Last April and May we were fortunate to run a tailor-made trip throughout Spain. We covered emblematic areas, such as Sierra de Gredos, Monfragüe and Doñana National Park, among others. This was, admittedly, a beautiful and fun trip, specially because the scenery looked spectacular after the copious rains in March and April.
We designed this tour for the spring season and customized it upon a few requirements from the participants. Spring is probably the best season to visit Spain, and we focused in all the specialties of the region that would be breeding at the time.
We also included, upon requirement, the visit to some historical sites such as La Alhambra and the Roman ruins of Mérida.
Some of the highlights of this trip in Spain:
The scenery on most of the trip was fantastic. The copious rains before the trip and the good weather through most of our itinerary made for an unforgettable journey. There were blooming flowers everywhere!
- Monfragüe NP and the plains around Trujillo were very productive. It provided us with good views of the Spanish Imperial Eagle. Also, some distant views, but with excellent behavior, of displaying male Great Bustard and Little Bustard.
- Getting to see an Iberian Lynx, one of the most critically endangered cats in the world was certainly another highlight. We had a Bearded Vulture observation the day after.
- Fuente de Piedra was particularly good. There was a record number of Greater Flamingos breeding this year and we even got to see a few Lesser Flamingos!
- The Doñana wetlands were teeming with life. There were good numbers of shorebirds and waterfowl, and had close views of key species like Marbled Teal and White-headed Duck.
- We had brilliant local guides during our cultural visits to Merida, Cordoba and Granada. This added significant value to the tour and the whole experience.
- Last, but not least, we ended on a high note in the Strait of Gibraltar. We got to see some raptor migration, including European Honey-Buzzards and Eurasian Griffons crossing from Africa; and saw great birds like Eurasian Eagle-Owl and Common Quail.
For those interested in knowing more about the itinerary we followed, detailed description of the tour and a full list of species, we have uploaded the Trip Report here. Let us know if you would be interested in a similar trip in the future!