Spains wild Zamora province, the home of "Lobo" the Wolf.

Puebla de Sanabria is a small town in the North Eastern area of Zamora province in Spain; it is also one of Zamora's oldest settlements. 

We had been wolf-watching and enjoying this unpopulated and periodically inhospitable area.

The town of Puebla de Sanabria.

We had crossed the border between Spain and Portugal. On the other side of the border in Portugal, we discovered the Park Natural de Montesinho region, which is unspoiled at present. 

 

Last year, we came to see the Lago de Sanabria.

 https://roadrunnersmikelinda.blogspot.fr/2017/01/lago-de-sanabria-y-alrededores-largest.html

This return trip was to visit the two glacial lakes (Laguna de Los Peces) located high above the Lago de Sanabria.
  Due to the severe weather, We had yet to succeed in reaching their heights on that last trip.

We had good views of both glacial lakes once we reached the summit.
 The Laguna de Los Peces is concealed far up in its isolated mountain locality.
Everywhere, the weather was menacing, snow showers storming across the lakes.

The following morning, the weather had changed dramatically, and we found ourselves headed out across the Fuentes Carrionas y Fuente Cobre Natural Park, engulfed in a snowstorm. Reaching Guardo, we encountered the first snowplows.

We followed a constant snaking mountain pass; jaded, we pulled over for our lunch; far below us, a small herd of Red Deer undisturbed, later watching a pair of Foxes arrive in the corner of the stone-walled pasture; they seemed to be enjoying the weak sunshine.

We had hot soup and bread, warming and energising.

Griffon Vultures cruised the higher slopes in the hope of food.

After lunch, we continued, stopping at the roadside in an attempt to photograph the Rock Buntings bustling in the leafless shrubs.

The tapering road twists and turns towards a higher level, offering a superb mountain perspective.

Once again, it was a voyage of discovery in both Portugal and here, Spain. 

Another fabulous visit!

Happy Days!

Watching Wolves in Spain

The sky had started to turn into a beautiful vermillion glow. It was getting late, and it was time to leave our road and rest for the night.
We were in the North of Castilla y León, very close to our destination; this was where we would start our search for the Iberian Wolf.

Rested and ready, the new day unfolded before us; our lesser-travelled road took us through stunning countryside. We pass underneath massive concrete pillars holding Spain's impressive motorway system high above us (business as usual), but down here, it is like a forgotten World, unchanged with time; people still take the time to see who is passing as they toil in their plots, perhaps they worry about the coming change! Like us passing through!

A stone and slate bridge crosses a meandering river, the water level low for the time of year, and there has been no rain for some time. Interestingly, it's March, and we should have expected colder weather, not the 23 degrees plus; maybe everything is changing; it certainly causes conversations with the local people.

High on our vantage point, we can see for miles! With our telescope, we scan the countryside; others do the same a little further along the track.

Beautiful Dartford Warblers perch in the surrounding trees with their brazen song; they are so untroubled in this environment; other than a few of us hoping to see an Iberian Wolf, there is nothing but peace.

Nuthatches seek insects in a small group of trees, already feeding their first broods.
Spring has come early this year.

To better understand the Iberian wolf, we visited the excellent interpretation centre at Robledo, south of Puebla De Sanabria in Zamora province.

Centro Del lobo Ibérico De Castilla y León.

Behind the heather, a Watching Wolf.

What a beautiful creature

Iberian Wolf (Canis lupus signatus)  stands proudly on the hillside.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberian_wolf

Once again, it is time for us to move on. The road from here is the beginning of our journey home. What will tomorrow's travel bring?

The wild Arribes del Duero in Portugal and Spain

We had driven north from Vila Velha de Ródão with its towering cliffs known as the Portas do Ródão, where we had spent the night. The following morning, we drove to Castelo Branco and once again crossed the border into Spain, the sky blue, heat haze disfiguring the road as we passed through the Sierra de Gata, our destination, La Alberca, high in the Sierra de la Peña de Francia, located
70 kilometres south of Salamanca and in the province of Salamanca in Castilla Y Leon.
The road was torturous, but the air relaxed as we passed through the pine forest, gaining height. Eventually, the switchback bends delivered us into La Alberca.  

We awoke early the following morning, refreshed and ready to explore the town. For breakfast, we had an incredible local bread stuffed with Chorizo sausage.

After breakfast, we again set out on another zigzagging road, this one spiralling us ever high towards the summit of Peña de Francia.

The views from the top of Peña de Francia, at 5666 feet, 1727 meters, are far-reaching.

Presumably, this sculptured window is a characterization of Simón Vela and his travels from
Santiago de Compostela via Salamanca to find the Peña de Francia.
It may just be Don Quixote!

Due to its height, the Peña de Francia is home to Alpine Accentors whose breeding grounds are usually above 1800mtrs.

They like barren areas and feed on Insects and seeds. It was undoubtedly bare up there, and their primary food source would have to be insects, as there was barely a blade of grass.

Later in the day, we passed through Ciudad Rodrigo and into the arribes, the local name for the complex of Duero river gorges. Once again, these canyons form the border between Portugal and Spain for close to 120 kilometres, and like the Rio Tajo gorges, they harbour significant populations
of cliff-nesting birds.    

You can see the road we travelled to access the can in the above photograph.

At the river level, we used one of the giant dams to cross the border back into Portugal, so again, you see Portugal on the left and Spain on the right. Swifts, Red Rumped and Barn Swallows hawk over the still water.

Positioned on top of an elevated outcrop, waiting to observe Vultures flying through the gorge, it was a surprise to see this Wren so high!

The Griffon Vultures look Great in the late afternoon sunshine.

They just soared past just below our viewpoint.

Some of them starting to moult.

The following morning, we returned early, just in time to catch a pair of Egyptian Vultures.

As the pair of Egyptian Vultures passed down the gorge, the Griffon Vultures started to launch from their roost.

Some Griffons wait on the rocks for the early morning air to warm before launching off the cliff face.

We made slow progress, following as close as possible to the gorge; we were still in Portugal and Spain, rising up across the water.

At times, the roads and tracks had become so rutted that it was impossible to travel along them, so we had to hike to the canyon.

While walking, we found this lovely Provence Hairstreak butterfly.

Two minutes later, we found a Green Hairstreak.

The end of another great visit!

We would travel North in Castilla y  León from here to search for the elusive.
Iberian Wolf.

Happy Days!

Birdwatching along the Tajo International river in Spain

With the Portuguese hilltop town of Marvão high above us, our road turned left, and we soon passed seamlessly into Spain, heading towards Valencia de Alcántara; shortly after this remote town, we once again turned left, this time a very minor road towards Cedillo. 

 We are now in the International Tajo, no sign of a river or cliffs,
 just the rolling Dehesa and scrub warblers.
We bear right, and the road winds down towards the Tajo River, the international border splitting Spain and Portugal; the river forms the border for some 40 Kilometres. 

Here, the green-clad cliffs are home to Black Storks, Egyptian Vultures, Black and Griffon Vultures, Golden and Bonelli's Eagles, Short-Toed Eagles, Black Kites and Booted Eagles are seen with many other cliff and rock species.
We will follow the river upstream to Alcantara through a wonderfully remote landscape,
full of nature.

Portugal to the right and Spain on the left, the Rio Tajo centre stage.

Black Kites hunt along the green cliffs.

A critical species for our visit was the Blue Rock Thrush.

It was perfect timing, as the male birds sought partners and were very visible as they sang and defended their territories.

Our road continues through small deserted villages towards a tributary of the Tajo, the Rio Salzar.

Black Vulture "What a bird!" is so massive!

Black Stork, what a day!

Unbelievably, the Black Stork and Black Vulture circle together on the thermal.
Just look at the size of the Vulture compared to the Stork.

At this time of year, Short-Toed Eagles are familiar.

A pair of Crag Martins, beautifully camouflaged, take a rest from their nest building.

On the cliff face, we can watch their nest-building progress.

The Emabalse de Alcántara is a vital breeding ground for the Black Stork; during our visit, we were lucky to see two females arriving at the nesting site; the males had already returned.

Reunited on their nest, "Yes, that is a CCTV camera," all the nests here are given maximum protection.

Egyptian Vultures are also nesting close by.

Synchronised flying by a pair of Egyptian Vultures!

Meanwhile, the resident Griffon Vultures looks on.

We find acres of wildflowers and Red Deer above the river.

A hunting Spanish Imperial Eagle.

What a fantastic area to visit.

For us, the road heads North, and we will return!