Spain - Secret Aragon ........ 26th March to 1st April 2012

The Spanish Steppes & the Sierra de Guara

Aragon is a region of dramatic yet panoramic landscapes, highlighted by marvellous sunrises and sunsets. Its mixture of desert and mountain environments is reminiscent of Arizona, wild and perhaps a little desolate, with few roads and not much traffic but an array of superb and rare birds. Amongst the species we will be searching for is the notoriously difficult-to-locate Dupont’s Lark and there is a magnificent supporting cast that includes Lesser Short-toed & Calandra Larks, Pin-tailed & Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Stone-curlew. Birding on the Spanish Steppes can indeed be a great experience!
In contrast, our visit to the Sierra de Guara will provide us with quality bird watching in a beautiful and tranquil mountain chain, where raptors feature highly. Within this wonderful alpine environment are a host of superb bird species, including Lammergeier, Wallcreeper, Alpine Accentor, Snowfinch, and Citril Finch.

Day 1: Flight from UK to Zaragoza, and then within one hour’s drive from the airport we should be birding, checking out a superb valley that is the haunt for numerous raptor species, including Bonelli’s & Golden Eagles. En route to our hotel at Quinto, we will make a stop at El Planeron nature reserve to acquaint ourselves with the habitat and its inhabitants.
Overnight - Quinto.

Day 2: An early start in an attempt to witness the haunting call of the Dupont’s Lark. The stillness and scenery are just magical and the entire experience very atmospheric. Both species of sandgrouse are likely as well as Stone-curlew. After breakfast the day will be spent birding other areas, mainly off road, making an effort to find wintering raptors including Golden Eagle, Merlin and Hen Harrier with the possibility of Little Bustard.
Overnight - Quinto.

Days 3 - 6: Over the next few days we will explore the Sierra de Guara and surrounding countryside at our leisure. Many bird-rich habitats are close by and little time will be spent in the vehicle driving long distances. At this time of year Wallcreeper and Alpine Accentor are often found at much lower altitude taking advantage of the higher temperatures and the availability of their food supply. In the surrounding habitat, we may have a good chance of locating Rock Sparrow, Crag Martin, Blue Rock Thrush, Spectacled Warbler and Black Wheatear. The entire region should be full of raptors with vast numbers of Griffon and occasionally Egyptian Vultures. One of the highlights will be a visit to a vulture feeding station, where it is possible to observe Lammergeiers as well as Griffon Vultures. One evening, we will seek out Eagle Owl, hopefully to hear its evocative call and perhaps see it as it appears from its diurnal roost. We may also find Black Woodpecker, Crested Tit or even Citril Finch and migrants moving through central Spain.
Overnights - Loporzano.

Day 7: We return to Zaragoza Airport for the flight back to the UK.

Tour ref: AA1220

Cost: £1,190
Deposit: £200
Single Room Supplement: £85

Leaders: Bernie Forbes & Shena Maskell

Max. Group: 14 plus 2 Leaders

Includes: Return flights (Stansted-Zaragoza-Stansted), en-suite accommodation based on twin occupancy, meals, transportation in Spain and services of leaders.

Excludes: Travel insurance, drinks and items of a personal nature.