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WILD SPAIN

Extremadura & The Pyrenees

Sunday 1st May - Thursday 12th May 2011
(12 days)

Leaders: Simon Harrap and assistant

Group Size Limit: 12

Tour Category: Easy for the most part, occasionally Moderate

Extremadura is without a doubt the best place in the world to see the spectacular Eurasian Black Vulture (Mike Watson)

(Note: This is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)

Extremadura is a classic European birding destination, with a series of exciting specialities and many other interesting birds, as well as a wealth of wild flowers, splendid scenery and some beautiful, largely unspoiled towns that are redolent of ‘Old Spain’. Extremadura, the wildest, least developed and poorest region of Spain, borders on Portugal. A hard climate, with extreme temperatures both in winter and summer, and a poor soil, has until very recently kept agricultural development at a low ebb and the farming population impoverished.

It was from Extremadura that men like Hernando Cortés and Francisco Pizarro set out to make their fortune, or die in the attempt, in a far-off New World that must then have seemed as distant as the moon. When the Conquistadors finally returned to the towns and villages of their birth, covered in blood, glory and gold, they built sumptuous palaces and endowed churches and monasteries with riches, a legacy which is still visible today in the historic and attractive old buildings that are a feature of the region.

This indeed is a part of Spain far from the Mediterranean coast with its concrete beach resorts, an area where the proud, traditional Spanish way of life continues with only limited outside influences.

Nowadays the lonely plains and hills of Extremadura, surely deserving of the epithet ‘Wild Spain’, provide a last great refuge for some of Europe’s most spectacular birds. In recent years its wide open expanses have become famous for their remarkable populations of both Great and Little Bustards, species which have declined drastically over most of their range and which are now very hard to find elsewhere in Western Europe. The arid plains are not just superb for bustards, but also provide a home for Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Stone-curlews and numerous larks.

This is also undoubtedly the best place in Western Europe for raptors, and the density is truly impressive. The star attraction is of course the Spanish Eagle, formerly treated as a subspecies of the Imperial Eagle, but now usually considered as a full species in its own right. Globally threatened, the Spanish Eagle is, for all intents and purposes, endemic to Spain, where the population is slowly recovering from near-extinction in the 1960s and 1970s. All the other eagles found in Western Europe occur here as well and vultures are still quite common; in particular we can expect to see good numbers of the huge Eurasian Black Vulture. In addition, small numbers of Black-shouldered Kites have colonized the region.

As well as bustards, sandgrouse and raptors, Extremadura holds a number of other specialities including Red-necked Nightjar, Thekla Lark, Black Wheatear and the delightful Iberian Azure-winged Magpie (a species now recognized as specifically distinct from its cousins in northeast Asia). As well as these specialities, Extremadura supports a great wealth of more widespread European species, including prehistoric-looking Black Storks and colourful Great Spotted Cuckoos, European Bee-eaters, European Rollers and Eurasian Golden Orioles.

Moving a little to the northeast, we will explore the attractive Sierra de Gredos in search of the endemic Iberian (or Sharpe’s) Green Woodpecker, the white-spotted form of the Bluethroat, Western Bonelli’s Warbler and Citril Finch.

Next we will visit another area of steppes near Zaragoza. Here, in the eerie pre-dawn light, we will listen for the song of Dupont’s Lark and afterwards track down this mysterious lark.

From Zaragoza we will head north once more until we reach the small town of Jaca, nestled in the foothills of the western Pyrenees. This is the Aragon of old, where the numerous ancient fortified villages, castles, monasteries and churches tell of a turbulent past. Here, amidst some of the most magnificent scenery in Europe, we will search for the impressive Lammergeier, Alpine Accentor, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, the interesting Iberian Chiffchaff, Alpine Chough, White-winged Snowfinch and the colourful Wallcreeper.

Birdquest has operated tours to Spain since 1983.

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/guesthouses are of normal Birdquest standard throughout. Road transport is by minibus and roads are good.

Walking: The walking effort is easy almost throughout, but during the Pyrenees extension there are one or two moderate grade hikes.

Climate: Many days at this season are warm, dry and sunny, but it is sometimes cool, wet and overcast, and it can be cold at the highest altitudes.

Bird Photography: Opportunities are quite good.

Linking Birdquests: This tour can be linked with Morocco, or with The Cape Verde Islands, or with Northeast Poland, or with Hungary, Romania & Bulgaria, or with The Caucasus, Turkey & Cyprus in 2011. Please contact us for further information.

Pricing

Pricing is available in £ | $

Tour Price: $3380 Madrid/Madrid. Price includes all transportation, all accommodations, all meals, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.

Single Room Supplement: $462.

Deposit: $440. If booking more than 12 months before departure, the initial deposit is only $220.

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.

Pricing is available in £ | $

The main ridge of Monfrague National Park, viewed here from the castillo, is a veritable raptor highway (Mike Watson)