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Message: <blockquote data-quote="john-henry" data-source="post: 908737" data-attributes="member: 15559">Two weeks in Spain… 1st May – 15th May.    (Part 5)11th May…Left Torrejon el Rubio at 7.30 for La Plataforma in the Sierra de Gredos. Driving along the N-110 through the Jerte Valley is one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever done, the scenery was out of this world, the roads were well surfaced and quiet, a definite highlight of the trip for me. Arrived at La Plataforma in early afternoon and spent rest of the day around the car park area trying to photograph Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, Ortolan Bunting and Northern Wheatear, the birds were obliging but disturbance from people proved a big problem and I left without a decent shot of the easiest to get – Rock Bunting! There’s not a great variety of birds here but what you see you see well, Black Kite, Griffon Vulture, Grey and Yellow Wagtails, Stonechat, Water Pipit and Dunnock – has anyone else noted how dark these are compared to British birds. Leaving La Plataforma I went back down the valley to the Puente del Duque and booked into the campsite, sleeping in the car overnight. A quick look around the campsite area gave a few birds, Coal and Crested Tits, Black Redstart, Short-toed Treecreeper, Chaffinch, Carrion Crow and a Tawny Owl heard during the night.12th May…A look around the area opposite the campsite was far more interesting and I should have spent more time here to do it justice, however I was waiting for the sun to rise high enough for another drive up to La Plataforma for another try at Rock Bunting. This was a total waste of time, if I thought it was busy yesterday it was nothing compared to today. I gave it an hour or so and gave up, cars were arriving every few minutes and hardly a bird was seen in the car park, I had forgotten today was Saturday and this is a famous walking area!!After another quick look around Puente del Duque seeing – Pied Flycatchers, Short-toed Treecreepers, Coal and Great Tits, fledged Crested Tits, Rock Buntings, Serin, Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Black Redstarts, Ortolan Bunting, Linnet and Whitethroat I started the long drive to Oliva to pay a surprise visit to my good friends Jules and Amanda Sykes, and hopefully, if they’re not fully booked spend a few days at their guesthouse.A quick look at the Parador de Gredos and Puerto del Pico didn’t produce very much, probably due to the weather turning showery and very windy, Red Kite and Booted Eagle being the best.Arriving at Jules’ place about 9.30 pm to find no-one at home I sat back in the car to await their return. About 45 mins later I saw Jules coming down the road so waiting until he went in then walked up and rang the doorbell, a look of complete surprise was soon replaced by a large grin, a warm handshake and "bleeding hell John it’s good to see you again". After explaining he had to go out again he fixed me up with a room and the keys to the house in case I wanted to go out for something to eat, that’s the sort of man he is.After a shower and a couple of beers I felt almost human again! A little later Jules, Amanda and their two sons returned, after more greetings we spent the next few hours catching up on the last 12 months. I felt a little guilty as Jules had just returned from one of his 8 day tours to Extramadura and must have been really shattered.</blockquote>

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