Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking Information123Mention the idea of a Spanishholiday and the mind seemsautomatically to fill with images ofvast hotel conurbations, over-crowdedbeaches, phoney flamenco dancers andfake bullfights, which have all long beenserved up to visitors as if they wererepresentative of Spain's authenticnational life. Somehow, our impression ofthe country finds it hard to escape theseholiday-brochure cliches. Yet, ironically,most of this large country remainsunknown to foreigners. Even the Spanishthemselves live largely near its longcoastline, leaving the mountains and highrolling plateaux of the interior undevelopedand sparsely populated.Partly for these reasons, Spain has someof the last true wilderness in westernEurope and is the continent's mostimportant country for birds. It has, forexample, a third of its Red Kites andMontagu's Harriers; half of all its Black,Griffon and Egyptian Vultures;three-quarters of the Booted and Bonelli'sEagles and, not surprisingly, nearly all theworld's Spanish Imperial Eagles. Forgrassland birds it is outstanding, retainingmore Great and Little Bustards thanprobably any other single country inEurasia. Then there are a number ofMediterranean endemics - Red-neckedNightjar, Black Wheatear, MelodiousWarbler, and Spotless Starling to name buta few - of which Spain holds majorpopulations. And finally there are birdsthat have just a toehold in western Europe- Marbled Duck, White-headed Duck,Crested Coot and Purple Gallinule - thatcan only be seen in this exceptionalcountry. This tour aims to find as wide aselection as possible of these many birdsand to experience some of the diversity ofIberia's magnificent scenery.We begin our holiday in the Spanishcapital of Madrid, from where we headsouth-west through rolling hills, olivegroves and Cork Oak woodland to thecentral plateau of Extremadura, where wefind extensive sheep-grazed grasslandsand Cork Oak forests known locally asdehasa. For the next four nights we will bebased near the beautiful medieval town ofTrujillo, an ideal spot from which to explorethe adjacent steppes and the magnificentMonfragüe National Park. Flocks of LesserKestrels and Pallid Swifts wheel aroundTrujillo's beautifully preserved ancientchurches, whilst White Storks peer downfrom their roof-top nests or clatter theirbills to greet a returning mate. Our maingoal, however, will be to witness one of themost exciting bird spectacles in Europe,the breeding display of the Great Bustard.During this, the males - the world'sheaviest flying birds - convertthemselves, by a series of bizarredistortions, into huge white balls offeathers that revolve slowly in an almostmilitary step. While they look stately anddignified, the nearby Little Bustardsperform an awkward, head-throwing actionaccompanied by a comical buzzing sound.The two species are certainly the starattractions of this region, but it offers farmore besides, including many othergrassland specialities such as Quail,Stone Curlew and Black-belliedSandgrouse. In the surrounding Cork Oakdehasawe will look for Hoopoes, Azure-winged Magpies, Great-spotted Cuckoos,Woodchat Shrikes and Short-toedTreecreepers. Overhead we will keep aneye out for 16 species of raptor which,with luck, may include the localised Black-shouldered Kite.For the second part of our tour we head south, past Seville, and on through thecultivated lowlands of Andalucía, over thegreat Guadalquivir River and on to theCoto Doñana National Park, one of thefinest wetlands in Europe. From our basein the small village of El Rocío we willexplore the mosaic of marshes, Stone Pinewoodland, open heathland and sanddunes in search of the park's breedingand migrating birds. Flocks of Whiskeredand Black Terns pick for insects off thewater's surface, whilst Spoonbills, LittleEgrets and the occasional Glossy Ibis feedin the shallows. Reedbeds hold goodnumbers of Little Bitterns and PurpleHerons and we will have our secondopportunity to catch up with some ofsouthern Spain's specialities, in particularPurple Gallinule, Marbled Teal, CrestedCoot and the rare Spanish Imperial Eagle,together with our first chance of Red-necked Nightjar. We will also visit themarshes, saltpans and freshwater lagoonsalong the eastern bank of the GuadalquivirRiver. With a hot and sunny climate thispart of Andalucia is a major fruit growingarea and, while agriculture has intensifiedhere since Spain's inclusion in theEuropean Union, it remains rich in wildlife.Here such Andalucian specialities as therare White-headed Duck and PurpleGallinule can be seen and the Bonanzasaltpans are aptly named and well worth avisit, being a haven for vast numbers of waders and a noted site for the localisedSlender-billed Gull. The sheer numbers ofbirds in the Doñana never ceases toimpress even the most well travellednaturalist, helping to make this localityperhaps the highlight of our Spanish tour.Azure-winged Coto DoñanaMagpieOutline itineraryDay 1 Fly Madrid and transferto Extremadura.Day 2/4Monfragüe/steppes. Day 5/8 El Rocío. Day 9 Fly Seville to London. AccommodationPleasant family-run hotels in Trujillo and El Rocío, all withprivate facilities.FoodIncluded in the price, except fordinners in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.Allow £25.GradingA. A traditional birding tour with limited amounts of easy walking.FocusBirds.LeaderPeter Dunn, David Morris or ByronPalacios.Single room supplement£165.ExtensionsArranged on request, with orwithout car rental. Extra nights inSeville are popular and worthwhile.Web quick search: ESP11FRANCEPORTUGALTRUJILLOSEVILLESANLÚCAR DE BARRAMEDAEL ROCÍOGUADALQUIVIRRIVERMADRIDATLANTICOCEANMEDITERRANEAN SEASPAINSpain's Coto Doñana & ExtremaduraA 9-day birdwatching tour to Spain's southern wetlands and the bird-rich steppes of Extremadura.Tuesday 17th April - Wednesday 25th April Cost: £1,395Sunday 22nd April - Monday 30th April Cost: £1,395

For nearly a thousand years, theCamino de Santiago de Compostelaor 'Way of St. James' has been themost travelled pilgrimage route in Europe.However, rather than being a single route,the Camino is in fact a collection of manypilgrimage routes, all of which converge onthe cathedral of Santiago de Compostela inGalicia, north-west Spain, where traditionhas it that the remains of the apostle St.James are buried. Many of these ancientpathways pass through spectacularlandscapes and scenery, and none aremore enticing for the naturalist than theseries of paths which cross the Pyreneesand then descend through Aragón to link upwith the main pilgrimage route in Navarra. While the northern, French valleys of thePyrenees are wet, green and thicklyforested, the Spanish side of this dividingrange is dry, arid and generally moreMediterranean - home to a very differentvariety of plant and bird species. Thesesunny southern slopes are characterised bystunning limestone erosions, cliffs andcanyons, and a rich variety of scrub, maquisand arable farmland as well as extensivebeech and conifer forests. Our comfortablebase for this 8-day holiday is a delightful'casa rural' situated right on the Camino, inthe pretty hilltop village of Berdún whichenjoys fine views of the Pyrenees,surrounding foothills, and valleys of theVeral and Aragón Rivers. We'll makeleisurely daily walks exploring a combinationof the wildlife and historical highlights (formany isolated and ancient waysidechurches and hermitages may be found)along key Aragonese stretches of theCamino. In addition, we'll make detours offthe beaten track, along ancient footpaths,as we search for birds, plants andbutterflies.We begin this holiday with a flight toZaragoza, exploring the spectacularlimestone gorge, Foz de Lumbier, en routefrom the airport to Berdún. The gorge ishome to such bird species as EgyptianVulture and Spectacled Warbler; butterfliesabound, as well as flowers such as Narrow-leaved Valerian and Pyrenean Saxifrage. Onsubsequent days we'll walk differentstretches of the Camino, one of our firstexcursions being to the Pyrenean pass ofSomport, situated on the French-Spanishborder at 1,640m, from where we'll descendto the village of Villanua at 953 metres,following the Camino along the Rio Aragónas it passes through alpine pastures, woodsand fields. This route offers the chance tosee birds such as Griffon Vulture,Lammergeier, Short-toed Eagle, CragMartin, Alpine Chough and Citril Finch, andwe should also see many butterflies and -in June - such orchids such as EarlyPurple, Elder-flowered, Lesser Butterfly andFragrant, as well as other flowers such asPyrenean Snakeshead Fritillary, PyreneanSquill, Pyrenean Violet and PyreneanScabious.On another day, we will walk the short butpicturesque cabañera or 'drovers' road' toJaca, the first large town medieval pilgrimswould have come to when walking intoSpain. A bustling provincial town, Jaca hasa magnificent Romanesque cathedral, andfor the energetic there's an optional walk tothe summit of the sacred mountain PeñaOroel, where Griffon Vultures breed. Thiswalk also offers a wealth of wild flowers,among them Woodcock Orchid, PyreneanHoneysuckle and Beautiful Flax. We will alsospend a day on another branch of theCamino which enters Spain via the Col dePau and drops to the Roman road down theHecho Valley - one of the most beautifulvalleys in the Pyrenees, where bothLammergeier and Wallcreeper may befound.Taking a detour off the Camino, we willexplore a route that would once have beentaken by medieval pilgrims to see the holyrelics (including the Holy Grail!) at themonastery of St. Juan de la Peña. For thenaturalist, this is a quiet and rewarding spot,where Black Woodpeckers breed in theforest around the monastery and vulturesnest on the south-facing cliffs beneath it. Having explored the higher Pyrenean areas,we will enjoy a couple of walks at loweraltitudes where the drier, moreMediterranean habitats support a verydifferent flora and birdlife. First, we'll walkfrom Hecho into the Veral/Anso Valley,descending along a dramatic path to thespectacular Biniés Gorge. Then, on our finalday, we'll walk from the Ermita de La Virgende La Peña, spectacularly perched at thetop of a cliff, to the fascinating abandonedvillage of Escó (close to the Yesa reservoirwhich attracts fishing Black Kites, andmigrant Ospreys and waders in theautumn); two more walks offering thechance to savour pathways followed for athousand years by a multitude of devoutpilgrims - routes greatly enhanced fortoday's naturalist by the wealth of waysidewildlife and spectacular sceneryencountered along them.JACAZARAGOZABERDÚNLOURDES TOULOUSE ANDORRA BILBAO MADRID ORDESSA NATIONAL PARK FRANCE SPAIN 124Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryOutline itineraryDay 1Fly Zaragoza andtransfer to Berdún.Day 2/7A programme of daywalks along the Caminode Santiago from ourbase in Berdún.Day 8Fly Stansted.AccommodationA characterful 17th centuryAragonese dwelling, situated in adelightfully unspoilt village. Allrooms have private facilities.Food and wineAll included in the price.GradingGrade B. Day walks only, but somemore challenging terrain covered.FocusBirds, plants and butterflies; alsowalking and history.Leader Richard Cash or Philip Thompson.Single room supplement£140.ExtensionsArranged on request.Web quick search: ESP26Spain'sCaminodeSantiago & its Natural History An 8-day holiday of natural history walks along parts of the ancient Camino de Santiago, Europe's bestknown pilgrimage route, combining birds, plants and butterflies with a touch of history.Sunday 22nd April - Sunday 29th April Cost: £1,295 Sunday 9th September - Sunday 16th September Cost: £1,295 Short-toed EagleScarce CopperWalking along the Camino, Taxeras