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Sierra de la Culebra – In search of the elusive Lobo (1 Viewer)

Mike Richardson

Formerly known as Skink1978
23 February, 2013

Very early Saturday morning four bleary-eyed Yorkshire men emerged from a nondescript travel hotel on the edge of Luton airport and slowly made their way towards the terminal building. Beers consumed the previous evening combined with only a couple of hours sleep meant the conversation was limited to a couple of grunts, at least before some caffeine was consumed.

The team comprised of John Sadler, James Spencer and myself, all from East Yorks. We were joined by Leeds based Rob Jackson who, like the rest of us, had made his way down to Luton the previous evening.

Before long we were on an Easyjet flight en route to Madrid airport where we collected our trusty Opel Zafira from Advantage car rental. Little time was wasted as we headed out of the city and made our way to the north-west province of Zamora.

The birding began almost immediately and early trip ticks included plentiful Red Kites, Raven and a lone Griffon Vulture. While swapping drivers at a roadside service station, James called some Calandra Lark in the adjacent cultivated area and more familiar species such as Linnet and White Stork were also noted.

Mid afternoon we arrived at our destination and easily found our accommodation in the tiny village of Villanueva de Valrojo. The basic but comfortable Posada El Tejar is run by Raul and his sister Monica and they both greeted us warmly as we dumped the luggage into our rooms.

Spain doesn’t get any more rural than the broad valleys of the Sierra de la Culebra. The village appeared almost deserted and passing cars on the nearby road were always few and far between. In fact the human population of the area has significantly decreased over the last forty years with many people heading to the cities to find work. This in turn has led to the regeneration of natural vegetation in former agricultural areas and the huge increase in large mammal species such as Roe Deer and Wild Boar. The reason for our visit was directly related to this chain of events.

Once heavily persecuted across Spain, the Iberian Wolf, or Lobo as it’s known locally, was wiped out in all but the most remote areas of the country. At an all time low estimated at 500 individuals, the changes in the countryside combined with enlightened attitudes and increased protection has seen wolf numbers gradually increase to 2,500 - 3,000 individuals, many of these living in the Sierra de la Culebra.

Although still extremely elusive and distrusting of humans (wolves are still hunted, both illegally and by permit), the area still offers the best chance of observing a wild wolf in Europe. Over the past few years a small ecotourism industry has developed with several well known wildlife tour companies offering trips to the region.

Despite site gen being rather successfully kept out of the public domain, an increasing number of people are making independent wolf watching trips to the Sierra de la Culebra. The chance of success is rather low but this didn’t deter our team as we grabbed our optics and set out on our first evening wolf vigil.

The only realistic chance of observing wild Iberian Wolves is from watch points that overlook vast areas of heather clad hillside and conifer plantations. Powerful telescopes are almost as essential as patience. Finding such watch points can be problematic without decent directions.

Perhaps our tiredness impaired our ability to read directions, or maybe they were badly written. Either way we spent an hour or so driving down dirt tracks of varying quality looking for one of the vistas from which a pack of wolves are often seen. We did find a stunning Iberian Grey Shrike and some Red-legged Partridge, along with old wolf scat and paw prints. Eventually we came across some high ground from which it was possible to scan a large area of heath. Opinions were divided as to whether we were in the correct place (further directions later confirmed we were in the wrong area), but eventually we decided to phone friends of John who coincidently were also visiting the area, but staying in ‘the other’ wolf watching hotel located in a different village.

Fortunately they were able to direct us to another watch point situated on a high track running parallel to a railway line. We arrived shortly after to find a good handful of other wolf watchers, including a local guide.

At first I felt rather optimistic, especially now we had plenty of eyes to help search for the wolves, along with a source of recent gen. It turned out the resident pack had not been seen for a week, but had previously before been showing fairly well before dusk and an hour or two after dawn. Less welcoming was the news that the practice of baiting wolves with dead domestic animals has stopped. As a result sightings are far less likely (I should add that this information was received second hand and could not be verified).

Looking at the vast vista before us the enormity of our task became clear. The majority of the area was cloaked in thick heather with belts of conifers providing plenty of hiding places. I guess we had to hope that the wolves crossed one of the firebreaks, tracks or small clearings, most of which were distant.

The temperature dropped well below zero as we scanned the hillside picking up small numbers of Roe Deer which had emerged from the shadows to feed. They were joined by Red Deer including some rather impressive stags, while in the scrub directly behind we added Wren and Dunnock to the bird list.

Despite the amount of people searching there was no sign of our main quarry. Although it was far too early for pessimism, news had filtered through that an earlier independent team of experienced wildlife watchers (including BF’ers Steve Babbs and John Dixon) had just returned to England after spending four days in the area. They had not seen a wolf.

Once the light had gone we returned back to the hotel for a delicious, if not garlicky meal, washed down with a couple of beers (the bar had been restocked following the earlier visit by Steve and John). Tomorrow was another day.
 
24 February

The day started much earlier than was necessary thanks to Monica’s limited knowledge of sunrise times. The high quality of Raul’s coffee was some compensation before we headed to the watch point in subzero temperatures. At this point our car windscreen had mysteriously developed a large crack, starting in the corner of the driver’s side and creeping across almost a third of the glass.

At the watch point we met Simon and Karen (John’s friends) and the group of Spanish watchers. Karen had been busy collecting gen the previous evening and it seemed other wolf hunters in town included a duo of antisocial Scots and an experienced team of Frenchmen. No one had connected with wolf over the last week or so.

The first two hours of daylight were spent carefully scanning distant hillsides without sight or sound of any animal other than deer. Birds were also notable by their absence in the icy morning air. The journey back to Villanueva de Valrojo was more productive with Cirl Bunting, Bullfinch and a stunning male Black Redstart all eventually giving good views.

After a brief breakfast at the hotel we were back in the Zafira heading towards the flat, almost featureless landscapes of the northern Meseta. On the way we stopped at a river crossing where we noted several common waterfowl alongside a couple of Great Egrets. Birds such as Spotless Starling, Dartford Warbler and Crested Lark also provided interest on the drive.

Home to one of the highest densities of Great Bustards in the world, the pseudosteppes of Villafafila also contain a series of shallow, saline lagoons famous for wintering waterfowl. Unfortunately we had missed most of the 30,000 Greylag Geese (which sometimes attract hungry wolves) but a helpful guy at the visitor centre was able to provide gen on some of the other bird species in the area.

Before long we had racked up a decent bird list including Marsh Harrier, Golden Plover and some distant Great Bustard. Better views of the latter were required and it soon became necessary to test the off-road capabilities of our compact people carrier up some very muddy dirt tracks.

Bizarrely we passed a group of hunters on our way to a very large group of Great Bustard which were close enough for semi decent photos to be taken. Two flyover Black-bellied Sandgrouse were lifers for most of the crew, while both Merlin and Peregrine provided some raptor interest. When the track became too tricky to negotiate (at least without gasps of horror from the back seat), it was turn to drive a different route where Water Pipit and Fieldfare provided the highlights. Time was now against us and we decided to head back to the watch point for a dusk vigil.

Apart from Simon and Karen’s now familiar Fiesta the track did not contain any other parked vehicles. The weekend wolf watchers had headed home which was a shame – things were just about to get a little more interesting.
 
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We started scanning the now familiar hillside immediately noting good numbers of deer feeding on the edges of the plantations. The light seemed to be fading fast and our concentration was intense. Suddenly John excitedly remarked that he had two animals in his ‘scope. Two animals that certainly weren’t deer! He now had all our attention.

John managed to get us all on to the two pale shapes weaving through a patch of birch scrub a good distance away. They definitely weren’t deer or boar. Obviously canines, the animals trotted along a track, often partly hidden by thick heather and trees. The excitement in our voices increased as they crossed an open patch of ground and we could clearly see two wolf like profiles before they vanished again into the scrub.

Moments later we found them again on another track heading back up the hill. They were covering ground quickly. It was now possible to study the creatures in more detail and the first thing that stood out was their colour. One was snow white, the other slightly darker. I knew wolves could be pale but pure white? Structure and size looked perfect, but the lead animal had a thin tail. Then there was their behaviour. Would wolves be playfully chasing each other, seemingly without a care in the world?

The penny dropped and I turned to the others who were all intently following the animals through their scopes. ‘I’m sorry, but these are dogs,’ I blurted. It didn’t take much to persuade the rest of the crew, most of whom had reached the same conclusion independently.

But what were dogs doing running through the middle of wolf country? I’ve certainly seen free roaming dogs in the Apennines of central Italy where both bears and wolves live in reasonable numbers. In fact many of them are there to protect sheep from predators. Then of course they may have been feral dogs which are responsible for many livestock deaths in rural Europe.

In the end we concluded that the dogs were possibly heading to a distant vehicle on the other side of the valley. They disappeared from view before we could be sure.

The best of the light was now long gone and we returned to the hotel a little deflated. Dinner comprised of four local dishes including cold prawns mixed with scrambled egg (about as tasty as it sounds!) and a beer or two.

It was then time for a quick night drive to see if we could encounter any nocturnal animals on the local minor roads. We decided against spotlighting and thus greatly reduced our chances of finding something as elusive as a Common Genet or Beech Marten. We did, however, come across Rabbit, Iberian Hare and a rather pale but healthy looking Red Fox before returning to the bar for a nightcap, followed by bed. We had high hopes for the next morning.
 
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We started scanning the now familiar hillside immediately noting good numbers of deer feeding on the edges of the plantations. The light seemed to be fading fast and our concentration was intense. Suddenly John excitedly remarked that he had two animals in his ‘scope. Two animals that certainly weren’t deer! He now had all our attention.

John managed to get us all on to the two pale shapes weaving through a patch of birch scrub a good distance away. They definitely weren’t deer or boar. Obviously canines, the animals trotted along a track, often partly hidden by thick heather and trees. The excitement in our voices increased as they crossed an open patch of ground and we could clearly see two wolf like profiles before they vanished again into the scrub.

Moments later we found them again on another track heading back up the hill. They were covering ground quickly. It was now possible to study the creatures in more detail and the first thing that stood out was their colour. One was snow white, the other slightly darker. I knew wolves could be pale but pure white? Structure and size looked perfect, but the lead animal had a thin tail. Then there was their behaviour. Would wolves be playfully chasing each other, seemingly without a care in the world?

The penny dropped and I turned to the others who were all intently following the animals through their scopes. ‘I’m sorry, but these are dogs,’ I blurted. It didn’t take much to persuade the rest of the crew, most of whom had reached the same conclusion independently.

But what were dogs doing running through the middle of wolf country? I’ve certainly seen free roaming dogs in the Apennines of central Italy where both bears and wolves live in reasonable numbers. In fact many of them are there to protect sheep from predators. Then of course they may have been feral dogs which are often responsible for many livestock deaths in rural Europe.

In the end we concluded that the dogs were possibly heading to a distant vehicle on the other side of the valley. They disappeared from view before we could be sure.

The best of the light was now long gone and we returned to the hotel a little deflated. Dinner comprised of four local dishes including cold prawns mixed with scrambled egg (about as tasty as it sounds!) and a beer or two.

It was then time for a quick night drive to see if we could encounter any nocturnal animals on the local minor roads. We decided against spotlighting and thus greatly reduced our chances of finding something as elusive as a Common Genet or Beech Marten. We did, however, come across Rabbit, Iberian Hare and a rather pale but healthy looking Red Fox before returning to the bar for a nightcap, followed by bed. We had high hopes for the next morning.

Well, that's one disappointment we were spared! There was a cheerful cream lurcher in Villanueva that fits your description and was clearly at best a latchkey dog.

Prawn omelette sounds fine to me, perhaps I am a bit simple.

I am enjoying the report - fascinating to get a second report on the area so soon after our effort.

John
 
A few pics from the trip
 

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A few more

1 View from the watchpoint

2 Wolf scat

3 The team

4 What greeted us on the last morning
 

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25 February

The day didn’t get off to the best of starts when I realised there was no hot water for my morning shower. Psyching myself up I managed a decent wash, more than the rest of the crew managed, but this on reflection, was probably down to my stupidity rather than manliness!

Raul’s coffee did little to slow the onset of hypothermia; neither did the minus 7 degrees outside. At least the crack in the car windscreen had survived another freezing night.

Arriving at the watch point we found the two antisocial Scots already hard at work. They couldn’t even manage a reciprocal ‘good morning’ as we set up our optics. Moments later we were joined by Simon and Karen who had spent the previous evening quizzing the local guide about feral dogs. Amazingly the guide had never seen a dog of any description from our watch point. I found this very strange and I wondered how many wolf watchers in the past have actually ticked dog!

We were obviously talking too much and the Scots climbed into their car and shot off further down the track and out of sight. We knew this was their last morning in Spain after a wolf less week at the watch point. Seems they thought they were better off on their own!

Although it remained cold, the light was fantastic and there was a real feeling of Spring in the air. Crested Tit, Green Woodpecker, Serin and Firecrest all put in an appearance, although most of our attention was focused on the vista before us. With such good light it was possible to scan much further afield and still pick up detail such as the large herd of Red Deer feeding on the far ridge.

Lazily sweeping my ‘scope across the landscape I paused to watch a large group of hinds for a minute or two. Peacefully eating they looked carefree and it was hard to imagine they were sharing the valley with such a ferocious predator.

Suddenly their mood changed. All looking in the same direction, the deer started to gallop downhill. My heart missed a beat as I tried to assess the situation. Earlier I had seen a group of young stags react in a similar way and it turned out they were just letting off steam. This time the whole herd was on edge and they were clearly stressed about something.

I alerted the rest of the crew just before I noticed a Land Rover parked to the far left from where the deer were running from. It now made sense. They were moving away from a hunter’s vehicle!

For some reason I continued to watch the distant hillside where the deer still appeared anxious. Working my way through an area of birch scrub in the middle of the now spaced out herd I came across the unmistakable shape of an Iberian Wolf! I say unmistakable, but at the time (and after the dog saga) I didn’t trust my own eyes. Handing John my ‘scope he confirmed it was a wolf and calmly tried to find it with his own optics. Slight panic erupted through the rest of the group, but my poor directions were little use. The wolf had now disappeared and all I could find were deer!

Amazingly John’s hard work paid off and he found another two Iberian Wolves in the same belt of scrub. This time they were lying in the sun, much like foxes do after a hard nights hunting. Whoops of joy echoed through the group as we all filled our socks with the fantastic view before us. Although incredibly distant, the brilliant light meant we could see every detail of these fantastic creatures. As we watched a third wolf appeared (probably the first animal we found) and the other two got to their feet. A quick stretch and they were gone, hidden by the thick scrub that cloaked the hillside.

After much back slapping we concluded the wolves were now gone for the day. It was breakfast time and our stomachs were rumbling. Just as we were packing up, the Scot’s car appeared from around the corner. The look on their faces was priceless as James wasted little time gripping them off! Of course we were happy to provide directions to the exact spot where the wolves were last seen, but once they made a sarcastic comment about only seeing deer it was time to leave them to it.

A quick stop en route to Villanueva de Valrojo gave us Short-toed Treecreeper and singing Woodlark. Back at the hotel we spotted another sandy coloured Red Fox as it trotted down the hoarfrost covered path which ran alongside the stream.
 
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The day was still young and after a quick breakfast we were heading towards the Portuguese border in search of birds. The drive was punctuated by numerous Red Kites, Common Buzzards and White Storks. A quick stop at a supermarket for supplies and before long we were scanning for raptors at the impressive Almendra Dam - one of Spain’s highest structures. The dam interrupts the course of the River Tormes and forms part of a complex hydroelectric system. It’s also home to many Griffon Vultures.

Although the sun was shining, the temperature was not high enough to bring out any reptiles. Instead we had to make do with Serin, Crag Martin, House Martin and a very distant Yellow-legged Gull. We grilled the vultures trying to pick out something different, although a Sparrowhawk was all we could manage.

Heading further towards Portugal we entered an area of dehesa where we came across several parties of Azure-winged Magpies, together with Jay, Stonechat and a Red Fox. Driving some tracks along the border gave us many more Griffons, Great Spotted Woodpecker and several Stonechats.

After a successful morning at the watch point we decided not to rush back to the Sierra de la Culebra. Instead we savoured the return drive stopping when and where we fancied adding a couple of Bonelli’s Eagles to the rapidly growing trip list. Rob and John also thought they saw a Black Vulture; unfortunately James was unable to stop the car in time for a better look.

Back at our hotel the others rested while I went for a walk along the stream. I had been checking the area since day one for Southern Water Vole and Miller’s Water Shrew without success. This evening was no different. I did find some small, well vegetated ponds that would have been brimming with breeding amphibians several weeks later. The usual Chiffchaff, Grey and White Wagtails were also noted.

Dinner that night was a real treat. Monica served us a feast consisting of assorted steaks, chops and ribs accompanied by a huge plate of chips, salad and bread. All that was missing was a boars head with an apple in its mouth.

After our food it didn’t take much to talk the lads into another night drive. Nearby dirt tracks proved fruitless apart from some Red Deer. I suspect that a spotlight would have been more productive in the open grassland and woodland scrub. Back on the road we managed Tawny Owl and excellent views of a Wild Boar which at least made the drive worthwhile. A beer at the hotel bar ended a fantastic day.
 
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Thanks for the comments everyone.

Steve - I suspect you'll be going back soon (especially when you read the rest of our report). It certainly seems you guys put in the effort but were severely hampered by many factors outside of your control.

John – We didn’t have SLRs with powerful lenses so a decent pic was out of the question. John Sadler did get a record shot of a wolf but it’s just a blob. Our only hope is Karen who took some pics where at least the wolves are recognisable as such. I’ll post as soon as I receive them.
 
Mike's right, we were all so excited that photos were the last thing on our minds, sadly this is the best I could manage, but Karen has some better ones that I'll post later
 

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26 February

Our last full day in the Sierra de la Culebra and things were going well. The shower had hot water and the car windscreen was still intact after yet another night of freezing temperatures. The car thermometer still registered minus 6.5 degrees as we drove the now familiar road through Boya and onto the railway mirador.

As usual Simon and Karen arrived shortly after and we wasted little time setting up our scopes in the breaking dawn. Again the light was fantastic allowing us to pick out details on the distant hillsides. Naturally we paid particular attention to the area of birch scrub where we had seen the wolves previously.

The Red Deer took a while to appear, with many seemingly arriving from over a distant brow. Their mood was relaxed.

Yesterday’s wolves had shown at approximately 0920 so we had plenty time to catch them in their activity window. At around 0800 I started to watch the now sizable deer herd that had gathered and immediately noticed a change in their behaviour. Weirdly the same Land Rover was also present, albeit parked someway off on a dirt track.

Quickly I alerted the rest of our group who diligently started to scan the area for signs of our quarry. It wasn’t long before chief wolf watcher John piped up that he had found some wolves. Directions were given but I failed to get on them before they disappeared behind a rocky outcrop. It appeared most of the others had connected. We scanned the general area for what seemed like hours. John had seen 6 animals purposely walking down the valley and it was only a matter of time before they reappeared on a visible track.

‘I’ve got them’ cried Karen, ‘they’re walking across the large, circular patch!’ Moments later we were transfixed on a distant clearing where 6 Iberian Wolves descended the steep valley in single file. I’m not sure if we were witnessing the wolves patrolling their territory, or simply they were heading home to rest. Either way the views were fantastic! A seventh straggler wolf followed the pack down the hill increasing the trip’s tally to 10 individuals!!!

Ecstatic we watched the wolves cross a second clearing before they vanished into an area of thick heather. Despite us all waiting patiently they never reappeared.
 
Some digiscoped pics by Simon and Karen Spavin
 

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Wonderful to connect. I've see wolf a few times in the big wide spaces of NW China, but it blows me away that they still hang on in western Europe.

Cheers
Mike
 
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