A search for the Iberian Lynx with success for most of us.
Steve and Lynn, Day Fifteen.
 |
| Eurasian Black / Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus). |
We set of early and headed out to the area where we have seen the
Iberian Lynx (lince iberico / Lynx pardina) in the passed, on the way we picked up
Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax),
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and
Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei).
 |
| Fallow Deer (Gamo común / Dama dama). |
 |
| Fallow Deer (Gamo común / Dama dama). |
Once on site we stopped at a fire break where we had good views of passing
Griffon (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) x50+ and Eurasian Black / Cinereous Vulture (
Aegypius monachus) x4, Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki),
European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster),
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala),
Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) x2, Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus) x10,
Black Kite x1,
Woodlark (Totovia / Lullula arborea) as well as
Tree Grayling ( statilinus) and
Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).
 |
| Fallow Deer (Gamo común / Dama dama). |
 |
| Fallow Deer (Gamo común / Dama dama). |
We drove further on towards the main Lynx area adding
Red (Ciervo común / Cervus elaphus) and
Fallow Deer (Gamo común / Dama dama),
Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei),
Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and
Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius).
 |
The shelter.
|
We parked along the track and scanned the slopes as we walked, I was just 50 meters or so behind Steve and Lynn but this was far enough to miss a sighting of three
Lynx (adult female and two youngsters) which Steve saw on the slope above us. We rushed passed this point to the next viewing spot where Lynn got a view as one of the animals leap up a rock face but it soon disappeared before I got there.
 |
Information sign next to the Shelter.
|
For some reason I started to have problems with my eyes which were watering uncontrollably and became very sensitive to the glare off the road surface so I moved under the nearby shelter. Steve and Lynn remained out on the track and I missed another chance at the Lynx which they both had views of up the slope again. Whilst in this area we also recorded
Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and
Crested Tit (Herrerillo Capuchino / Lophophanes cristatus),
Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata),
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and at least three
Iberian Imperial Eagles (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti).
 |
Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) female.
|
After a while we drove down to the Embalse and checked the dam area where we had views of
Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris),
Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis),
Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Hawfinch (Picogordo / Coccotraustes coccotrauetes),
Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) and a couple of Spanish Ibex (Cabra montés / Capra pyrenaica hispanica). |
Farrukh in his normal position.
|
We called it a day after we returned to the car and headed to out accommodation at the La Caracola Hotel nearby where we were made very welcome by Laura and Ramon as well as the superbly well behaved dogs Farrukh, Tango and another little chap who I can't remember the name of.
