Gredos

THE GREDOS MOUNTAINS (6 days)

A trip to discover the rich and varied habitats and birds of these sierras

Dates: 25-30 May 2009

Cost per person: 1100 Euros (single supp. 120€)

Day 1 : After meeting at Madrid airport at a pre-arranged time (usually around midday) we spend the day making our way to the Gredos Mountains, stopping at various points with chances of seeing various raptors such as Booted Eagle, Spanish Imperial Eagle and Montagu’s Harrier as well as Lesser Kestrel and Chough. Depending on time, we may stop at the small medieval town of Ávila to enjoy the site of hundreds of Common Swifts coming in and out of their nests in the XIIth century city walls. Our final destination will be a small country hotel in one of the villages tucked away in the heart of the Northern slopes of the Gredos, our base for the duration of the trip. The Gredos Mountains, a magnificent range of granitic ridges with several peaks well above 2000 metres, divide the great central plateau of the Iberian Peninsula into the Northern and Southern Mesetas. The two faces of the mountain range are very different which, together with the dramatic changes in altitude within a short range, make for a wide diversity of habitats and wildlife in a relatively limited area.

Days 2-3-4 : We spend these three days exploring the various habitats, birds and wildlife of the area of the gently rolling slopes of the northern side of the mountains where the climate is globally continental, and characterised by small Pyrenean oak woods, Scots pine forests, mountain streams, mountain pastures, heaths and scrubland where Bluethroats, Ortolan and Rock Buntings, Rock Thrushes, Skylarks and many birds of prey breed. We start our first day here with a gentle walk near the Tormes river and its valley where we can expect to see Golden Oriole, Red-rumped Swallow, Cirl Bunting, Melodious Warbler, Red-backed Shrike and the Dipper. In the afternoon we visit a nearby pine forest where we shall look for the Pied Flycatcher, Crossbills, the shy Citril  Finch,  and other forest dwelling species.

On our second day, we take a circular route in the car to visit a number of habitats from high mountain pasture to lowland plains and holm oak woodlands and stopping at a series of "hotspots" for a flavour of these varied landscapes and their characteristic species. We hope to see Rock Bunting, Rock Thrush, Tawny Pipit, Crested Larks, Hoopoes, Subalpine Warblers, Woodchat Shrike, Griffon and Black Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, and many more.
The third day here is spent exploring the higher grounds of the mountains where we will be enchanted by the harsh landscape of huge granitic slabs, boulders and screes covered in fluorescent green lichen, witnesses of the past glacial era. This is the home of an interesting variety of amphibians and reptiles and flora. Healthy populations of Bluethroat and Ortolan Bunting breed here in the low-growing broom scrub, and Yellow Wagtail, Water Pipit, Northern Wheatear, Skylark may be seen in the surrounding subalpine meadows. We will aim to see Dartford Warbler too. We can expect to see Vultures and other raptors fly overhead. The Spanish Ibex lives in these mountains in very large numbers so we shall have a good chance to admire these beautiful animals. The terrain on these upper grounds is a little bit rugged and can be steep and therefore walking on this third day will be more strenuous than on other days. However, the pace will be slow and there will be plenty of time to stop and rest as we go.

Day 5 : The day is spent exploring the southern side of the mountains. In contrast to the northern slopes, typically Mediterranean vegetation grows at the foothills of the southern slopes which are characterised by sheer drops, falling 2000 m in a space of 10 km. They act as a barrier against the cold winds from the north while stopping the moist atlantic winds from the southwest, making for a very particular warm and damp climate. The cluster pine may be found on the higher grounds and evergreen holm oak starts to appear in the valley together with the sweet scented daphne and rockrose. Apart from the typical forest species which can be found in the pine and holm oak forests, Azure-winged Magpies, Bee-eaters, Great-spotted Cuckoos, Red-rumped Swallows, Spanish Sparrow, Southern Grey Shrike, Spanish Imperial Eagle and many other birds frequent this area. At the end of the day we make our way back to our hotel on the northern side of the Gredos.

Day 6 : Our return journey to Madrid will vary according to the birds that remain to be seen. We may hope to add some species such as Black-eared Wheatear or Thekla Lark, among others.  We aim to be at Madrid airport by 14.00 hours.

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