Spain Summary and Photos

I spent the first week or so of April over in Southern Spain (Andalucia) and had a brilliant time. Spent the first half of my trip with York legend and Blind Mole specialist Paz, and the second half of the trip I bumped into the Next Generation Birders trip led by Oliver Reville who had provided me with a load of gen prior to my trip (thank you Oli). It was great to be able to spend some time with this group of young, and very talented people.

This post is just a brief summary, I'll put together a proper trip report in my usual format after I've finished my Australia trip report, and got back from my rapidly-approaching US trip...

The trip was a recce for Birding Ecotours so as well as looking at the birds/wildlife I was keen to make some useful contacts and check out some good accommodation/food outlets etc. The wildlife on the trip was a huge draw with Iberian Lynx, the worlds rarest feline being the main prize but with many quality birds available, headlined by the impressive Spanish Imperial Eagle it had the potential to be a great trip. Throw in some cool butterflies - e.g. Spanish Festoon and assorted Swallowtails, a range or stunning Orchids, and Blind Mole and a good time was pretty much guaranteed.

Locations visited included the Andujar, Lantejuela, Tarifa, Bonanza, Brazo del Este and Montejaque areas, as well as a few other places in between.

Highlight birds of about 190 species included Spanish Imperial, Golden, Bonelli's, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Black, Egyptian and Griffon Vulture, Great and Little Bustards, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Iberian (Azure-winged) Magpie, Iberian Grey Shrike, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Northern Bald Ibis, Black Wheatear, Marbled and White-headed Ducks, Rock Bunting, Rock Sparrow, Audouin's and Slender-billed Gulls, Bee-eater, Roller, Hoopoe, Woodchat Shrike and Scops-Owl among many others.

Non-avian highlight (in fact the highlight of the whole trip) was two Iberian Lynx - simply stunning and incredibly exciting to see! Lots of butterflies too - including the Spanish Festoon which was a big target for both of us.

Oh, and Paz and I got to go ringing Lesser and Common Kestrels with a couple of bird ringers we got talking to! Awesome time!

All in all it was a great trip, for now some photos.

Iberian Lynx - not my photo, taken by Jeroen Vanheuverswyn

(check out his website here)  

Iberian Lynx - not my photo, taken by Jeroen Vanheuverswyn

(check out his website here)  

Spanish Imperial Eagle

Black Vulture

Andy with male Lesser Kestrel

Male Lesser Kestrel

Male Lesser Kestrel

Montagu's Harrier

Short-toed Eagle

Short-toed Eagle (phone pic)

Woodchat Shrike (phone pic)

Bee-eater

Black Wheatear

Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Phone pic)

Booted Eagle

Booted Eagle

Booted Eagle

Great Bustard (distant phone pic)

Greater Flamingo

Hoopoe

Iberian Grey Shrike

Iberian Yellow Wagtail

Nightingale

Northern Bald Ibis

Rock Bunting

Roller