Destinations
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Spanish Pyrenees 5 – 12 May 2010
Spring at Berdún
A stunning landscape and a wealth of wildlife make the Spanish Pyrenees attractive in any season. In spring, with vultures soaring, birds singing and flowers in bloom, it’s a wildlife experience difficult to top anywhere in Europe.
Raptors often steal the show. The foothills of the Pyrenees, where we are based, are acknowledged as having Europe’s highest density of birds of prey. Red and black kites feed in the river valleys. Short-toed eagles hover as they search for snakes and lizards; booted eagles are regular too. There are three vulture species: griffons are easily the commonest and increasing, Egyptian vultures are getting scarcer here and everywhere. We are at the heart of Europe’s stronghold for the rare lammergeier.
The scenery is dramatic with the constant backdrop of snow-topped mountains. There are deep gorges that attract griffon vultures, alpine swifts and crag martins. High pastures have gentians and other early alpine flowers, and on lower slopes asphodels and early spider orchids are among the species to be found.
Berdún itself – host to Honeyguide holidays for 20 years – is a charming, fortified village perched on a hilltop in the Pyrenean foothills. Berdún itself has many nightingales, whose evening chorus may be joined by scops owls drawn in by a well pitched whistle. Our base now is Casa Sarasa, where Peter Rich and Melanie Hallam offer a warm welcome. Evening meals are served in Emilio’s small restaurant in the corner of the village square.
The Pyrenees may sound quite strenuous, but our itinerary is actually fairly relaxed. Anyone reasonably fit will have no trouble keeping up.
Berdún (Chris Gibson)
