Iberian Lynx & Migration - Spring in Southern Spain

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Highlights

Join husband & wife team, Rachael & Dan Brown, who worked on the new BBC documentary ‘Wild Isles’
Searching for Iberian Lynx in a magnificent landscape
Witnessing the arrival of hundreds and potentially thousands of birds of prey
Exploring the world renowned Donaña National Park
Looking for other migrants from European Bee-eaters to Western Subalpine Warblers, Great Spotted Cuckoos to Spotted Crakes
Take a boat trip into the Strait of Gibraltar to look for Short-finned Pilot Whales, Striped Dolphins and maybe even Sperm Whale
Enjoy views of Wild Boar, Mouflon, Fallow and Red Deer and a varity of bats
Visit a Griffon Vulture colony
Exploring the saltpans for flocks of Collared Pratincole and Greater Flamingo as well as a plethora of other waders
Marvel at the recently reintroduced Northern Bald Ibis colony
Look for a remarkable array of other species from orchids to Ocellated Lizards, Giant Peacock Moths to Praying Mantis.
We can hope to find 20 species of mammal and 170 species of bird.
Stay in comfortable accommodation throughout.

A Booted Eagle arrives on the coast of Southern Spain

Overview

Join Dan and Rachael as they show you the very best of southern Spain in Spring. In late-March /early April we can expect a deluge of migrants birds to be flooding through the hills, valleys and marshes whilst this time of year is also great for encountering Iberian Lynx, one of the rarest mammals on the planet. This tour will have three bases; one focussing on finding and enjoying Iberian Lynx and many other species, a second in the wetlands of Coto Donaña and the final base will be on the Strait of Gibraltar, a prime location for witnessing the arrival of birds.

The hills of the Sierra Modena are home to a plethora of wildlife where Iberian Lynx will be our main target but we hope to enjoy Spanish Imperial and Golden Eagles, Mouflon (wild sheep) and Wild Boar, Otter and Mouse-eared Bats as well as more widely distributed species such as Great Spotted Cuckoo, Hoopoe, Rock Sparrow, Black Wheatear, Cirl Bunting, Western Subalpine Warbler and a variety of reptiles which may include Horseshoe Whipsnake and Lataste’s Viper.

Down in the huge flood plain of Coto Donaña National Park we will be able to walk from our hotel to enjoy the concentrations of birds including White Storks, Glossy Ibis, Collared Pratincole, Spotted Crake, Purple Swamphen, Savi’s Warbler and more.

Along the Strait of Gibraltar we will be in prime position to witness the arrival of hundreds of birds of prey from across the water in Africa. Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Montagu’s and Marsh Harriers, Black Kites and Hobby may all be arriving together with White and Black Storks, Bee-eaters and wagtails. Some of our time will also be spent exploring the forests and mountains around the strait home to Griffon Vultures, Crested Tits, Western Bonelli’s Warblers, giant Lusitanian Sundews, Giant Peacock Moths and even a tiny area of cloudforest, the only place on mainland Europe this is found. We will also visit some remarkable salt pans, home to hundreds of waders, search the huge agricultural area of La Janda where larks, raptors and Egyptian Mongoose can be found.

This tour will be a true wildlife bonanza.

Itinerary

Day 1:

Start in Malaga, meet you leaders, Dan and Rachael, and head north to the Sierra Morena. Four nights in Sierra Morena.

Days 2-4:

Sierra Morena. We will head out each day to search the area for Iberian Lynx, this species’ global stronghold. This stunning region is a wildlife paradise and excellent for Black (Cinereous) Vulture, Spanish Imperial, Golden and Bonelli’s Eagles as well as mammals such as Mouflon, Spanish Ibex, Wild Boar, Otter, Garden Dormice and bats which we may be able to find roosting in the day. The hills abound with birds including Rock Sparrow, Black Wheatear, Red-rumped Swallow, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Hoopoe, Little Owl, Iberian Green Woodpecker and much more. We will visit a variety of locations from where we will scan for Lynx but be ever entertained by other wildlife.

Day 5:

Drive to Donaña National Park stopping for a delicious tapas lunch along the way and spending the afternoon around the national park. Two nights within Donaña National Park.

Day 6:

Whole day exploring Donaña National Park, it’s waterways, forests and plains. For those that wish we will be able to take a pre-breakfast stroll to overlook the local lagoons teeming with Greater Flamingo’s, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbills, Collared Pratincoles, Black-winged Stilts, a plethora of migrant waders, Marsh Harriers and Black Kites and grazed by Red Deer and the stunning local horses.

Day 7:

Drive south towards to the Strait of Gibraltar stopping at a couple of key sites along the way to look for White-headed Duck and Crested Coot. Five nights near Tarifa.

Days 8-11:

From our very comfortable base we will explore the region around the Strait of Gibraltar taking advantage of weather conditions to maximise our enjoyment of raptor migration and wildlife in general in the local area around Tarifa. We should encounter Booted, Short-toed and Bonelli’s Eagles, Griffon Vulture, Black and White Storks, Lesser Kestrel, Montagu’s and Marsh Harriers. We will undertake a boat trip into the Strait to look for Striped Dolphin, Long-finned Pilot Whale and maybe even Sperm Whale as well as Scopoli’s Shearwater and Audouin’s Gull. The huge plains of La Janda are great for larks including Calandra and Crested as well as Montagu’s and Marsh Harriers and Bee-eaters. Egyptian Mongoose can also be found along the canals whilst the saltpans on the coast are home to a superb variety of waders and also a colony of Northern Bald Ibis.

Day 12:

After breakfast we will return to Malaga where this tour concludes mid-morning.

Gallery

Dates and Prices

            Set Departure Dates
            Cost
            Availability
       
            Sat 29th March to Wed 9th April 2025
            £TBC*
            Space available