Day 1.
Once the minibus is loaded in Bilbao, we set off to Picos de Europa making a stop in route at Santoña marshes. The weather is wonderful, sunny spell and warm temperatures. Soon we spot the first birds: Common Buzzards, Black Kites, Yellow-legged Gulls and Spotless Starlings.
From the hide in Santoña, we overlook a wide area of mud flats where we find Common and Spotted Redshank, Whimbrel, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper. Pau spots a group of “shadows” coming above the hide and runs to the entrance of the hide to watch a group of 6 Spoonbills. Peter and Roger find Dunlins and Turnstones in a spit of land. Then, we buy some food in a local supermarket for lunch and drive for a bit more than 2.5 h to our hotel in Boca. After check-in in the hotel we take a stroll in the surroundings finding our first butterflies: Comma Butterfly, Gatekeeper, Clouded yellow, Lang’s Short-tailed Blue, Long-Tailed Blue and Specked Wood.
At 7:00 p.m. we set off to our first Wildcat search! It’s still hot and there are people walking along the roads, which do not help much. Then, suddenly in the middle of a field surrounded by poplar trees there is a gorgeous male Wildcat! The edge of the road is too narrow to pull over the van, so we have to drive few hundred meters to turn around to pull over on the other side of the road. We witness the gorgeous cat for few minutes until it grabs a rodent and runs away to the forest to eat it. Not bad.....it is our first day and one of our main targets is down!
Day 2.
After some coffee and cake we leave the hotel at 6:15 a.m. to our first Iberian Wolf stakeout. It takes 1 h drive in 4x4 vehicles to reach an impressive watch point near 2000 m.a.s.l. Then, we walk 15 minutes and carefully position the telescopes among the brooms. Ten minutes later, our local guide says “there is a young wolf in the left side of the meadow”! We quickly focus our scopes in this top predator! We keep watching it for few minutes before it hides again in the scrubland. Fantastic! While we wait for it to show up again, Pau goes with Roger to the car to get some food and on the way back they spot a Bluethroat.
As the morning goes, we see lots of Dunnocks, Water Pipits, Linnets and Crag Martins. Around 10:30 a female Wolf shows up with two youngsters who beg her for food. A quick but a wonderful sighting! After this, we go back to the hotel to have a late breakfast. A short walk in the surroundings reveals a Stick Insect, Grey Wagtail, Griffon Vultures, Black kites and butterflies such as Scarce Cooper, Meadow Brown and a Dark Green Fritillary licking nectar from a water mint. Next, we go back to the hotel for lunch and rest.
We meet again at 6:00 p.m. and head off East to an area of moorland where we see a male and a female Hen Harrier, a Pied Flycatcher and a Common Stonechat. Twenty minutes later, we are driven by 4x4 to the top of the hill to our second wolf stakeout. The views are really amazing, huge hills covered by forest, and valleys with small villages for miles and miles. This time we are unsuccessful with Wolves but we see three young Chamois licking minerals from a track which was used for mining. In addition, we get a distant view of a Wildcat in the same spot than the previous day.
Day 3.
We spend the day in Fuente Dé looking mainly for alpine wildlife. We set off at 8:10 and stop for few minutes in San Glorio. There we see Black Cap, Yellowhammer, Rock Bunting and fast flying Bonelli’s Warbler.
Everyone enjoys the views from the longest single span cable in Europe. Once we start walking, we all get superb close views of Alpine accentors. A lifer for Peter! We spot different butterflies including Southern Brown Argus, and Chalk-hill Blues which keep landing in the arm of Jan! The last months have been surprisingly dry, so there are not many alpine flowers blooming. However, we find the pretty Arenaria Montana, Campanula arvatica, Merendera Montana and Helianthemum oleandicum subsp piloselloides.
We carry on along the path seeing a flock of 100+ Red-billed Chough. We can hear Yellow-billed Chough but are out of view. Black Redstarts and Northern Wheatears are frequently seen. Pau hears a couple of fast flying Snowfinches which are very difficult to follow. Later we get to the spot for Wallcreepers and wait for them while we have lunch. Pau spots one in a big rock but sadly is out of view for the group. We relocate it later but it hides again. Meanwhile, a confident pair of Yellow-billed Choughs comes close to us, looking for something eatable in our bags. The landscape is dramatic, huge walls with steep moraine going down. It is like being in a setting of the film “The Lord of the Rings”. We decide to walk back to the bar of the cable car to have some cool drinks. Suddenly, Pau finds the gorgeous male Wallcreeper who plays hide-and-seek with us. After 15 minutes waiting it reapers and everyone enjoy it! Success! On the ridge a group of Chamois keep an eye on us. On the way back, we take a diversion to see other wildlife. It proves to be a good idea as we find a good numbers of Alpine Newts, Water Beetles and Moorland Hawkers.
After some drinks in the bar we return to the car park and drive to the hotel seeing a Red Squirrel crossing the road in front us. What a coincidence! Peter was saying he would like to see one. We make a last stop to look for Dippers in the Deva River and Peter finds one dipping in the water. While everyone is enjoying it, Pau calls “there is a snake eating a trout”! And there it is, a Viperine Snake grabbing a small Brown Trout and trying to swallow it. What a day!
Day 4.
After a quick coffee and a cake at 6:00 a.m., we leave to a new location for Wolves. During the ride we are driven across a wonderful beech forest. Once we get out the car, we hike for 20 minutes through a steep but even path to reach the top of the hill. Half way to the summit, a European Nightjar flies off. We spent the morning watching Chamois, Tree Pipits and a family of 10+Wild Boars rooting the forest.
Around 10:30 a.m., we take up the scopes and drive back to the hotel for a late breakfast. After it, we set off to a near area with a rich variety of butterflies. The blooming heath attracts many butterflies, including: High Brown Fritillary, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Dark Green Fritillary, Southern Brown Argus, Chalk-hill Blue and Common Blue. Peter and Roger stay behind watching Pied Flycatchers and the stunning Camberwell Beauty butterfly.
We have lunch and a nap before meeting again at 5:30 p.m. for our last stakeout. As Pau and Peter wait for the rest of the group, an Egyptian Vulture comes all the way from the valley. Once everyone is on board, we set off to the same place we saw the Iberian wolves the first day. Sadly, the pack has moved. However, we get a group of 14 Chamois feeding in the high slopes, 3 magnificent Reed Deer stags and a solitary Wild Boar.
Day 5.
Today we start at 8:00 a.m. to look for Wildcat. It seems that this summer is drier than it should and that is affecting the rodents’ population, and therefore the Wildcat. Along the wires and posts we count over 20 Common Buzzards and White Wagtails. In the orchards near a village we had our first Whinchat, Chaffinch and Serins. Before 10:00 a.m. we have breakfast and following we set off to Somiedo Natural Park for the second part of the trip. On the way, Pau has to pull over up to three times because of the number of raptors!! In the first stop, we get Booted Eagles and Griffon Vultures soaring over the hills. Besides, a Red-rumped Swallow in a group of Common Swallow is picked by Pau. Robin, Pau and Jan find a Silver-washed Fritillary.
Twenty minutes later, we make a second stop near Los Barrios where we get fantastic views of 3 Honey Buzzards, each one with a different pattern. Once we get to the valley of Babia, Pau has to pull over again as there is few raptors soaring above the ridges. They turn to be 2 Egyptian Vultures, a Booted Eagle, Griffon Vultures and a distant Short-toed Eagle. What a spot! With no more time for another stop we get to our hotel in Pola de Somiedo.
We meet again in the evening at 5:30 p.m. for our first Cantabrian Brown Bear stakeout. The total population of this threatened mammal is about 250 bears spread along the Cantabrian Mountains. In Somiedo is found the main population, the Oriental, with approximated 200 bears.
The last sightings are from La Peral where two young siblings have been seen the day before, so there we go. From the watch point we see Water Pipits, Stonechat and White Wagtail catching insects from the dung. The temperature is high considering the altitude and that is September. This unusual heat wave might affect the behaviour of this incredible mammal which would spend most of day asleep in the shade. It is getting dark and is difficult to scan through the scopes. Before it gets completely dark, some of the locals find a bear and we quickly have full view of the young bear with its distinctive white collar. Success!
Day 6.
We meet at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast and half an hour latter we are on our way to La Peral. As we drive, we stop to point out a male Roe Deer in the middle of the meadows.
Once we get to the viewpoint, we scan the slopes in search of bears. The temperature is warm and there is no sight of bears. Around 10:30 a.m., we move to the mountain pass to walk the surroundings of El Puerto. There, we find hundreds of House Martins which are congregated in few buildings, ready to migrate. After 15 minutes walk, we bump into a very productive field of alfalfa with numerous butterflies: Cleopatra, Clouded Yellow, Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Green-veined White, Long-tailed Blue and Sothern Brown Argus. Regarding birds, Whinchats are all over the place! In addition, we see Northern Wheatear, Ravens and a Yellow Wagtail (Spanish race) which Jan enjoys! On the afternoon, we drive to Perlunes to witness the magnificent landscape and rock formation. There we find our first Marbled White, Chalk-hill Blue and a Short-toed Eagle. From a view point we get fantastic views of Griffon’s.
Day 7.
After an unsuccessful morning searching for bears in the usual place, we take a stroll around the Mediterranean forest of Castro, a small but interesting patch of forest surrounded by Atlantic forest. There we see Blackcaps, Crag Martins, Firecrest, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Marsh Tit.
In the sunny clears of the forest we get Adoni’s Blue, Cleopatra, Southern Brown Argus, Turquoise Blue, Silver-washed Fritillary, Gatekeeper, Great Banded Grayling and an Iberian Wall Lizard.
We meet again at 5:30 p.m. for a walk around Pineda. This tiny village surrounded by orchards and forest is an excellent place for finding bear tracks. On the side of the road, we find a patch of soil and rocks dig up by bears and also cherries trees with broken branches 3.5 meters high. It is unbelievable how agile bears might be! Along the path we spot a Wren, an Iberian Green Woodpecker calling and Pau finds an endemic Schreiber's Green Lizard.
Then, we drive up to Gúa for our last evening stakeout before enjoying our last dinner.
Day 8.
Today is our last day, so we have a long drive back to Bilbao airport but before that, Peter, Jan, Alan, Robin and Pau have an early breakfast to be in La Peral at 8:00 a.m. This last stakeout proves to be fruitful with a young brown bear spotted by Peter and seeing for everyone, and a beautiful Red Fox playing in the meadows. We meet Peter and Roger at the hotel’s bar for a coffee and we set off to the airport. We stop on the way for lunch in a petrol station seeing Brimstone butterfly, a chirping Firecrest and a Common Buzzard.
The trip comes to an end with fantastic memories of seeing our three main targets and other magic moments. Many thanks to the guests for making this trip so enjoyable!
Please, find more information about the trip in the following link
tour description
Mammals
European Rabbit
Red Squirrel
Iberian Wolf
Red Fox
Brown Bear
Eurasian Wild Cat
Wild Boar
Reed Deer
Roe Deer
Southern Chamois
Birds
Great Cormorant
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Cattle Egret
Mallard
European Honey Buzzard
Black Kite
Egyptian Vulture
Eurasian Griffon
Short-toed Eagle
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Eurasian Buzzard
Booted Eagle
Hen Harrier
Eurasian Kestrel
Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Whimbrel
Common Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Western Yellow-legged Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Sandwich Tern
Feral Pigeon
Common Wood Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
European Nightjar
Tawny Owl (heard)
Great Spott. Woodpecker (heard)
Iberi. Green Woodpecker (heard)
Eurasian Crag Martin
Eurasian Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
House Martin
White Wagtail
Spanish Yellow Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Bluethroat
Tree Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Water Pipit
Firecrest
Spotted Flycatcher (heard)
Pied Flycatcher
White-throated Dipper
Eurasian Wren
Alpine Accentor
Dunnock
Blue Rock-thrush
Eurasian Blackbird
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Western Bonelli’s Warbler
Willow warbler
Blackcap
Great Whitethroat
Dartford Warbler
European Robin
Black Redstart
Common Stonechat
Whinchat
Northern Wheatear
Long-tailed Tit
Marsh Tit
Coal Tit
Crested Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wallcreeper
Short-toed Treecreeper (heard)
Red-backed Shrike
Eurasian Jay
Eurasian Magpie
Red-billed Chough
Yellow-billed Chough
Carrion Crow
Common Raven
Spotless Starling
House Sparrow
White-winged Snowfinch
Chaffinch
European Greenfinch (heard)
European Goldfinch
Eurasian Linnet
Common Crossbill
European Serin
Yellowhammer
Rock Bunting
Reptiles and amphibians
Schreiber's Green Lizard
Viperine Snake
Iberian Wall Lizard
Large Psammodromus
Iberian Water Frog
Butterflies
Painted Lady
Marbled White
Long-tailed Blue
Comma Butterfly
Gatekeeper
Clouded Yellow
Lang’s short-tailed blue
Long-tailed Blue
Specked Wood
Adoni’s Blue
Turquoise Blue
Cleopatra
Gatekeeper
Large Wall Brown
Small Heath
Large White
Small White
High Brown Fritillary
Southern Brown Argus
Chalk-hill Blue
Scarce Cooper
Meadow Brown
Dark Green Fritillary
Queen of Spain Fritillary
Silver-washed Fritillary
Green-veined White
Painted Lady
Camberwell Beauty
Small Tortoiseshell
Stooty Cooper
Great Banded Grayling
Other insects
Hummingbird Hawkmoth
Blue-winged Grasshopper
Red-winged Grasshopper
Pond Skater
Water Beetle
Stick Insect
Small Pincertail Dragonfly
Moorland Hawker
Cicada (heard)