Northern Spain has a verygreat deal to offer thenaturalist. The dramaticlimestone peaks of the Picos deEuropa in the heart of the CantabrianMountains are justly famous for theirscenery and birds. Less well known, butonly a relatively short distance to thesouth, are the wide open plains of theupper Duero Valley, which offer a strikingscenic contrast to the mountains and somevery different but equally exciting birds.Add to this a sea crossing that providessome of the best seabird and whale-watching possibilities that Europe has tooffer and you have the makings of a verymemorable trip indeed.Our holiday starts with the ferry crossingfrom Portsmouth to Bilbao, a journey whichat this time of year regularly producessightings of an exciting range of whale anddolphin species. The ship is large andstable and provides a good vantage-pointfor scanning the sea ahead for that tell-talefin or that column of spray, as one of theseimpressive creatures surfaces momentarilyand 'blows'. The ship crosses thecontinental shelf during the night and themorning will find us in the southern Bay ofBiscay, a particularly rich feeding groundfor whales. Here we have a chance ofencountering such exciting species as Fin,Sei, Minke, Killer and Pilot Whales andBottlenose, Common, Striped and Risso'sDolphins. Seabirds are very likely to be inevidence too, and at this time of year wehave a good chance of seeing Balearic,Sooty, Cory's and Great Shearwaters, up tofour species of skua, Sabine's Gull, GreyPhalarope and petrels that may eveninclude Wilson's.Once in Bilbao, we will make the shortjourney inland to Espinama in the heart ofthe Picos de Europa mountains. From ourpleasant hotel here we are well positionedto explore the best that this remarkablyunspoilt region has to offer. Amongst thehigh limestone crags and screes, reachedby a short but spectacular journey on theFuente Dé cable car, we will search for arange of high mountain specialists. AlpineChoughs, Water Pipits, Alpine Accentors,Crag Martins and the attractive Chamois areall common here and, with luck, we will findSnowfinch, Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting andeven Wallcreeper. Raptors are aconspicuous feature of the Picos and,amongst the Griffon Vultures which are sooften to be seen cruising effortlessly alongthe skyline, we must keep an eye open forEgyptian Vultures, Golden and Short-toedEagles and Peregrine Falcons.Lower down, in the valleys, we will discovera very different landscape. Here there aremixed woodlands, tumbling streams, flower-filled meadows, orchards and quiet,timeless villages. Amongst them we will lookout for Black and Middle SpottedWoodpeckers, Woodlark, Dipper, Short-toedTreecreeper, Firecrest, Bonelli's Warbler,Red-backed Shrike and Cirl Bunting.Overhead we could see Booted Eagle, RedKite, Honey Buzzard or Goshawk, whilst atour feet the meadows dazzle us with theirflowers and a range of butterflies that mayinclude Scarce Swallowtail, Cleopatra andthe strange Black Satyr. After our time in the Picos we will headsouth-westwards towards Zamora. In thecourse of an easy but remarkablemorning's drive which takes us over acouple of passes and through a series ofpicturesque valleys, we will descend fromhigh mountains onto the wide open rollingvastness of the Duero plains. Ourdestination is a lovely hotel in Zamora.Here, in accordance with European Uniondirectives, a large area of the plains arebeing farmed in a manner sympathetic to arange of sensitive and declining grasslandbird species. The result is one of thelargest concentrations of Great Bustards inthe world, together with good populationsof Little Bustard, Stone Curlew, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Montagu's Harrier,Lesser Kestrel and Calandra Lark. Withluck we will see all of these during our visit.Additionally, to add icing to the cake, thearea has a series of saline lagoons which,provided they have a little water in them atthis, the driest time of the year, will be fullof migrant waders and other waterbirds. After this contrasting feast of scenery andbirds in two rather forgotten parts of Spain,we will have to return to Bilbao, where pastgroups have squeezed in a visit to theGuggenheim. Counting the MediterraneanGulls as we leave the harbour, we can lookforward to more whales, dolphins,shearwaters and skuas as we once againcross the continental shelf out in the Bay of Biscay. Whatever we see, it is likely tobe a fitting finale to a satisfying andmemorable holiday.Picos & Plains - TheBest of Northern SpainA 10-day tour in search of whales, dolphins and seabirds in the Bay of Biscay and the special birds ofthe Picos de Europa mountains and the Zamoran plains.Friday 3rd August - Sunday 12th August Cost: £1,295Outline itineraryDay 1/2Ferry journey fromPortsmouth to Bilbao.Day 3Arrive Bilbao; transfer toEspinama, Picos deEuropa.Day 4Picos de Europa.Day 5/7Zamora, Duero Valleyplains.Day 8 Bilbao.Day 9 Depart Bilbao by ferry.Day 10 Arrive Portsmouth.AccommodationTwin-bedded cabins aboard theferry. Comfortable hotels in Spain;all rooms with private facilities.FoodAll included in the price, except formeals aboard the ferry and eveningmeal in Bilbao.GradingEasy day walks. Grade A/B.FocusBirds and mammals (particularlywhales and dolphins).LeadersPeter Dunn and Byron Palacios.Single room supplement(in Spain)£115.Web quick search: ESP05136Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryFRANCE PORTUGAL SEVILLE BILBAOPICOS SANTANDERDE EUROPA ESPINAMA ZAMORA MADRID ATLANTIC OCEAN MEDITERRANEAN SEA SPAIN Picos de EuropaStriped DolphinBlack-eared Wheatear

Northern Spain, rugged and green, hasa great deal to offer the naturalist.Here, in the Cantabrian Mountains,which extend for about 180 miles from thePyrenees to Galicia, two isolated populationsof European Brown Bear occur. The majority,about 100, live in the wildest, steepest andmost wooded parts of the little-visitedwestern end of the range. Of these, about 20live in the deep valleys, forests andmountains of Somiedo Natural Park, one ofNaturetrek's favourite European retreats, andvery little known. Established in 1988,Somiedo protects almost 30,000 hectares ofsome of the highest and most scenic peaksand valleys of the region, and is regarded asthe best-preserved montane environment inthe Iberian Peninsula. The CantabrianMountains and their outlying ranges alsohold the vast majority of Spain's 2,500 to3,000 Wolves and are the stronghold of thespecies in Europe. This is a population thathas increased markedly since an estimatedall-time low of just 500 individuals in 1970.The depopulation of Spain's rural regions, asSpaniards have increasingly migrated to thecities, has benefitted both the Wolf and theBear, as has a changing attitude towardsthese two species which were once viciouslypersecuted. Our holiday begins with a ferry crossingfrom Portsmouth to Santander over the Bayof Biscay, a journey which at this time ofyear regularly produces sightings of an exciting range of whale and dolphinspecies. The ferry provides a good vantage-point for scanning the sea ahead for tell-talefins or 'blows'. Our ship crosses thecontinental shelf during the night and themorning will find us in the Bay of Biscay,over a deep underwater topography thatcreates a particularly rich feeding groundfor whales. Here we have a chance ofencountering such exciting species as Fin,Sei, Minke and Long-finned Pilot Whales,plus the deep-diving Cuvier's BeakedWhale and a variety of dolphins includingBottlenose, Common, Striped and Risso's.In September it is also sometimes possibleto see migrating Sperm Whales; at this timeof year we also have a good chance ofseeing Balearic, Sooty and Cory'sShearwaters, up to four species of skua,Sabine's Gull, Grey Phalarope and petrelsthat may even include Wilson's. On reaching northern Spain, we'll drive toour hotel in the village of Pola de Somiedo,situated within Somiedo Natural Park, wherewe'll be based for three nights. DuringSeptember, Brown Bears will be feeding onthe seasonal glut of fruits, nuts and otherfood sources in order to fatten up for theirlong winter hibernation. To stand a chanceof seeing a Bear we must put in long hoursof patient scanning from one spot duringthe early mornings and late evenings. Asuccessful Bear quest will also require ahefty dose of luck, not least with theweather! There are Chamois, plus Roe andRed Deers in the park and we'll also enjoy the other wildlife we see from our vantage-points, and during gentle-paced wildlifewalks, as well as during our leisurely andlavish al fresco lunches set amongst thebeautiful Cantabrian scenery. From Somiedo we will drive south to therolling hills of Zamora, where we'll spendthe next three nights. Now our focusswitches to finding another of thesemountains' iconic mammals, the Wolf. Thisis a region 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. Birds of prey are much inevidence and include Red Kite, Hen Harrier,Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Kestrel,Merlin and even the occasional GoldenEagle. Coniferous forests are filled withFirecrests, Coal and Crested Tits, and Jays,while the heaths hold Woodlark, Stonechatand Dartford Warbler. Good numbers ofboth Red and Roe Deers are here too -good news for us, as they form the mainprey for the focus of our visit, the Wolf.Looking for Wolves involves lengthyscanning sessions from strategic vantage-points and requires a great deal ofpersistence, patience and stealth. Havingsaid that, 95% of our Wolf-watching tours inthis area to date have been successful, sowe'll be hoping to maintain this record,before it is time to drive to Santander andenjoy some more cetacean and seabird-watching on the ferry home to Plymouth. Spain's 'Big Three': In Searchof Whales, Wolves & BearsA 10-day holiday in search of whales, dolphins and seabirds in the Bay of Biscay, as well as Bears and Wolves in the Cantabrian Mountains.Tuesday 4th September - Thursday 13th September Cost: £1,295Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationFRANCE PORTUGAL SEVILLE BILBAOSANTANDERZAMORA MADRID MEDITERRANEAN SEA SPAIN CANTABRIAN MOUNTAINSSOMIEDOOutline itineraryDay 1Ferry from Portsmouthto Santander.Day 2Arrive Santander;transfer to Pola deSomiedo.Day 3/4Bear-watching inSomiedo Natural Park.Day 5/7Wolf-watching inZamora.Day 8Transfer to Santander.Day 9 Depart Santander byferry.Day 10Arrive Plymouth; transferPortsmouth.AccommodationTwin-bedded cabins aboard theferry. Comfortable rural hotels inSpain; all rooms have privatefacilities.FoodAll included in the price, except onferry crossings.GradingA/B (easy/moderate).FocusSearching for Brown Bears, Wolves,whales, dolphins, seabirds andother wildlife.LeaderGerald Broddelez.Single room supplement(in Spain)£115.Web quick search: ESP27137Iberian WolvesFin WhaleSomiedo Natural Park