Sierra Morena Trip Day 5 - Little luck with Lynx

Today was my last day in the Sierra Morena, and sadly I haven't managed to see my number one target species. I always knew there would be a lot of luck needed to get a sighting, and conditions were against us again today. There was torrential rain in the morning, so we didn't get going until late morning.

We spent the afternoon driving round likely tracks on two private Fincas, where there are known to be a healthy population of Lynx. The scenery is really spectacular, with rocky crags rising up above dense Cork-oaks and Pine wooded slopes, interspersed with golden grassy glades and pastures. 

Spanish Imperial Eagle - 3rd year bird

The first Finca we visited is the same one on which the Imperial Eagle hide is located - although we were exploring on the slopes on the other side of the estate; a good area for golden Eagles. While I didn't see them today, I did get some great views of one of the young Imperials, which circled round the Landrover a couple of times while we'd stopped to eat lunch. From the coloration, it looks to be a third year bird, just starting to moult into it's adult plumage. We also had several small groups of Griffon Vultures fly overhead, and I was befriended by the resident woolly sheepdog. He looked like he'd met a Lynx or two, judging by his scars!

Red Deer yearling

There are large numbers of Red Deer on the estate, and I really enjoyed getting up close and personal with several groups.We encountered a wide range of different ages on our way around - from does with yearlings, to subordinate young 10 pointers. Seeing some of the really mature dominant stags with 12 points or more is always a bit of a thrill. The Red Deer in the South of Spain are a lot less shaggy-coated than the UK population, so their musculature is much better defined and they tend to look sleeker.

Red Deer Stag

We  passed another large flock of Azure-winged magpies in the woods - this is definitely the area to come to for a good look at these engaging little corvids!  I was also interested to see large numbers of Wood Pigeons; while hardly a rare bird in the UK, you don't see too many in Spain as they are hunted quite extensively. However this Finca is a non-hunting estate - no wonder it's so good for wildlife. We also saw various Thrushes, Redstarts, Black Redstarts and a good number of Ravens.

Little Owl

On our way to the second Finca, we stopped off to look for Little Owls, and I was delighted to spot one lurking on a hollow stump. As many of you will know, they're one of my favourite birds to photograph and I'm always pleased to get them in different surroundings.

Little Owl

No luck with Lynx on the second Finca either, though we stayed out looking until dark. However, we were really surprised to see a fairly large flock of House Martins, plus one Crag Martin at dusk. These are birds that wouldn't normally be seen back in this area until spring is well underway, so they are extremely early. I wonder if the mild winter has lulled them into making an over-early return?

I may not have seen everything I'd hoped to, but it's still been a very enjoyable few days and I think I've come away with some decent shots - particularly of the Crested Tits. Now for a lot of sifting and editing when I get home. Better pick up some nice Spanish cheese on route home to keep Louise happy!