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Birds, butterflies and alpine flowers in the stunning Picos de Europa National Park plus whales, dolphins, seabirds and more…a naturalist's dream - and no flights!
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| * | Fantastic diversity of wildlife from the seas to the high mountain tops |
| * | Overseas trip with no flights! |
| * | Great time of year for cetaceans and seabirds |
| * | Spectacular scenery in one of Spain’s most famous National Parks |
| * | Alpine Accentor, Snow Finch, Wallcreeper, Alpine Chough |
| * | Butterflies in wooded valleys and alpine meadows |
| * | Raptors patrolling the mountains with vultures and eagles galore |
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Spanish specialities plus cetaceans and seabirds, all in one holiday. Take the ferry to northern Spain, stay in a hotel for the high altitude birds such as Alpine Accentor, Wallcreeper and Snow Finch and return with a second chance for whales and dolphins. Minibus transport in Spain, with gentle walks and little climbing.
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Dates
| 20-29 July 2011 |
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Prices
| £1495pp (£200 single supp) |
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Leaders
| Julian Sykes and Malcolm O'Reilly |
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Flights
| None! |
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Ferries
| Brittany Ferries
Outbound: Portsmouth-Santander
Inbound: Santander-Plymouth |
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Day 1
| Ferry leaves Portsmouth late morning |
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Day 2
| Arrive Santander and drive to hotel in Picos de Europa |
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Day 3-8
| Birding in the mountains and valleys of the Picos de Europa |
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Day 9
| Transfer back to Santander for our ferry. Rest of day looking out for cetaceans and seabirds in the Bay of Biscay |
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Day 10
| Sailing into the English Channel, arriving in Plymouth in time for train back to Portsmouth for anyone wanting to return there. |
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Weather
| Could be hot, with temperatures ranging from 18 to 30°C, though more pleasant in the mountains. Thunderstorms are a possibility. |
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Walking
| Mostly easy walking on level ground, but some steeper walks of up to two miles on more stony terrain in the mountains. Walking boots essential. |
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Meals
| All included from Lunch on Day 1 to Breakfast on Day 10 |
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Insects
| Mosquitos can be a nuisance in a few places so bring repellant |
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Accom
| Twin and single rooms/cabins ensuite |
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Group
| 12 |
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1
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We meet at the ferry terminal in Portsmouth and will soon be on our way looking out for seabirds as we go. The weather can have a huge effect on what we see today – it can be very quiet with just Gannets for company or there may be dozens of Manx Shearwaters, Great and Arctic Skuas, tiny Storm Petrels and if we are really lucky perhaps even Sabine’s Gull. There is always the chance of Bottlenose or Common Dolphins or even perhaps a Minke Whale. Settle in and relax as we watch it all go by or enjoy coffee in the restaurant or chill out in one of the lounges.
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2
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We wake to find ourselves in the southern half of the Bay of Biscay where more seabirds and cetaceans are possible and with favourable winds this is a good area for Balearic and Cory’s Shearwaters. Further south still we sail over huge canyons and trenches, some over 3000 metres deep, and it is here that we stand our best chance of spotting one of the members of the rare and poorly understood beaked whale family. Cuvier's Beaked and Northern Bottlenose Whales can be encountered here, while Striped and Common Dolphins and Long-finned Pilot Whales are also likely.
Arriving at Santander late morning we’ll head west to our accommodation on the north side of the stunning Picos de Europa, Spain’s first National Park. After time to settle in, a short walk might produce our first Red-backed Shrikes, Black Kites, Griffon Vulture and Short-toed Eagle plus a host of butterflies including Adonis and Short-tailed Blues!
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3-8
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The following five full days will be spent visiting the best sites in the Picos and also down by the coast. Mixed woodlands, with Pyrenean Oak, Beech and Chestnut, hold Great Spotted and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers, Short-toed Treecreeper, Marsh Tit Firecrest and Western Bonelli’s Warbler. Red-backed Shrikes & Sardinian Warblers are found along the field hedges and we’ll amble along the river Cubo, which can be very productive for butterflies such as Provencal and Silver-washed Fritillary, Cleopatra, Marbled & Grizzled Skippers.
One of the highlights will certainly be the day at Fuente De, with great views from the cable car ride to the top of the mountain some 800m higher. Walking in incredible scenery we’ll take the trail towards the Refugio de Aliva, searching and listening for three of the most sought-after montane species in Spain - Alpine Accentor, Snowfinch and Wallcreeper. They are all to be found on the high rock faces and scree slopes here, along with Rufous tailed Rock Thrush, Water Pipits and Alpine Chough, with the possibility of Golden Eagle soaring overhead. The local form of Pyrenean Chamois, known as Rebeco, graze on the fine grasses in the alpine meadows, Snow Voles hide amongst the boulders and in and around the pools we may find Alpine Newt, Common and Midwife Toads. Butterflies at this altitude include the endemic Gavarnie Blue, one of the scarcer species we are likely to find, while Piedmont Ringlet, Berger’s Clouded Yellow and Chalkhill Blue are likely to be seen though most common up at this height is the incredibly adaptable Small Tortoiseshell!
On one day we shall head up into the mountains to the little village of Bulnes – either a steep walk or perhaps we’ll be lazy and take the railway! Amongst spectacular scenery we’ll look out for Chalkhill Blue, Rock Grayling, Large Wall, Blue-spot Hairstreak and Pearly Heath all possible amongst the alpine flowers. and possibly even Wallcreeper. Egyptian Vultures, Short-toed and Booted Eagles plus Alpine Swifts pass overhead and on the slopes we may find Alpine and Red-billed Chough, Black Redstarts, Crag Martins, Cirl and Rock Buntings.
We will also have a day lower down near the coast where we’ll scour the marshes for the first passage waders heading south from their breeding grounds. Black-tailed Godwit, Wood and Green Sandpipers, Little Stint, Greenshank and Whimbrel are all likely while Zitting Cisticola breed here and this spot has turned up some rarities in the past. Cattle and Little Egrets feed in the ditches and fields, Black Kites circle overhead and we’ll check the bush tops for Southern Grey and Red-backed Shrikes. We travel back through beautiful scenery to meet our ferry for the return journey back across the Bay of Biscay. Setting off in the mid-afternoon means we have a chance to scan the waters for Cuvier’s Beaked Whales, Striped and Common Dolphins once again as we cross the deep trenches an hour off-shore then as we enter deep waters later in the day we stand our best chance of finding something bigger such as a Fin or Sperm Whale. There have been real surprises in the past with even Killer Whales turning up here. We’ll stay up on deck scanning for cetaceans, shearwaters or other seabirds and may finish with a wonderful sunset.
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10
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By early morning we’ll find ourselves in the Southwest approaches to the English Channel. Again much depends on the winds but if the sea is calm we’ll be on the look out for Basking Sharks - the second largest shark in the world! Minke Whale, Bottlenose Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are always a possibility and seabirds may be present, including Great Skuas, Fulmars and Gannets. As we near the British coast it is likely to become very quiet before we disembarking during the morning in Plymouth with a train back to Portsmouth arranged for anyone wishing to return there.
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Just some of what we hope to see...
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Griffon Vulture
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Middle Spotted Woodpecker
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Cory's Shearwater
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Cuvier's Beaked Whale
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Egyptian Vulture
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Short-toed Treecreeper
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Great Shearwater
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Long-finned Pilot Whale
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Golden Eagle
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Crested Tit
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Mediterranean Shearwater
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Common Dolphin
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Short-toed Eagle
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Firecrest
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Sooty Shearwater
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Striped Dolphin
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Booted Eagle
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Western Bonelli’s Warbler
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Little Shearwater
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Bottlenose Dolphin
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Alpine Accentor
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Red-backed Shrike
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Sabine’s Gull
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Basking Shark
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Snowfinch
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Water Pipit
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Fin Whale
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Butterflies, Orchids
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Wallcreeper
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Alpine Chough
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Sperm Whale
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Lizards, Newts and more!
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Alpine Swift
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Rock Bunting
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Minke Whale
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Dipper
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"I don’t know how your guides manage it, but every holiday we take has truly memorable mements which will last a lifetime - looking down onto a Wallcreeper only 10 metres away or seeing 2 Cuviers Beaked Whales breaching must take some beating."
Hazel Pickering
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"This was a holiday with so many special moments that makes it very hard to settle on just a few very special moments. Some personal, others shared with the group, or, in the case of the dolphins, with all those on deck watching hundreds of them passing so close to the ship. There was something infectious about the sheer 'joie de vivre' emanating from the dolphins to all of us whooping & cheering as they leapt all around."
"This was a holiday where many in the group were interested in more than birds. We spent time looking at cetaceans, butterflies, lizards, bugs, wildflowers and, for some, high level frogs, newts and tadpoles. I loved the relaxed pace and sense of wonder at the beauty we could all enjoy if we took a little time to stop and share. Speyside holidays, one is never enough. After one is over, the only thing to do is to start planning the next!"
Catriona Vincent
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