End of year visit to the Réserve Ornithologique du Teich.

As we have said, this is a great place to spend time. Despite the morning fog, we set off for a day of birdwatching.

http://www.reserve-ornithologique-du-teich.com

Grey Heron, demonstrating its agility in the low morning light.

Lovely shimmering light on this statuesque Little Egret.

Sometimes, it is better to take a broader photograph rather than compressing a subject. I just love the way this Kingfisher mirrors the winter hue.

Another very fast-moving and brightly coloured bird is a Northern Shoveller.

A Great White Egret finds itself a lunch!

Unfortunately, a lone juvenile Ruff makes a fleeting visit just as I bite into a sandwich!

(Common) Snipe, enjoying the afternoon sunshine.

This Little Egret is treading the mud to raise critters.

A male Pintail Duck watches over the sleeping female.

Dunlin and Grey plovers return to the park, and the tide has reached its high point in the surrounding Arcachon Bassin.

"I know! They are Mallard ducks, but I love the Winter infusion of colour."

Happy Days!

Crag Martins to Vultures

We parted company with the  Rio Douro at Barca d'Alva and climbed up onto the
planalto - tableland - of the Beira Alto. This area of Portugal is strewn with boulders and feels remote; the wildflowers are impressive and fill the air with their aroma.
Pigeon houses are spread all over the landscape. They have been used since ancient times to produce Pigeons for their meat and manure, the "pombino." The International Douro Natural Park has been renovating them recently, with over one hundred critical buildings already completed.

Pigeon houses.

Castelo Rodrigo, dating back to 500 BC, has been extensively renovated under the Historic Villages scheme.

It was a lucky moment—"some may not think so." A mule had died in a field. The arrival of Vultures must have started yesterday! Judging by what was left at that early hour, more circled overhead. This one was vigilant, but we got close enough to photograph it.

The Reserva natural Serra da Malcata.

We can observe the delicate Crag Martins searching for nesting materials from the dam.

They must use their find as a nest lining; the central nest is made of small mud balls.

Occasionally, birds had to protect their finds from plundering comrades.

As we passed Southwards, heading for Alcantara in Spain, the fields were unique, filled with wildflowers.

It had been raining all day, and miniature water courses ran fast.

Walking a dirt track, we found these Tadpoles in the puddles; hopefully, it would continue to rain for them!

It may have been a wet day. Nonetheless, it was still full of colour and beauty!

Birdwatching in the International Douro Natural park, Portugal.

This is a super place for a few days of birdwatching, situated in the municipality of
Miranda do Douro is in Northeast Portugal. The park was established to preserve the landscape and its Flora and Fauna.
The river runs through a deep gorge or canyon, which acts as the natural border between Portugal and Spain and runs for just over one hundred kilometres.
Many hydroelectric dams along this stretch of the river need to be more sparsely populated.
We have visited in different climatic conditions, but the cool breeze is there no matter the weather.

Looking back up the river towards Zamora in Spain and Salamanca, I see both are too distant.

 From another vantage point, we could see the snow-capped Sierra Gredos far away on the horizon.

The Griffon Vultures can be close here.

Below, we could see the entire eight-foot span of their wing.

Some come incredibly close!

Two beautiful Red Rumped Swallows search for nesting material on the canyon edge.

Guess when you can fly, it doesn't matter much about the long fall; we stayed well back!

You never know who will perch on the edge; here it is a Calandra Lark.

Below on another outcrop, a male Black Redstart calls for a mate.

The Griffon Vultures fly on the thermals all day long, following the sheep and goat trails through the Olive trees.

And keeping an eye on us!

The slightly smaller Egyptian Vultures pass much faster across the Spanish side of the river.

Peregrine Falcons and Lesser Kestrels take it in turn to scan the rock face.

The mighty Alpine Swifts, with their twenty-one-inch wingspan, power, and speed, leave you in awe.

The sound of their wings as they scythe past fills the air.

Once again, it was time for us to move on!

Lago de Sanabria y Alrededores, the largest glacial lake in Iberia.

Sometimes good comes from bad, our planned visit, to the Parque natural Somiedo had to be curtailed, this being due to the rotten weather that arrived shortly after us. We had a lunch of hearty Asturian fare in a hostelry perched above the river, in the small town of Enfrago. After speaking with the owner and some of the locals, it was decided we should night-stop and continue upwards in the morning.
Alas, Monday morning, the mountains were shrouded in cloud, and heavy drizzle soaked all. The onward and upward journey would take us through a height of just over four and a half thousand feet, and sadly, as we passed up through the fog and mist, through and into the snow line, we could see nothing but the road edge.
      

With the snow behind us, we paused to look back at the Puerto de Somiedo, the entrance way for us, South out of the Parque, "perhaps we will visit another time if the weather could be kinder."

With time on our hands, we decided a visit to The glacial Lago de Sanabria y Alrededores, of which we had never visited.

Just silence, on a vast scale!

Playa Viquiella, not a soul could be seen or heard, just crystal clear ice water.

Crested Tits perched through the fence, at the beach cafe.

Iberian long-tailed tits clung under the rocks, whilst searching for insects.

A Short-toed Treecreeper foraged for insects with its long beak and seemed to miss the Beetle.

Spain to the right and Portugal left, we continue down a small windy road left into Portugal.

A quick walk around the medieval Castle at Bragança.

Our road continues its meander, South through the stunning and empty countryside.

We near to our next destination, the International Duero, the huge gorge, through which flows the Rio Duero, splitting Portugal and Spain. The entire area covered with huge rolling hills, some farmed some covered in gorse and wild flowers, a natural haven for wildlife.