round naturalist with outstanding abilities to hear and see birds, patience to get everyone on them, good ability to plan and also to adjust plans to the unexpected, and very strong people skills. - Catherine K.

Day 3: We take in a series of sites around the southernmost point of Europe, concentrating more or less on the passage of raptors depending what we encountered the day before, but also enjoying a variety of coastal habitats. Near Tarifa a partially flooded beach and its dunes is major attraction for migrant birds, and if the beach is undisturbed (sometimes difficult among the myriad of kite-surfers), we’ll search for Audouin’s Gull and Kentish Plover. Numerous shorebirds, plus a variety of terns and gulls may be present, and even Greater Short-toed and Crested larks, migrant Northern Wheatears, plus Pallid and Common Swifts, and perhaps even migrant European Bee-eaters passing overhead are amongst those in the dunes. Some old salinas provide more quiet feeding habitats for numerous shorebirds, including breeding Collared Pratincoles and Little Terns, the flowery slopes behind support impressively large Calandra Larks and elegant Tawny Pipits and our first Greater Flamingos and Eurasian Spoonbills are often seen feeding in the shallow waters. A nearby rock outcrop with nesting Blue Rock Thrush and Griffon Vultures also affords superb views over the west part of the Strait and over to Morocco, while another houses a surprising colony of the critically endangered Northern Bald Ibis. We may either start off, or round off the day with a quick visit to Tarifa in the search for one of Europe’s rarest birds, Common Bulbul, and enjoy the aerial antics of the local Lesser Kestrels, while seawatching from our hotel might turn up Atlantic Gannets moving out of the Mediterranean or even an Atlantic Puffin or two. Night in Tarifa.

Day 4: The shallow lagoons around Jerez play host to one of the country’s special birds, White-headed Duck. This will be our main target, but these pools are also home to lots of other exciting birds and new species will come thick and fast. Wet fields, saltpans and small lagoons should hold herons, including both Purple and Squacco, White Storks, Gull-billed Terns and yet more raptors. White-headed Ducks can be on several small lakes, which also host Red-crested Pochard and in some years even Marbled Duck or Red-knobbed Coot. The nearby woodland and scrub holds Melodious and Sardinian Warblers, Crested Tits, and Short-toed Treecreepers. We’ll divert from the main road to check out one of Europe’s rarest breeding species, Little Swift, a common bird throughout Africa that has just a toehold in Spain, before starting the journey north towards Seville and onwards to our destination in the famous Coto Doñana region. Our hotel, settled on the shores of the marismas, is a real gem from which we could see Greater Flamingos and Eurasian Spoonbills within a few dozen yards of our rooms! The wetlands at El Rocio are always exciting and if water levels are low we may see flocks of Curlew Sandpipers, feeding Whiskered Terns and Collared Pratincoles hawking for insects. If the levels are high then species such as Pied Avocet and Black-winged Stilt may find it to their liking. The reedy edges often hold singing Great Reed Warblers, and careful scanning of the shoreline usually produces Glossy Ibis, with possibilities for both Squacco and Purple Herons, and the occasional Little Bittern and Eurasian Penduline Tit. Night in El Rocio.

Days 5-6: The Coto Doñana has been described as one of Europe’s last wilderness areas and during our two days we’ll sample from its rich and varied habitats. If conditions are right, we follow a maze of tracks and spend a whole day birding our way to and from the José Antonio Valverde Centre. In front of the information centre is a superb mixed colony of herons and egrets and Black-necked and Great Crested Grebes breed to a backdrop of noisy Great Reed Warblers. The journey there can be so full of birds that it’s difficult to know how long it will take. The roadside ditches offer a chance of Little Bittern, while Purple Swamphen, Eurasian Turtle Dove and Corn Bunting are all possible, the latter still surprisingly common. Open water areas can hold Great White Egret, as well as more Greater Flamingos, in addition to Gull-billed Terns and various wildfowl and shorebirds, while drier areas support Mediterranean Short-toed Larks. Closer to our hotel a series of nature trails and observation blinds through scrub and woodland offer excellent chances of Iberian Chiffchaff, Azure-winged Magpie, Iberian Grey Shrike, Dartford Warblers, Thekla’s Lark, and Eurasian Tree Sparrow. On one morning we head west towards Huelva, where we have more chances of seeing Western Osprey, Audouin’s Gull and shorebirds around the saltpans and estuary. Nights in El Rocio.

Day 7: Leaving the Coto Doñana behind we’ll begin our journey north into Extremadura, stopping to look for Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Black Wheatear, Rock Bunting, Eurasian Crag Martin and Alpine Swift at different sites along the way. Once into the hills we may start to see more vultures with Eurasian Griffon being the most likely, but both Cinereous and Egyptian, as well as Black Stork, are possible. In the late afternoon we’ll detour to check our first steppic habitat in the region, looking for our first Great Bustards and European Rollers, with a chance of Little Bustard and Black-bellied Sandgrouse as well. Night near Torrejon el Rubio.

Days 8-9: We’ll have two full days to explore the wonders of Extremadura - dividing our time between Monfrague National Park, the steppes and if necessary, the region’s wetlands and valleys. Monfrague has arguably one of the highest concentrations of breeding raptors in Europe and we’ll search for Red and Black Kites, Booted, Short-toed Snake, Golden and Bonelli’s Eagles, and hopefully the globally rare Spanish Imperial Eagle. It’s not only raptors that will hold our attention but also other much sought-after species such as Black Stork, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Crag Martin, Blue Rock Thrush, Alpine Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Western Subalpine Warbler, Black Redstart and both Rock and Cirl Buntings - all breeding in the park. Our visit to the steppes could be no less exciting and we’ll make several stops in search of singing Common Quail, Great and Little Bustards, Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Eurasian Stone-curlew, European Roller, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, and possibly Black Wheatear. A few Montagu’s Harriers still breed in the area, providing a lovely sight, and Thekla’s, Crested and Calandra Larks are common. The number of breeding Corn Buntings is a delight when considering how scarce the species has become in north-west Europe, while if we have time, in Trujillo town we can again watch breeding Lesser Kestrels and Pallid Swifts. Nights near Torrejon el Rubio.

Day 10: Sometime after breakfast we’ll make the relatively short journey north to the Gredos Mountains. However, if we still haven’t seen certain species, such as Black-shouldered Kite we’ll alter our route accordingly, including enjoying Monfrague or nearby wetlands again. The high mountains of central Spain support several special habitats and these in turn are home to excellent populations of highly sought-after species, ranging from freshly arriving Eurasian Hobby, Iberian Green Woodpecker, the iberiae race of European Pied Flycatcher, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Firecrest, quirky Crested Tit and Common Crossbill in its pine forests, to healthy populations of Bluethroat, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Iberian Yellow Wagtail, Water Pipit and Ortolan Bunting above the treeline. We’ll look for some of these en route and also for White-throated Dipper and Grey Wagtail which are present on the small rivers, while Citril Finch is generally very scarce in these pine forests but we’ll also make one or two specific stops to search for them. Night in Navarredonda de Gredos.

Day 11: Today will largely be dedicated to walking into a relatively easily accessible higher part of the Gredos to search for the other high mountain species. We also have an excellent chance of seeing the endemic Spanish Ibex here. Night in Navarredonda de Gredos.

Day 12: Today we continue our journey past the historic cities of Avila and Segovia. Once close to our hotel we’ll head directly to a site for perhaps the most sought-after bird of the region, Dupont’s Lark. Contrary to popular belief there is just as much chance of seeing one in the afternoon as there is at dawn, although seeing ‘el diablo’ at any time is far from easy. As the evening sets in the song activity should increase although there will be stiff competition from Calandra and Great Short-toed Larks, Eurasian Skylark, and both Crested and Thekla’s Larks as well! Whilst waiting, we hope to see Red-billed Choughs, Red-legged Partridge, Iberian Grey Shrike, Tawny Pipit and perhaps Spectacled and Sardinian Warblers. The stunted junipers can also hold both Dartford and Western Orphean Warblers, and the rocky terrain is popular with Western Black-eared Wheatear. Night in Sepulveda.

Day 13: A look outside the hotel before breakfast may produce Eurasian Wryneck, Rock Sparrow, Black Redstart, singing Eurasian Golden Orioles, Common Cuckoo, European Serin, Cirl Bunting and Eurasian Hoopoe. Nearby woodland can be alive with Common Nightingales, Garden Warblers and Eurasian Blackcaps. If we didn’t succeed in finding Dupont’s Larks yesterday we’ll try again this morning, including checking a nearby valley as we move north for Rock Sparrow, Rock Bunting, Melodious, Spectacled, Dartford and Sardinian Warblers again. With a long journey facing us into the spectacular Picos de Europa mountains we need to be on the road before lunch to ensure arriving in time for dinner, including stops on the way for another chance of White-breasted Dipper, plus Tree Pipit and possible Middle Spotted Woodpecker and European Bullfinch in the old oak woods here. Night in Potes.

Days 14-15: We’ll wake up to a largely new avifauna, with familiar northern European breeding species such as Common and Black Redstarts, Spotted Flycatcher, Eurasian Blue and Coal Tits, Eurasian Chaffinch and Song Thrush all found around our hotel. The morning will feature one of the more memorable outings during the tour, as we take a cable car ride up to the high mountain alpine pasture and bare rock habitats above Fuente Dé. This area is the realm of a small but remarkable suite of birds including Alpine Chough, Alpine Accentor, White-winged Snowfinch and that enigmatic ‘avian butterfly’, the Wallcreeper, plus further chances for both Water Pipit and Northern Wheatear and perhaps even Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush again. Good weather also sees regular raptors passing over, including chances for the still rare but slowly increasing population of Lammergeier. We’ll spend the afternoon lower down searching for a few of the region’s other special birds including Middle Spotted Woodpecker. Our second day is spent visiting a series of sites on the climb up to a mountain pass, plus on the valley-sides of these impressive mountains, searching for a range of other relatively scarce Spanish species more typical of further north in Europe, such as Marsh Tit, Common Goldcrest, Yellowhammer, perhaps an early-arriving Red-backed Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher and Common Redstart amongst others. Night in Potes.

Day 16: After breakfast we’ll drive directly to Madrid’s Barajas airport where the tour concludes shortly after midday.

2025 Narrative

Despite shenanigans with flights from both Canada (given the “great Iberian blackout”) and the USA (via Newark and its chaos!) for three participants, we finally all did manage to convene in Malaga on the evening of the 3rd as planned and went out on foot for an introductory tapas-style meal at a local restaurant. Spotless Starlings and Monk Parakeets were both noted amongst a few birds in the process! 

We headed west the next morning down the coast and birded under a pall of cloud in the park at the base of the towering Rock of Gibraltar. But almost no rain fell (unlike overnight) and a few migrants included Garden Warblers, Common Whitethroat, and European Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, plus a few wheezy European Greenfinches and Pallid Swifts as a pleasant introduction to the birds of the region. The clifftop views nearby overlooking the Strait to Jbel Musa on the Moroccan side revealed that the cloud was going to be slow to clear, but having passed under two inbound Black Storks just before arriving and with an extremely close European Honey Buzzard and then a dashing Eurasian Sparrowhawk just afterwards, the potential was clear to see! The next couple of hours, including over our picnic lunch, were enjoyed scouring the skies to search for raptors encounters as they fought their way north across from Africa, with dark and light morph Booted Eagles, European Honey-Buzzards, Black Kites and Eurasian Sparrowhawks, plus two Black Storks and finally a couple of Egyptian Vultures to round off the spectacle. It was a great introduction, with the added bonus of a series of small flocks of Balearic Shearwaters carving their way out westwards towards the Atlantic, with a far more laid-back Cory’s Shearwater cruising behind, while on the rocks below a few adult European Shags were sporting their breeding plumage head tufts! A complete change of environment to round off the day saw us diving into the dense humid Cork Oak forest for a drink and relax, with European Robin and European Chaffinches gracing the scene, plus a colourful Great Tit and a massive-billed Hawfinch in the top of a nearby tree to round off the introduction to southern European birding! 

The 5th May was largely spent on the west side of The Strait, starting in a Tarifa car park, where the ONLY resident Common Bulbul in Europe resides, and showed for us along with some of the local Lesser Kestrels, while a special trip up a tiny winding road to a huge rock face came up trumps with Europe’s only resident Rüppell’s Vulture -a completely new species for the tour on its 15th anniversary-, once it flew in and landed on the cliffs amongst the numerous gigantic Eurasian Griffons, many tending their already quite large young. The growing Northern Bald Ibis colony at Barca de Vejer was highly entertaining at their nesting cliffs, with noisy Cetti’s and Western Olivaceous Warblers watched behind in the bushes a terrific bonus! Lunch on the edge of the Stone Pine forest was enlivened with our first Short-toed Treecreeper, a couple of Eurasian Hoopoes and a few very friendly European Chaffinches coming to snatch (or was it beg?) scraps. With a cooling onshore breeze helping reduce the heat haze a little, a decent mix of shorebirds in the coastal saltpans on our return included elegant and noisy Collared Pratincoles, some gorgeous diminutive Kentish Plover chicks with their dapper parents and hundreds and hundreds of hungry Dunlin, Curlew Sandpipers and Common Ringed Plovers feeding-up on the tidal mud in preparation for heading imminently to the Arctic to breed. 

Onwards again on the 6th May towards Doñana, where first, in almost dead still conditions on the edge of the Algeciras Bay, we enjoyed a female Common Eider which has seemingly has taken up residence (it being an extremely unusual bird here so far south), a solitary Eurasian Whimbrel was our first and the earliest-moving Eurasian Griffons of the day started to drift over. Waving lines of Glossy Ibis were passing overhead in their hundreds during our morning drinks and comfort stop near Jerez de la Frontera, while the nearby very full lagunas gave us fantastic views of the endangered White-headed Ducks and colourful Red-crested Pochards, plus a couple of Western Purple Swamphens, a fly-by Little Bittern, a tremendous colony of Eurasian Spoonbills adorning a huge tamarisk and shimmering pink Greater Flamingos were scattered throughout the adjacent salinas, stretching from one side to the other for as far as we the eye could see. 

Lunch on the beach allowed us to enjoy the comings and goings of breeding plumaged Sanderling and Ruddy Turnstones amongst the shoreline rocks, passing Sandwich and Little Terns and a smattering of other shorebirds such as Black-bellied Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwit and Eurasian Whimbrels. A melee of Little Swifts were waiting for us at Chipiona sea front before commencing the long loop around Doñana, including past Seville to our base for the next couple of days at the curiously time warped lagoon-side town of El Rocío on the very edge of the Doñana National Park. That said we arrived a fair bit later than planned as we ‘tripped over’ a fabulous assortment of waders and shorebirds in some seasonally flooded marshes en route, including dozens of orange-vested Curlew Sandpipers, two rufous-backed Little Stints, feisty Northern Lapwings driving just about everything away from their nests and even a pair of tiny Spectacled Warblers, rattling at us from amongst the flowing thistles. 

With so much water around this year it was perhaps no surprise that the very full El Rocío lagoon was relatively speaking extremely quiet the following morning, though a couple of Common Reed Warblers at least put in an appearance despite noisy building works going on just behind! A jaunt out into the olive orchards and vineyards nearby saw us quickly latch onto the first of two singing male Rufous-tailed Scrub-robins, with a Black-winged Kite perched on a wire, two fly-by European Bee-eaters and four fly-by European Turtle Doves making it a memorable stop! 

The vast Marismas del Odiel estuary was remarkably quiet it seemed to me, but with two Caspian Terns and over 50 Eurasian Oystercatchers in one flock just on our first little walk, plus an Osprey carrying a large fish off for lunch, a fine flock of Curlew Sandpipers and at least 50 Little Terns fishing at close range, perhaps it wasn’t so bad! Noisy parties of Iberian Magpies followed each other through the pines and a few swooped down to feed on picnic scraps, with two Woodlarks creeping along a track being a welcome surprise here. The dark legs and tricolored bill of a few Audouin’s Gulls loafing in a seaside harbour on the way back to El Rocío were also easily visible compared to those we’d seen before!

Dropping in to the National Park’s main visitor centre, El Acebuche, yielded a large gang of typically flighty but at least rather more approachable Iberian Magpies scouring the picnic area, our first proper European Red-rumped Swallows cruising low amongst the bushes and trees, a couple of juvenile Long-tailed Tits persistently clamoring for food from two adults and a rather discrete pair of Crested Tits to top it off. Another large family of Long-tailed Tits fed boldly nearby in the trees where a few Eurasian Tree Sparrows furtively moved around, both to the tune of an unseen reeling Savi’s Warbler. A quick drive through the woodland and heaths nearby to round off the day gave us lovely views of dapper Woodchat and Iberian Grey Shrikes along with a brief Dartford Warbler and a few distant Thekla’s Larks.

Heading out towards the main Doñana marshes on 8th meant taking on a few provisions from a store en route, though a ‘short cut’ ended up taking rather longer than planned given the still poor condition of the local tracks, but we noted the first Common Buzzard of the trip from the moving vehicle! A large reservoir on the edge of the extensive rice fields is a magnet for good birds, even if, once again, there weren’t that many present compared to normal. Plenty of colorful Red-crested and a few smart Common Pochard bobbed about, with a pair of Marbled Ducks flying past and then a pair of Garganey following suit! With a few White-headed Ducks and a single (albeit brief) Ferruginous Duck also noted, the waiting around, with the clouds of hundreds or even thousands of Red-veined Darter dragonflies and a decent number of butterflies, including a fine Common Swallowtail, surrounding us was well worth it! Indeed, several singing Western Olivaceous Warblers, calling Black-headed Weavers and even a stunning breeding-plumaged male Yellow-crowned Bishop all added variety to the show.

Heading deep down towards the National Park revealed plenty of Little Egrets and our first ochre-clad Squacco Heron of the trip, plus a fine Mediterranean Short-toed Lark which flew low over the track and dropped down to sing from the ground in a caked mud field below. Scores of Purple and Squacco Herons, Great, Western Cattle and Little Egrets and Glossy Ibis formed a melee over the flooded marshes here, which were liberally studded with more Greater Flamingos and crowned by dipping Gull-billed Terns and a few Black-headed Gulls. A fine colony of Lesser Kestrels and an adult Western Barn Owl peering out of its nest box jammed under a huge and active White Stork’s nest just added to the scene!

A huge mixed colony of waders was visible from our lunch spot, plus a single Purple Swamphen brutally yanking up reedmace fronds from deep underground before pinning them down and devouring the most tender parts. Four families of Eared Grebes, complete with their respective chicks of different sizes were noted from the track as we progressed, with a healthy flock of dapper Slender-billed Gulls finally putting in an appearance and even a Whiskered Tern bounced past just in front. Exposed mud ahead was the favored terrain for six Red Knot among Black-bellied Plovers, Common Redshanks and a single Common Greenshank, while a huge wheeling flock of Common Ringed Plovers in the distance once again showed just how abundant they are! The long drive back was greatly enlivened by a hordes of Striped Hawkmoth (Sphynx) caterpillars desperately rushing around the track looking for food and a superb Great Reed Warbler, which this time held its nerve, blasting out its harsh ditty from a nearby dead tamarisk.

North again on the 9th with a comfort stop preceding our picnic lunch at a wonderful viewpoint which overlooked a bend in a reservoir and with picnic tables to boot! The regular passage of raptors overhead included our first two Spanish Imperial Eagles, both juveniles from last year, in addition to whistling displaying Short-toed Snake-eagles as an Iberian Green Woodpecker ‘laughed’, unseen, in the background.  Continuing, the dam at Alange and the rock face behind immediately produced swooping Alpine Swifts and Eurasian Crag Martins, plus Eurasian Griffons soaring overhead, while a furtive female Black Wheatear quickly disappeared, unlike her jet back (and white!) partner, who eventually dropped most of the way down the outcrop towards us after having appeared way up on top, where Blue Rock Thrushes and Rock Buntings also sang. A Bonelli’s Eagle perched on a distant pylon was too far to count, unlike the Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Black Kite, Common Kingfisher adorning a spillway and even brief Little Bittern in flight in the overflow channel below us! Time had raced on, but five European Rollers graced the pseudosteppes thanks to some nest boxes put up for them, rounding off the birding day before the final leg to reach our hotel in Monfragüe, our base for the next two days.

A much more leisurely exit the following morning to Monfragüe National Park first took us up to the famous castle viewpoint, with the low cloud still clinging to the slopes and ridge after overnight rain slowly pulling away east as we approached. Here, Cinereous Vultures and Eurasian Griffons cruised by us at eye level and we were lucky enough to find no less than five rakish White-rumped Swifts scything overhead among the hirundines. A couple of very pregnant hind Red Deer skittered across a grassy clearing on a hillside. More close vulture encounters were had at Peñafalcón as well as three pairs of cliff-nesting Black Storks, plus the local pair of Peregrine and our now nearly daily Common Raven. Rock Buntings, Blue Rock Thrushes and Black Redstarts flicked around the rocky pinnacles as a Eurasian Wren, its cocked tail waving from side to side, blasted out its love song from an oak snag.

A comfort stop was soon followed by the stop to scan some distant trees where a large white Bonelli’s Eagle chick adorned a huge nest, with a pair of obliging Thekla’s Larks from the minibus, though singing Melodious and Dartford Warblers nearby, once we were out, refused to show well. There was still time before lunch for scrutiny of a huge rock face in front, with a soaring Egyptian Vulture and a strange trio of noisy displaying Black Storks stealing the show. Lunch overlooking the Tiétar river was somewhat hurried as a powerful storm cell blew in from the southwest, whipping up the wind and threatening to dump rain on us all, but fortunately slipped just past to the north and the sun came out again as the wind eased and we finished off our fruit desserts in peace… The far northern end of the park lay under broken cloud, with most opting to walk the final stretch to a fine viewpoint where numerous Eurasian Griffons attended their nests in front, complete with chicks of varying ages and states of plumage. A very dapper pair of Red-legged Partridges sped over the river to feed low on the opposite slopes, allowing us excellent scope views, while we were very grateful for a small well-positioned blind as another storm cloud bore down on us and this time dumped heavy driving rain on the surroundings for several minutes.  This was just what was needed though, as a huge female Eurasian Eagle-Owl and its owlet came out into the emerging sun to dry off and a fine adult Bonelli’s Eagle circled overhead!!

Small songbirds and windy conditions are not a great mix, but finding a sheltered bluff on our return we decanted to immediately find that a garbled song emanating from the Western holm Oaks belonged to a colorful male Western Subalpine Warbler, complete with white ‘mustache’, as he moved nervously from tree to bush and back again. The finale involved returning to the remarkable Peñafalcón viewpoint for a short visit to simply enjoy more of the melee of Eurasian Griffon and Cinereous Vultures, the Black Storks, Black Redstarts... 

The 11th was our one early start as we wanted to be out on the steppes near Trujillo just after dawn.  It was surprisingly cold for the time of year, dipping to around 4°C on the journey, especially when we descended into the little valleys of the Almonte and Tozo rivers, where thick mist had filled them to the brim, snaking their respective ways across the peneplain. A couple of hours followed with nothing but the sound of dozens of singing Corn Buntings, Calandra and Crested Larks, with a pair of blipping Common Quail and the occasional ‘prooping’ calls of European Bee-eater thrown into the mix.  Clearly, heavy rain the day before had left the swathes of deep grass and flowers still soaked, so five huge male Great Bustards stood still on the horizon, waiting for it to dry. We had to work hard to find our quarry, including shooing a number of cattle off our track, but in the only rough ploughed field in the entire area, the rounded shapes of sandgrouse could be seen shuffling about. A single Black-bellied in flight headed past close in the glorious early morning light, its bubbling calls resounding across the plain, though it was only when an immature male Montagu’s Harrier took to the wing and passed over the field that the terrific numbers of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and a few Black-bellied could seen as they wheeled around several times before dropping back out of sight again. Three Eurasian Thick-knees in the same plough clearly considered themselves too large for the harrier and didn’t flinch!  To round off, a fine pair of adult Spanish Imperial Eagles set about sparring with a pair of Common Ravens, with the huge female shortly afterwards watched as she devoured a freshly caught Iberian Hare.

After coffee we took a good long stop in a steep-sided valley, where a local Common Kingfisher or perhaps two dashed past below us a few times, finally being seen by all, a roost of Common Ravens dispersed into the crystal clear skies where Eurasian Griffons and Cinereous Vultures criss-crossed in an attempt to confuse our efforts to watch passing Booted and Short-toed Snake- Eagles, a total of 7 European Honey Buzzards that were circling up on migration and highest and most difficult of all, an acrobatic Eurasian Hobby insect-catching at enormous height. A Red Fox cub which had been watching us at the start slunk silently back into its den, clearly overwhelmed by our continued presence!

The vast plains refused to yield one of their main denizens, but a decent walk out in the cooling breeze was a treat, with a decent stand of Long-lipped Tongue Orchids, a striking day-flying Royal Burnet moth and a sunbathing Hummingbird Hawkmoth noted in addition to our first Spanish Brown Argus butterflies, while a couple of Spanish Psammodromus lizards out basking on the tracks were a treat for a couple of us.

Dinner was finished with a flurry and as early as possible, culminating with a delicious cherry rice pudding, enabling us to nip down the road shortly after sunset. We were still chatting with quite a bit of light when a loudly “tok-tokking” Red-necked Nightjar male, sat on the ground just 25 m away, brought us back to the job in hand! And it must have sat there for c. 20 minutes, occasionally sallying up to hawk moths and other insects before finally drifting off to feed over the woods, bidding its farewell from high in tree with more song as we left...

Northwards again the next day towards the Gredos mountains but not until after a little back-tracking to a seemingly random spot in the middle of the vast swathes of grass in the agristeppes… Frustratingly, a herd of cows and calves had occupied THE spot, but after a few minutes wait, a dry ‘call’ was heard emanating from the grass and the game was on! However, it was quite a while before a superb male Little Bustard popped out from cover and stood head-on, it’s gleaming white front contrasting with the fine black neck lines and brown back. Given that it slipped quickly back into cover, only showing sporadically thereafter and requiring plenty of time to get everyone onto it, added just more importance to this, once common, but now rare, sighting! Arrocampo Reservoir was a little quieter than normal, despite a cooling breeze, but a superb male Little Bittern bursting out from cover to fly 30 yards and crash back meant we all finally had great views of this sometimes tricky species, while the colorful Purple Herons put on a show, Savi’s Warblers reeled and Purple Swamphens grunted, growled and squealed from cover. A stunning white-eyed Ferruginous Duck on a small pool nearby was more than recompense for having to take a slightly later lunch! 

Just before arriving at our characterful hotel (the Hostal Almanzor) in Navarredonda de Gredos, a quick stop in a nearby car park brought us rapidly to terms with the change in bird fauna here in the pine forests, especially with a point blank male Firecrest showing well for a couple of minutes low down. Here’s a bird to vie with almost any other for beauty! A lovely male Coal Tit singing among tree catkins was our first, though lots more were calling around. With just enough time for a short drive out into the nearby valley, new birds vied for attention on the fences and in the pastures, with colorful Iberian Yellow Wagtails, stripey-headed Rock Sparrows, red-fronted Eurasian Linnets and dapper Northern Wheatears all quickly enjoyed. The first silky-bellied Western Bonelli’s Warbler slipped silently through a broom bush just in front for a few of us, while a smart male Gray Wagtail adorned the rocks beside a cascading waterfall.

We awoke on 13th to thick, cold mist, but as no-one had gone out especially early, nothing was missed!! It started to clear as we left after breakfast, with the intricate pattern of strands of riverine poplars, stone-walled fields and small blocks of pine plantations forming a constantly changing mosaic at every turn we took among the rolling broom-dominated hillsides.  The sun broke out and we stepped out into very pleasant conditions to contemplate our first Red-backed Shrike male, freshly arrived back from Africa and complete with highwayman’s mask, followed almost immediately by a loudly fluting golden-yellow and black male Eurasian Golden Oriole, unable to hide in a tall oak where the leaf buds had hardly started to burst. There was song all around from Melodious Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Cuckoo, Great Tit, European Serin and others and in just 20 minutes or so we’d recorded over 30 species… The birdlife changed even further as we headed up higher towards Puerto de Peña Negra and we found the first of numerous Eurasian Skylarks, Rock Buntings and Dunnocks, though the very chilly conditions (and even cloud blowing past through for a while) meant we had to work a little for a singing Bluethroat, plus our first melancholic sounding Ortolan Bunting.

Lunch was taken near the hotel, over which a cloud of Eurasian Griffons could be seen kettling, with a huge female Peregrine cruising past also a pleasant surprise.  Despite threats of rain, with the weather still holding out, we climbed up the winding road to the Plataforma de Gredos for some more alpine birding. An impressive group of male Iberian Ibex fed unconcernedly just off the road, while our first close Ortolan Bunting did the same just off a mountain path after a short walk.  It was generally quiet though, perhaps given the chill breeze descending down the valley, but after persisting, a cooperative White-throated Dipper boldly held its high ground atop a rock in the middle of the gushing river and a pretty Water Pipit, still molting into breeding plumage, kept us entertained as it fed secretively along the edge of the rushing waters almost right below us.

A timely afternoon drink was taken in the Parador, with the forecast rain finally appearing for a while, but as soon as it stopped we took a short walk in the woods, pulling out a distant female Cirl Bunting, but best of all, a gorgeous pair of Citril Finches feeding quietly on the ground below as a colorful Great Spotted Woodpecker hacked at a Scot’s Pine for supper. Another patch of mature pines not far from the hotel provided our last stop for the day, where a gorgeous hyperactive Goldcrest showed brilliantly in a small pine before heading high up into the crowns of its parents to shout at its neighbours. 

A pre-breakfast sortie for the more energetic saw us winding our way back up towards the still snow-clad peaks of the Gredos, with a near full moon setting behind them requiring a photo stop. And the random roadside spot elected wasn’t too bad with a gorgeous male Red-backed Shrike atop a thorn bush in front thrown in for free!  Yesterday’s large herd of Spanish Ibex were now cavorting all over the road in the morning sun, which was especially welcome given an unseasonal minimum of 3°C, with a couple of pastel-shade Ortolan Buntings adorning roadside rocks. Our main quarry ahead required something of a wait in rather chilly conditions here, being as we were still in the shade of the adjacent mountain, though it finally sang from way up on some rocks where the blue-grey head and orange underparts of a male Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush almost glowing in the sun could be readily appreciated in the ’scope. 

Our onward journey took us to a convenient viewpoint to enjoy the impressive walled city of Ávila, a World heritage Site and then, once we’d been left open-mouthed at the (extremely slow!) passing of the individual blades of a monster wind turbine being transported along the motorway and followed by another tasty tapas lunch at a roadside bar, we headed into the depths of Segovia to enjoy the iconic and genuinely stunning Roman aqueduct… 

The journey was timed to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening on the San Frutos track traversing the rocky páramo habitat, though a couple of Eurasian Wrynecks yelling at one another along riverine woodland beforehand held us up, especially as they finally refused to show!  Even when we reached the track, the near dead still conditions and threat of heavy rain the following day meant that we changed our plans anyway and with just one target bird now remaining at this traditional site, we switched location and two colleagues came in their 4x4s to take us out onto the rocky expanses of the páramo to try for “El diablo”, a local name for the remarkable and often highly elusive Dupont’s Lark…  It was getting chillier, with menacing black cloud and intense rain forming a huge arc around us, but after the first of several glorious male Western Black-eared Wheatears as we crept up and down a track, the first snatches of the remarkable ventriloquial song could be heard and after considerable searching, the first of two birds was seen and as the light began to dim, so up to four could finally be heard around us, one of them giving terrific views as it sang from a trackside rock. Magic! The first drops of rain fell as we reached the hotel, dropped off our bags and headed straight back down for dinner.

It was still raining on 15th as we woke and continued through breakfast, only stopping just before we loaded the van. Perfect! Peering down into the depths of a nearby gorge produced a stunning male Eurasian Golden Oriole glowing like a beacon on the top of a brilliantly green-leafed poplar, while a much dowdier dove flying across was a subtly plumaged Stock Dove. Conveniently, this landed on a cliff ledge below us for us to enjoy in the scope, with a Rock Sparrow coming in to eye it up at close range briefly, too! Three passing Red-billed Choughs then decided to drop down and perch on the roadside wall in front for great views until they carried on about their business! 

Back on the páramo, the terribly monotonous song of a Tawny Pipit could be heard as it flew up and away from us, but this was outclassed by a flighty cock-tailed Dartford Warbler and also a dapper male Western Orphean Warbler posed atop a nearby juniper bush, his white eye peering intently at us. A few drops of rain were again falling, but undeterred we returned to those pesky Eurasian Wrynecks, and after a few minutes of trying to track the birds down, one finally flew across into view and perched high in a poplar where we could enjoy its cryptic plumage in the scope. 

Our final push up the country to reach the Picos de Europa then commenced and after successfully navigating two torrential downpours on the motorway (unlike some others who had suffered multi-vehicle accidents we passed as we progressed), and stopping for lunch on the way, at least an Iberian Green Woodpecker which rose up from the verge and bounded off over a nearby field added another new bird to the tally.  We looked for White-throated Dippers again, but they eluded us, though a small colony of Bank Swallows which nest in the open joints of an ancient bridge were remarkable to see and clumps of the parasitic Purple Toothwort emerging from the poplar roots along the riverbank a fine sight. Finally, two De Prunner’s Ringlets and a couple of fine orchids at a small opening in the Pyrenean oak forest were both greatly enjoyed. We were greeted at our hotel in Tama by the tunes of singing males of both Common and Black Redstarts. 

The weather was finally changing very much for the better, and though we awoke to find a thick pall of cloud overhead and along the valley, by 9 a.m. as we left breakfast, so it was brightening.  Indeed, by the time we’d driven up to a very attractive little village on a valleyside, open patches meant sunny spells and a fine day lay ahead. A short walk almost immediately brought us a new bird in the form of a lovely Yellowhammer stuttering out its “Little bit of bread and no cheese!”, while up to three sky-dancing Woodlarks sang overhead and a colorful pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers moved back and forth from some large poplars, as a whole host of birds sang around us. A pair of Cirl Buntings also appeared, though the male on seeing us, simply fled, though not so a delightful pair of Eurasian Blue Tits which were nesting in a dead tree almost beside us!

The village visit involved avoiding one rather tetchy dog, but two others were very gentle and required not being slobbered to death by them!  More singing, quiver-tailed Common Redstarts were present along with several Spotted Flycatchers undertaking aerial acrobatics as they sallied after insects and also one very persistently singing Eurasian Wryneck, which finally came out to perch in the dead branches of a small apple tree for all to enjoy in the sun. A flash of color and movement led to Myrna spotting a woodpecker on an ash trunk close by, but no sooner had we turned to see it than it bounded silently off and past us, its pink undertail coverts giving its identity away - Middle Spotted Woodpecker! This was the main goal for the morning, so upon its return, we carefully tracked it down, discovering to our delight that it was feeding young in a cavity on the trunk, its mate also coming in occasionally to feed the chicks too. Fantastic! 

A celebratory comfort stop (!) was taken at another typical village down in the valley before we proceeded on to the San Glorio Pass and a nearby viewpoint, including watching the most remarkable huge ‘fly’ on the highest tip of a large beech tree. It turns out to be a rather rarely seen giant sawfly, possibly even the first record for the Picos! Unusually, it was actually so still and sunny at the pass that no birds were around it virtually at all, so despite the chill air we simply basked in the sun for a few minutes and lapped up the magnificent views of the still snow-capped peaks both to the east and north of us, including where we were to head the following day.

Another tasty picnic lunch was taken at a roadside picnic site lower down in the warm sun, with its lovely views over the valley, its steep slopes clad in the verdant greens of the still growing beech, oak and pine forest leaves and needles, plus the foraging antics of a few local Common Buzzards keeping us pleasantly entertained and even one or two butterflies beginning to appear. Our watches too may have marked 1430h, but the large sundial showed that we were indeed two hours ‘out’ (thanks to “daylight savings time” plus an extra hour Franco added to Spanish time some 70-odd years ago) and it was effectively actually 1230h. After a very leisurely lunch we headed back towards the civilisation of the valley below, with a short break taken for a couple of the group to wash clothes in a nearby laundrette and three of us headed out again into the depths of the forests cloaking the mountainsides just a few clicks from the hotel. A wonderfully singing Song Thrush lived up to its common and scientific names, despite flatly refusing to show in the depths of the Pyrenean Oaks just above the road, but thankfully we were all more than happy to spot the unmistakable sleek silhouette of an adult Bearded Vulture soaring way overhead with two clunky-looking Eurasian Griffons. YES! Further amazement ensued when just a few minutes later, a low vulture cruising across overhead being mobbed by a Common Buzzard was a young Cinereous, a still very uncommon bird here in the Picos! The warming sun had enticed out a few skippers, blue and fritillary butterflies along the roadside verges, especially to Robert’s delight and though they were still only a shadow of the normal numbers present at this time of year, were extremely welcome! Our walk concluded, we continued on to the end of the road to a simple viewpoint overlooking the top end of the Desfiladero de la Hermida, where to our amazement and delight a very darkly stained apparently adult Bearded Vulture cruised towards and then down and past parallel to us before disappearing into the gorge…!!! A short stop in a woodlot of ancient Sweet Chestnuts had to be made on our return just to contemplate their twisted and gnarled trunks, but we barely even tried birding, having more than completed our ‘quota’ for the day!

We again woke on 17th May to find our part of the valley under cloud, but it was even brighter than yesterday, signaling that it was going to be a fine weather day. A slightly earlier breakfast and exit was followed by the 30 minute or so drive up the main valley to the Fuente Dé cable car station, the ever-higher peaks unfolding before our eyes at every turn, especially impressive in the beautiful early morning sunlight, including with their tracings of snow on the highest areas of karst.

A fine Song Thrush was belting out his love song from the top of a nearby pine adjacent to the car park, finally giving us a visible individual, while the 15-minute wait in the queue to take our cable car up was also enlivened with a close range Goldcrest and a furtive Eurasian Nuthatch in the pines beside us. Naturally, the just 4-minute ascension, gaining 750 m in the process, has to be experienced to be believed, but was particularly special on this occasion as a stunning White-winged Snowfinch in display flight swung round and past the cabin at eye level just before we reached the upper station! 

And our whole visit for the next few hours was memorable for the epic views across the glaciated landscape, the towering rock faces (including one that looks like a giant Mandrill) and hardy alpine flora hugging the ground and cracks in the limestone. It was slightly warmer up here than down in the valley bottom, while small numbers of calling and singing White-winged Snowfinches and Alpine Accentors accompanied us sporadically throughout, some heard from hundreds of metres away given the near dead still conditions, the glittering snowflake-like flight of the displaying snowfinches providing a beautiful spectacle. Numerous Black Redstarts in the rockier areas were mostly grey birds here, while the few (male) Northern Wheatears were the again striking pale mountain birds typical of Spain, as we’d seen the Gredos. Few raptors were moving, but a magnificent soaring juvenile Bearded Vulture appeared above the highest nearby peaks and we watched in awe as it majestically and effortlessly cruised away, finally being lost from view behind the next mountain peak. The fourth of our five targets here, the local Yellow-billed Choughs only really appeared once we’d finished our walk, back at the upper cable car station, but then gave point blank views as they even fed out my hand on crumbs of dried nuts (unsalted of course!). 

A comfort break and relaxing restorative drink after the walk were made in the upper station, but this was broken when I heard a Wallcreeper calling twice while outside… Once we all assembled outside, despite waiting patiently, it could not be heard again and we finally decided to take the equally impressive journey back down, scanning the cliffs in hope from the cabin, despite this moving all too fast! 

Picnic at tables in the warm sun with stunning vistas up and into the Fuente Dé cirque was correspondingly late, but a superb finale. Indeed, the whole process was greatly extended when I decided to scan a small area of shaded cliffs within the main arch of the cirque, only to immediately spot a Wallcreeper wing-flicking on a cliff face, though it almost immediately dropped and out of view… Arghhh! A rush to set the scope up for everyone was the start of a long wait which ensued. Thankfully, the conditions meant that the air was remarkably free of heat haze, so when it briefly appeared again, perhaps an hour later, we had a chance...  But it simply disappeared in seconds again, this time sadly for good, leaving us with that tantalising knowledge that they ARE out there this year (despite not a single recent record before our visit), even if only at very inaccessible sites (it was almost exactly 1 km away horizontally when mapped, plus the 500 or more metres above us…!). 

We returned with plenty of time to pack before our final meal in the Posada de El Corcal, plus final bird list where we just exceeded the 230 species mark, a truly excellent number given the relatively cold and late spring. 

A 7 a.m. breakfast meant that we were away in good time to commence the long, but fascinating road back to Madrid on the 18th in glorious weather again. Even that last journey was eventful with stunning views from the top of the Piedrasluengas Pass back across the whole of the cloud free eastern massif of the Picos de Europa and fields dusted with Wild Daffodils as we started back down, while we also passed several fine examples of the famous Romanesque architecture en route plus the stretch through the Ribera del Duero wine area were just further reminders of just how varied Spain is, for both wildlife and culture.  Two of the crew were dropped off directly back at Madrid airport, perfectly on time for their long flight back to the USA, with the remainder at their respective airport hotels, after a wonderfully successful trip taking in as much of this diverse country as possible in just two weeks. 

The tremendous variety of locations, habitats, experiences and birds was strongly reflected in the “bird/moment of the trip” round-up, but perhaps naturally with a trip this length, it’s the more recent experiences which remain fresher in the mind… Indeed, it was only Middle Spotted Woodpecker that got two votes, even if it was a runner-up for others. Down in the Strait, the singing Common Nightingale captured one vote along with the fine Rüppell’s Vulture nearby, with another for the smart Iberian Magpie flocks at various sites in Andalucía and Extremadura, while another abiding memory was the huge numbers of Corn Buntings in the south, even if the collective sightings of European Bee-eaters made a rather more colorful impression! The impressive Spanish imperial Eagles in Extremadura were next. The exquisite Firecrest and elegant Red Kites in the Gredos each snared votes, where the Spanish Ibex were another participant’s top moment. The páramo habitats scored with dapper Western Black-eared Wheatears and the enigmatic Dupont’s Lark experience, with the lovely Iberian Hare rightly edging into the list as well, even if outshone by the male Eurasian Golden Orioles in the Gredos and Duratón Gorge. And last, but certainly not least, were the awesome Bearded Vultures and flashy White-winged Snowfinches of the Picos.

-          John Muddeman

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