Spain - Pyrénées & Picos de Europa ........ 2nd to 10th June 2012

Wallcreeper, Montagu’s Harrier, Black Woodpecker, Black-eared Wheatear and Rock Bunting - the Pyrénées offer a great selection of birds and some stunning scenery, all relatively close to home. Butterflies float over alpine flowers in the beautiful valleys and higher up magnificent Lammergeiers soar above the jagged peaks. Our tour is based in Jaca, from where we will explore unbelievably beautiful alpine meadows, valleys and mountains and may also visit the Veral and Aragon river valleys, looking for Booted Eagles, Blue Rock Thrush and Short-toed Lark as well as Sardinian, Orphean & Subalpine Warblers. To the west of the Pyrénées and towering above Spain’s rugged north coast, the Picos de Europa offers magnificent scenery with fauna and flora to match. Raptors soar over the mountain peaks, amongst them Griffon & Egyptian Vultures, Short-toed & Golden Eagles. In the higher zones we can also expect Alpine Chough and Water Pipit and we have a good chance of seeing Wallcreeper, Snowfinch and Alpine Accentor. In the wooded areas we may find Common Redstart & Black Woodpecker, while the valleys are frequented by Wrynecks, Red-backed Shrikes, Black Redstarts and Serins. Amidst all this wonderful birdlife is an outstanding selection of butterflies - their abundance created by meadows vibrant with colourful flowers.

Day 1: After our flight from UK to Bilbao, we will drive to Jaca - a journey of several hours. We’ll make birding stops en route to try and locate a few of the special birds associated with the area. We should also get our first views of the distant mountains with their accompanying high-soaring raptors. As a base, Jaca is ideally located for excursions into the mountains. The local park has its own Scops Owls & Firecrests and Rock Sparrow is known to frequent the ruined walls of the town. Golden Orioles and Nightingales can also be found nearby.
Overnight - Jaca.

Days 2 - 5: Our first excursion will probably be an exploration of the beautiful Hecho Valley, and an opportunity to watch for Lammergeier, Egyptian & Griffon Vultures, Corn Bunting, Crested Lark, Nightingale, Red-backed & Woodchat Shrikes and Rock Bunting. Higher up the valley we shall look for raptors such as Booted & Short-toed Eagles and the elusive Wallcreeper. We will also venture up to the border crossing between France and Spain where jagged peaks are home to Chamois, Alpine Marmot, Golden Eagle, Alpine Chough, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush and Water Pipit amongst many others. A complete change of habitat will be experienced when we journey south from the mountains to the remote villages of Riglos where the red sandstone pinnacles play host to Subalpine Warbler, Serin, Black Redstart, vultures, choughs and Black-eared Wheatear. Another well known venue and great birding site is the famous monastery of the region: San Juan de la Peña, where we will look for Black Woodpecker, Crossbill, Subalpine Warbler, Crested Tit, Citril Finch and Rock Sparrow. Time spent in the river valleys may produce Montagu’s Harrier, Little Ringed Plover, Hoopoe, Bee-eater, Wryneck, Great Reed Warbler and Golden Oriole.
Overnights - Jaca.

Day 6: Today we head west, with stops en route, to our second base at Espinama, located in the wonderfully scenic Picos de Europa.
Overnight - Espinama.

Days 7 & 8: We have two full days of birding in this superb area, giving priority to the high top speciality species. We shall explore a variety of areas and habitats - woods of oak and beech, delightfully scented wildflower meadows and high mountain plateaux – in search of an exciting array of wildlife. The cable car at Fuente Dé allows us easy access to perfect habitat for the often difficult to locate montane species. After leaving the cable car, a fairly comfortable walk amidst spectacular scenery will give us great opportunity to seek out Alpine Accentor, Wallcreeper and Snow Finch. These species generally enjoy a high density in this area, while Red-billed & Alpine Choughs, Northern Wheatear, Black Redstart and Water Pipit are also present in good numbers. In the valleys and hillsides Red-backed Shrikes are fairly common with Wrynecks, Serins and Cirl Buntings as supporting cast. Raptors appear in good numbers, the most numerous being Common Buzzard and Griffon Vulture, however Honey-buzzard, Short-toed, Booted & Golden Eagles and kites are also present. The Picos is also renowned for it’s abundance of butterflies, having a multitude of species, including: Cleopatra, Scarce Swallowtail, Black-veined White, Lesser Spotted, Knapweed & Provencal Fritillaries, Dusky Heath, Chapman’s Green Hairstreak, Chapman’s Ringlet, Berger’s & Mountain Clouded Yellows, Mallow Skipper and Adonis Blue. Overnights - Espinama.

Day 9: After a little local birding we depart for Santander Airport for our return flight to UK.

Tour ref: AA1216

Cost: £1,590
Deposit: £300
Single Room Supplement: £160

Leaders: Bernie Forbes & Neil Glenn

Max. Group: 14 plus 2 Leaders

Includes:
Economy class return flights (UK-Bilbao-UK), accommodation based on twin occupancy, all meals (picnic lunches), ground transportation in Spain and services of leaders.

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