SPAIN Pyrenees 16–23 June 2009 Leader: Bob Buckler

This tour will search out some of Europe's most beautiful (Wallcreeper), elusive (Dupont's Lark) and spectacular (Lammergeier) birds. The scenery will be equally as diverse, from the rugged snow-capped mountains of the Pyrenees to the stony semi-deserts of the steppes.

Day 1 Flight from a London airport to Bilbao followed by a four-hour drive to our base for the next seven nights, Jaca, in the foothills of the Spanish Pyrenees. Jaca is in an ideal central position to explore the many exciting valleys and steep wooded hillsides of the Pyrenees and also the many lower altitude sites. We may have time for an early-evening stroll to take in the ambience of our temporary home.

Day 2 As we arrived quite late yesterday afternoon we will not be going out at the crack of dawn today! Nevertheless, after breakfast we will explore the local area, taking a packed lunch with us. Within a very short distance are a number of superb sites for the special birds of the Pyrenees. Raptors are a particular feature of this mountain range and we should see good numbers of Eurasian Griffon Vultures in the most spectacular of scenery. The real prize, however, is Lammergeier. Although not a common bird, it is now increasing in numbers and we should have excellent views of several of these magnificent raptors. Red-billed and Yellow-billed Choughs patrol the cliff faces and can sometimes be found feeding in the alpine meadows which, at this time of year, abound with wild flowers. As this will be a relaxed day, which we will use to introduce ourselves to the mountains, we will take a leisurely lunch break by a stream where we may see Grey Wagtail and White-throated Dipper. The afternoon will be spent searching for several more specialities including Black Redstart, Rock Bunting and Citril Finch.

Days 3–7 These days will be spent further exploring the nearby high mountain slopes and passes of Hecho, Anso and Astun. We will look for Crested Tit, Firecrest and Black Woodpecker in the conifer forests whilst at the head of each valley we may find Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush, Alpine Accentor, Water Pipit and Snow Finch especially where the snow has recently melted. We must also keep our eyes open for more raptors as Golden Eagle and Peregrine Falcon patrol the peaks while Northern Goshawk can sometimes be seen over the conifer forests. We will also make a special effort to see Wallcreeper, but there is an awful lot of cliff face and there are very few birds! The lower slopes support deciduous forests and the avifauna is totally different. Species we will look for here include Black and Red Kites, Common Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Eurasian Wryneck, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Short-toed Treecreeper, Iberian Chiffchaff and Western Bonelli's Warbler.

Excursions into the Spanish interior will include trips to Riglos featuring the very impressive pinnacles called 'Los Mallos de Riglos' where we can expect to find Eurasian Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, Eurasian Crag-martin, Alpine Swift, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Rock Sparrow, Peregrine and Lammergeier. A visit to San Juan de la Pena with its incredible scenery and, of course, incredible birds is a must for this tour. Here we may see lots of raptors but other attractions include Black Woodpecker, Rock Sparrow, Rock Bunting, Western Bonelli's Warbler and Citril Finch. Also, we will make a very early start and visit the stony plains around Zaragosa for more specialised species. This is one area known for holding Dupont’s Lark and well as Little Bustard, Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Black Wheatear, Lesser Short-toed Lark and Spectacled Warbler.

Day 8 Today we must sadly say goodbye to the Pyrenees and spend the morning driving back to Bilbao to catch the return flight to London.

General Information Although this tour will proceed at relaxed pace, some long days will be spent in the field. A reasonable degree of fitness is required for daily walks of up to about five miles, sometimes at altitude. The climatic conditions can vary enormously from below freezing at the snowline to 30 degrees Celsius in the Plains of Zaragosa, and appropriate clothing is required. There are no special medical requirements. Photographic opportunities will abound.

Group Size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 7; maximum group size: 14 with 2 leaders.

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