Late Spring is a wonderful time to visit the Plains & Pyrenees of Aragon not only for the resident birds but also migrant breeders and mammals such as Chamois & Alpine Marmot, butterflies will be on the wing and alpine flowers such as orchids and gentians will be in bloom. We visit the incredible lunar landscape of the Belchite Steppes - this is Dupont's Lark country holding the biggest density in Europe. The Pyrenees need no introduction having a reputation for superb scenery and wonderful wildlife of all types. The mountains are stunning and our wonderful accommodation in the Hecho Valley is surrounded by them. It is around here we will be hoping to find many of the speciality species that occur here such as Wallcreeper, Lammergeier, Citril Finch and Black Woodpecker all of which breed in the area. This will be a week of contrasts and every day will produce something new and special.

Day 1:- Fly into Barcelona and head west towards Zaragoza stopping en-route at the Alfas Drylands looking for our first steppe species that inhabit this area. After this short interlude we will finish our journey near Belchite at what is considered to be the best accommodation around here. We will then spend the evening in search for one of Spain's most rare and elusive species, the Dupont's Lark. We will drive around the tracks of the excellent El Planeron reserve listening for their distinctive call, and trying to locate one amongst the mesquite grass. We will also be looking out for Pin tailed & Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew, Calandra, Lesser Short toed & Crested Larks.

Days 3 - 7:- Over the next five days we shall visit nearby valleys, swirls of tumbling Alpine & Red-billed Chough can be seen in a blue sky and parties of Alpine Swifts and Crag Martin join the throng. We're always watching out for raptors and along with Lammergeier and Griffon Vultures, Golden, Booted & Short-toed Eagles may be found hunting for their prey. Herds of Chamois graze high up on the herb rich slopes, where Trumpet Gentian, Elder-flowered & Early Purple Orchids bloom with some early butterflies on the wing. The rocky outcrops and screes amidst these high meadows are home to colourful Rock Bunting and Black Redstart, whilst Alpine Marmots amble amongst the boulders, giving their shrill whistles and looking like shaggy carpets! One day we visit the high alpine pass of Roncal heading for France and once above the fabulous stunted krummholtz tree-line we should find Water Pipits and Ring Ouzel, but we shall be particularly seeking out montane birds such as Alpine Accentor and Citril Finch amongst the scree slopes and delightful alpine meadows. There are extensive forests of beech and pine that have good populations of Black Woodpecker, which announce there presence with their distinctive calls. Here Honey Buzzard and Goshawk breed, Common Crossbill and Western Bonelli's Warbler are found, whilst the tumbling mountain streams have Dipper and Grey Wagtail. Along the Rio Aragon we should find Bee-eater, Hoopoe and Golden Oriole and some of the farmland meadows and arid escarpments have Ortolan Bunting, Rock Sparrow, Tawny Pipit and Woodchat Shrike, whilst in lush areas Nightingale sing from damp scrub and Cetti's Warbler can be heard too. With Black-veined White and Scarce Swallowtail amongst the masses of butterflies on the wing it's a little overwhelming after the sparse alpine meadows! We'll add to that still further with some optional evening excursions that will give us a chance to see Eagle Owl, where European Nightjar hawk in the dusk sky, and there may be Scop's Owl too. Griffon Vultures sail around San Juan de la Peña cliffs - sometimes so close that we can see their eyes checking us out and hear the wind whistling through their enormous flight feathers. Here ancient monasteries peer out from the pines, here Great Spotted Woodpecker, Short-toed Treecreeper, Crested Tit and Firecrest forage, with always the chance of a Black Woodpecker. We may visit Riglos, a tiny white village at the foot of towering red sandstone pillars of rock, where Blue Rock Thrush can be seen. Griffon & Egyptian Vultures nest amidst the rock climbers, while down below the scrubby bushes harbour Subalpine, Dartford & Sardinian Warblers, plus Nightingale song fills the air and Melodious Warbler are possible in the higher bushes.

Day 7:- This morning we leave the hotel and drive back south en-route we shall stop off at the Castillo de Montearagon where we should find Black & Black eared Wheatears, Rock Dove, Spectacled Warbler and Rock Sparrows. We will then continue towards Barcelona visiting the Laguna de Sarinena for some of its breeding reedbed and wetland species such as Purple Heron, Little Bittern, Whiskered Tern, Penduline Tit and Great Reed Warbler. In the afternoon we make our final drive to Catalunya's capital where you will catch your flight back to the UK

What's been said...

I've been on more than a dozen birding trips since 1993 & this certainly was one of the most professional of them. As for the birds,  I think the Wallcreeper was probably the most important bird for all of us and that was fantastic, and of course we did see the Dupont's Lark. I certainly would not have a problem booking with you again, thanks and good luck for the future.

N. Penberthy

This is just to say thank you so much for a fantastic birding trip in the beautiful Pyrenees. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed your being in your company – I only hoped you enjoyed ours. Once again we had a fab time and thanks for teaching us so much, we have come back with bins-a-ready. If you want some feedback on the trip…I loved the Hotel Uson, the hotel and the area around there and would definitely travel back to that area.

M. & S. Prior

Just a note of thanks for a great time last week, we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, I hope you did too: I personally have carried away a lot of great memories, topped of course by the Close Encounter of the Vulture Kind. We know we spend too much time eating and not enough birding, but we learnt a hell of a lot.

G & A Turner

I would like to thank you so much for the wonderful birding holiday to the Pyrenees which I enjoyed so very much. I felt that the holiday was wonderful value for money compared to most bird tour operators and having been on many of these trips in the past I can guarantee that your expertise in spotting and identifying birds is second to none. The friendly atmosphere that you create and the excellent hotels that we stay in, are further proof of an all round idyllic experience. We had wonderful views of some fantastic birds and I will never forget the moment that we all sat and gazed at the Dupont’s Lark from close quarters and whispered a sigh of relief at finding this most elusive bird. I will not hesitate to join you on further trips and to recommend you to my friends who I know will enjoy birding with such a small group and a friendly experienced leader.

J. Beever