JTweedie
Well-known member
I spent the last week in the province of Palencia with Naturetrek on the search for the Iberian Wolf. We were lucky to see them on two of the four days we had out in the field despite some cold and wet weather, and we also saw evidence of wolves in the shape of footprints (on the ridge from which we watched the wolves) and scat (in a field five minutes from our accommodation).
I was delighted to also see a Cantabrian Brown Bear, a Wildcat and a Broom Hare.
In terms of birds, I saw 46 species (the group saw more but I've only counted those I saw), and this included the following lifers: Black Kite, Black Redstart (this has been a bogey bird of mine), Cirl Bunting (I'll probably one day go to Devon to get it on the UK list), Crag Martin, Crested Tit (dipped on this in Abernethy but I mean to get it on to my UK list someday), Iberian Green Woodpecker, Red-billed Chough, Rock Bunting, Rock Sparrow, Serin, Western Yellow Wagtail (subspecies Motacilla flava iberiae).
Other highlights of birds I'd seen before, but many firsts for this year were: Golden Eagle (utterly spectacular sighting of two at no more than 30 metres above my head at dawn, followed by a young bird making an unsuccessful attack on a domestic cat later in the same day), Griffon Vulture (up to 40 at a time), Jay (several seen - best views I've had of a bird that's not common where I live), Red Kite, Yellowhammer. Standing on a ridge at around 1500 metres (higher than Ben Nevis) in a cold wind and seeing Barn Swallows come swooping past is also really cool too. I like to imagine these were birds on their migration south from somewhere near me!
We had also seen scat of various animals including Iberian Wolf, Beech Marten, Pine Marten, Badger, Red Deer, Red Fox, and galls in Pyrenean oaks from a wasp.
I've written a blog with some photos and a complete list of what was seen at: Wolf-watching in Spain
I was delighted to also see a Cantabrian Brown Bear, a Wildcat and a Broom Hare.
In terms of birds, I saw 46 species (the group saw more but I've only counted those I saw), and this included the following lifers: Black Kite, Black Redstart (this has been a bogey bird of mine), Cirl Bunting (I'll probably one day go to Devon to get it on the UK list), Crag Martin, Crested Tit (dipped on this in Abernethy but I mean to get it on to my UK list someday), Iberian Green Woodpecker, Red-billed Chough, Rock Bunting, Rock Sparrow, Serin, Western Yellow Wagtail (subspecies Motacilla flava iberiae).
Other highlights of birds I'd seen before, but many firsts for this year were: Golden Eagle (utterly spectacular sighting of two at no more than 30 metres above my head at dawn, followed by a young bird making an unsuccessful attack on a domestic cat later in the same day), Griffon Vulture (up to 40 at a time), Jay (several seen - best views I've had of a bird that's not common where I live), Red Kite, Yellowhammer. Standing on a ridge at around 1500 metres (higher than Ben Nevis) in a cold wind and seeing Barn Swallows come swooping past is also really cool too. I like to imagine these were birds on their migration south from somewhere near me!
We had also seen scat of various animals including Iberian Wolf, Beech Marten, Pine Marten, Badger, Red Deer, Red Fox, and galls in Pyrenean oaks from a wasp.
I've written a blog with some photos and a complete list of what was seen at: Wolf-watching in Spain
