Oliva Rama Holidays
Aragon : Plains & Pyrenees
June 3rd - 11th 2008 Cost - £990/€1300 (inc flights)
This is a wonderful time to visit the Pyrenees not only for the birds but also the butterflies and flowers, which are in their full glory. The birds at this time are still quite vocal, with most species now feeding young and some having already left the nest. Although the lowland plains will be quite hot it can still be cool, and changable high up in the mountains. The area's to be explored will include the High & Pre Pyrenees, Belchite Plains, Monegros, and the Gallocanta Steppes, looking for:- Crested Coot, Marbled Duck, Collared Pratincole, Great Bittern, Lammergeier, Great & Little Bustard, Pin-tailed & Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Eagle Owl, Black Woodpecker, Red necked Nightjar, Dupont's Lark, Rock Thrush, Penduline Tit, Alpine Accentor, Wallcreeper, and Ortolan Bunting.
June 3rd :- After your local flight into Valencia you will be met by your guide at the airport and taken to our guesthouse in Oliva from where the next morning we will start the holiday. This ensures that any delays in flights etc. will not unduly impeach on the main part of the holiday and will also give us a chance to do some local birdwatching in the hope of finding one of two species unlikely to be seen during the rest of the week, such as Marbled & White headed Duck, Squacco & Night Herons, Savi's & Moustached Warbler. An evening meal at an excellent local restaurant will give us a chance to discuss the week ahead and get to know one another before setting off.
June 4th :- As soon as we have had breakfast and loaded the vehicle we will head north towards Zaragoza, and with the excellent road system this should not take too long. A lunch stop around Blancas should bring our first Griffon Vultures, Red & Black Kites, Rock Sparrows, Thekla & Calandra Larks. A detour to the Gallacanta Lake could produce a few Great Bustards, Marsh Harrier and Hobby. We will then continue to our hotel south of Belchite and after we have checked in and freshened up, we shall search for one of Spain's most rare and elusive species, the Dupont's Lark. We will drive around the tracks until dusk in the hope of hearing their distinctive call, and trying to locate one, whilst also watching out for Pin tailed & Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew, Calandra, Lesser Short toed & Crested Larks.
June 5th :- A pre breakfast visit to El Planeron will giving us another chance of finding a Dupont's Lark should we have been unsuccessful the evening before. Then after breakfast one final look at this unique landscape along with a quick visit to the ruined remenants of the 'old Belchite' a legacy of the civil war, and home to Black Wheatear & Blue Rock Thrush. Leaving here we head north to Huesca with it's ever-changing scenery of the pre-Pyrenees, en-route we should see our first White Storks from the vehicle. Our next stop is the Castillo de Loare, which should give us a good introduction to species such as Griffon & Egyptian Vultures, Red Kite, Woodlark, Garden, Sardinian, Sub-alpine & Melodious Warblers, Short toed Treecreeper, Rock & Cirl Buntings. Finally we continue north to the upper Hecho Valley and our hotel in Hecho Village which will be our base for the next five nights, an ideal location
June 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th :- Over the course of the next four days we will visit Gabardito, the Boca del Infierno, Alastuey, Mallos de Riglos, Berdun Badlands, San Juan de la Pena, Belagua, Candanchu & Astun. Griffon Vultures, Common Buzzards, Red & Black Kites will be everywhere with Egyptian Vulture, Booted & Short toed Eagles in lesser numbers. However the main target species we hope to find during these three days are Lammergeier, Eagle Owl, Black & White backed Woodpecker, Citril Finch, Rock Thrush, Western Orphean Warbler and Ortolan Bunting plus a good chance of encountering Golden Eagle, Hobby, Red backed & Woodchat Shrikes, European Nightjar, Water Pipit, Ring Ouzel, Dartford & Western Bonelli's Warbler, Marsh & Crested Tits, Eurasian Treecreeper, Nuthatch, and Yellowhammer,. Some of these species may require some moderate walking to get to the appropriate areas but we shall try and endeavour to keep this to a minimum and all walks will be taken at a relaxed pace. In addition to the fantastic scenery and birdlife, we shall also concentrate on the butterflies with 30+ species readily available. Mammals seen on past trips include Chamois, Marmot, Fox, Red Squirrel and Beech Martin, as well as the endemic Pyrenean Rock Lizard.
June 10th :- This morning we leave the hotel and drive back south past Huesca to the steppes of Monegros whose breeding birds include Little Bustards, Black-bellied & Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew, Short toed , Lesser Short toed & Calandra Larks, and Tawny Pipit. We will also visit the Laguna de Sarineña one of the breeding strongholds of Great Bittern in Spain, also here we should see Purple Herons, Cattle Egrets, White Storks, Marsh Harriers, Penduline Tits, Great Reed, Eurasian Reed & Cetti's Warblers. We then continue south to last night accommodation south of Belchite.
June 11th : - Our final morning will be spent heading south back to Valencia and if time time allows we shall visit Moro Marsh, which is very close to the airport. This excellent reserve is home to Crested Coots, Marbled Duck, Night & Purple Herons and a great way to complete the holiday. Return flights will be arranged for the afternoon of June 11th.
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Past trip report 2006 Photos Page