Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking Information121The Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus), themost endangered of the world's 36cat species, stands on the brink ofextinction. Just a century ago, it rangedthroughout over half of the Iberianpeninsula. As recently as 1996 it stilloccurred in nearly a quarter of the region.Today, its range has shrunk dramatically tojust two viable (but isolated) populationswithin Andalucía, and its population isestimated to be fewer than 150 adultindividuals. A number of factors havecombined to decimate the population ofthis delightful cat. First came myxomatosis,which devastated Iberia's Rabbit numbersand deprived the Iberian Lynx of its chiefprey species - 90% of its diet! As if thatwas not enough, a second disease - viralhemorrhagic pneumonia - hit the region'ssurviving Rabbits. Habitat destruction andfragmentation has been a contributingfactor, but worse, Spain's entry into the EUand its astonishingly rapid transformationfrom simple rural economy to a highlydeveloped and urbanised one has seen asurge in road construction andconsequential traffic (and road-kills) thathave wreaked havoc on Lynx communities. In the rugged, dry and rocky hills andmountains of the Sierra Morena some ofthe best preserved Mediterranean forest inthe Iberian peninsula is to be found.Primarily this is open and spacious oakforest, comprised of Holm, Gall and CorkOak, though alder, ash and poplars are tobe found at the margins of rivers, gladesand meadows. In this quiet and relativelyunpopulated region, Spain's wild animalsthrive. As well as Iberian Lynx, Wolves,Otters, Wild Boar, Mouflon and Red Deerare all to be found. These mountains alsohold a large population of Griffon Vultures,as well as good numbers of the rare BlackVulture and Spanish Imperial Eagle.Amongst the oak forest that clads thesehills are grassy glades and secludedvalleys where the Lynx hunt Rabbits, restamongst the rocks, and raise their youngin ancient, hollowed oaks. Here live themajority (perhaps 70% or more) of theworld's remaining Iberian Lynx. Perhapshere, in a refuge from the modern world,the Iberian Lynx has a chance of survival. The remaining 20-30% of the Iberian Lynxpopulation lives in and around the CotoDoñana, a quite different environment offlat grasslands and pine forests where just a few individual oak trees or remnantpatches of Mediterranean oak forest are to be found. This is an area besieged bythe marching tide of Spain's EU-fundedagricultural revolution . and a noose of roads that grows ever tighter as Seville and its suburbs expand. On this tour we will spend all of our timeenjoying the mammals and birds withinthese two, quite different, Iberian Lynxhabitats. Past experience suggests that,on average, Naturetrek groups have beenrewarded with a Lynx sighting for every 30to 40 hours spent within Lynx habitat. Wetherefore have a realistic chance of seeingthis rare animal on this holiday, but wemust look upon a sighting as a bonus toour enjoyment of the other wildlife of theseareas, rather than a sole aim in itself.We begin in El Rocío, a delightful andelegant village that overlooks the lagoon,river and marshlands that lie within theCoto Doñana National Park, one of thefinest wetlands in Europe. With its white-washed buildings (that include amagnificent church) and its unmetalledsandy streets, there is something of theAmerican Wild West about this village! Italso makes a fine base for our 2-night stayin the region, from where we will head outbefore dawn, and again in the afternoon,to ensure that we are in the best places forLynx at the best times of day. Exploringthe mosaic of marshes (probably ratherdry in September), Stone Pine woodland,and open grassland and heathland, weare likely to encounter Red and FallowDeer, Hares and Rabbits, potentially all tobe found on the menu of the Lynx. We willalso enjoy the huge numbers of birds ofprey that pass through the park, togetherwith numerous other migrants, amongstthem storks, herons, waders, ducks, gullsand terns. We will look, too, for some ofthe region's specialities, amongst them Purple Gallinule, Marbled Teal, CrestedCoot, the rare Spanish Imperial Eagle(seven pairs of which breed here) andRed-necked Nightjar.We will then transfer to the hills,completing our holiday with a 3-night stayin the Sierra Morena where we will spendmuch of our time moving between scenicviewpoints. From each one we will be ableto scan vast tracts of Lynx habitat. Unlikein the Coto Doñana, sightings of Lynx andother animals here are often at long range,but the scenery is tremendous, and thebirdlife very rich, with Azure-wingedMagpies and Hawfinches particularlyabundant. Iberian LynxOutline itineraryDay 1Fly Seville and transferto the Coto Doñana. Day 2Coto Doñana.Day 3/5Sierra Morena.Day 6Return Seville; flyLondon.Accommodation A 2-centre holiday using clean andcomfortable village hotels, allrooms with private facilities. Food All included in the price.GradingGrade A. Some easy walks, butmuch of our tour will be spentwatching from viewpoints. Focus The plight of the Iberian Lynx,together with the rich variety ofboth birds and other mammalswhich share its realm. N.B. As well as being bothendangered and elusive, IberianLynx are mainly nocturnal. Anysighting must be considered abonus; it cannot be guaranteed!LeaderDavid Morris, Byron Palacios orJames Lees.Single room supplement£140.Web quick search: ESP08FRANCEPORTUGALTRUJILLOSEVILLESIERRAMORENAMÁLAGAEL ROCÍO,COTO DOÑANAGUADALQUIVIRRIVERMADRIDATLANTICOCEANMEDITERRANEAN SEASPAINSpain - Realm of the Iberian LynxA 6-day holiday to the lesser-known corners of the Coto Doñana and the rugged regions of the Sierra Morena, together the last refuge of the critically endangered Iberian Lynx, and home to a wealth of other mammals and birds.Friday 16th March - Wednesday 21st March Cost: £995Thursday 20th September - Tuesday 25th September Cost: £995Sierra MorenaSpanish Imperial Eagle

It is very difficult to see the Wolf', saidSeñor Mozo. Then, pointing to numerouspoints all over a large map of the area,he added 'he can be anywhere'! Ourchances of a Wolf sighting looked slim, yet,by the time of our first tours in March 2006,Naturetrek staff had paid 14 visits to theregion and had successfully encounteredWolves on all but one of those visits. Wehave been delighted that this success ratehas proved sustainable whilst visiting ingroups, with 95% of our tours to datehaving seen Wolf. We have also seen WildBoar and 16 species of birds of prey. Wolf-watching can, indeed, seem very difficultduring the long hours that need to be put into track down such a notoriously elusiveanimal, but we believe that on this tour youhave as good a chance as any of actuallyseeing a Wolf in Europe!The Cordillera Cantábrica and its outlyingranges hold the vast majority of Spain's2,500 to 3,000 Wolves and are thestronghold of the species in Europe. Thisis a population that has increasedmarkedly since an estimated all-time lowof just 500 individuals in 1970. Thedepopulation of Spain's rural regions, asSpaniards have increasingly migrated intothe cities, has benefitted the Wolf, as hasa changing attitude towards an animal thatwas once viciously persecuted.The particular area in which we have beenwatching Wolves in recent years, and onwhich we focus during this holiday, is aregion of rolling hills and broad valleyswhich affords excellent opportunities toscan wide areas of open land and whichmay easily be accessed via an extensivenetwork of metalled roads and gravelledforest tracks. It is a landscape that is partScotland, part New Forest; a rollingtapestry of conifer plantations, sprawlingoak woodlands, extensive heaths, ancientgrazing meadows enclosed bytumbledown dry stone walls, and dampgrassy hollows marked by elegant poplarstands. Much of the birdlife here is sharedwith such similar habitats in Britain. Birdsof prey are much in evidence, and includeRed Kites, Hen Harriers, Sparrowhawks,Common Buzzards, Kestrels, Merlins andeven the occasional Golden Eagle. Coniferforests are filled with Firecrests, Coal andCrested Tits, Jays and large and noisyflocks of Crossbills. The heaths holdWoodlarks, Stonechats and DartfordWarblers, whilst Ravens honk evocativelyas they pass overhead. Good numbers ofboth Red and Roe Deer (the prey of theWolf!) complete the picture. But, take alook around the traditional granite-builtvillages of the region and the CrestedLarks, Black Redstarts, Southern GreyShrikes, Spotless Starlings, RockSparrows, Serins, Cirl Buntings and RockBuntings soon confirm that you really arein southern Europe ... as, too, do the WildBoar that are common in this region.Looking for Wolves requires a great deal ofpersistence, patience and stealth. It alsorequires a lot of luck . not least with theweather! We will spend much of each day(certainly the first and last three or fourhours) touring the roads and tracksthroughout the hills and stopping forvariable periods at suitable viewpoints inorder to scan for Wolves, and any othermammals and also birds that we mayhappen to see. We may also go out afterdark to listen for Wolves. En route to and from the hills we will detourto a very special area of rolling agriculturalland. Here, low intensity farming ispractised specifically to encourage birdlife,especially the Great Bustard. The areaoffers a bleak yet charming landscape,almost from a bygone age, its undulatingplains stretching in all directions to thehorizon, a mosaic of stubble, plough andset-aside grasslands broken by wildwetlands and traditional old farmingvillages, often of mud construction andeach dominated by a giant church withstatutory Storks' nests adorning eachimposing bell-tower. Lavish antique 'pigeonhouses' and grain silos, both ornatelyfashioned from mud and clay tiles, furthercharacterise the landscape. Here, GreatBustards occur in vast numbers, severalhundred or more generally being easilyobserved within a single visit. We will alsolook for the flocks of Common Cranes andthe thousands of Greylag Geese and otherwaterfowl that winter here, together withMarsh and Hen Harriers, Merlins, Red Kitesand other raptors. Amongst a great manyother species that we will hope to see maybe Little Bustard, Black-bellied Sandgrouseand numerous larks, finches and buntings.So good is this site that it might even merita full day's excursion for anyone wishing fora break from the routine of our dailysearches for Wolves, for, as Señor Mozostressed, 'it is very difficult to see theWolf'. but a lot easier finding Bustards!Wolves & Bustards in Rural SpainA 5-day holiday to a little-known and very rural corner of northern Spain in search of Wolves in the hills, and Common Cranes and Great Bustards on the plains.Friday 21st October - Tuesday 25th October 2011 Cost: £695Friday 23rd December - Tuesday 27th December 2011 Cost: £695Friday 23rd March - Tuesday 27th March 2012 Cost: £695Monday 22nd October - Friday 26th October 2012 Cost: £695Sunday 23rd December - Thursday 27th December 2012 Cost: £695122Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryFRANCEPORTUGALSEVILLEBILBAOCORDILLERA CANT!BRICAVALLADOLIDMADRIDATLANTICOCEANMEDITERRANEANSEASPAINGreat BustardRural SpainWolfWolf country!'Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Valladolíd; transferto the hills.Day 2/4Daily programme ofWolf-tracking, and/orbirdwatching, excursions.Day 5Fly Stansted.Accommodation A simple but clean and comfortablevillage hotel (that doubles as thevillage inn); all rooms haveattached private bathrooms. Food All included in the price.GradingGrade A. Some easy walks, butmost of our Wolf-tracking/watchingis done by patiently scanning frompanoramic viewpoints. Focus Wolves, Great Bustards and otherbirds and mammals.LeaderGerald Broddelez, Byron Palaciosor Dave Pierce.Single room supplement£65.ExtensionAn extension to the Parque NaturalHoces del Rio Duratón for Dupont'sLarks and other steppe species canbe arranged on request.Web quick search: ESP19