Picos de Europa Birding Tour.
Introducción.
This is a proposal for 7 days (6 nights) in which we’ll intend to give a complete ornithological view of the east of Asturias, in the north of Spain. This is an example for a group between 2-5 people but it could be adapted to the preferences of each group in the issues and in the duration.
Day 1: Check-in in the Rio Aliso Rural Apartments. General meeting about the routes program, places to visit, perspectives, tips, security measures, etc
The Rio Aliso Rural Apartments
Day 2: Eagles and Vultures (Half day)
The mountain ranges previous to the national park of Picos de Europa, are ones of the most amazing places in the north of Spain to observe great raptors: Griffon Vulture, Aegyptian vulture, Golden Eagle, Busard, Short-toed eagle and much more can be observe easily, both in flight and in their nesting places.
A young Golden Eagle
We’ll visit the mountains around the little village of Oceño and the valley of Tajadura and Rubó rivers. They content the most spectacular Griffon Vulture nesting colonies and also some nests of Aegyptian Vulture and Golden Eagle.
A Griffon Vulture in the nest
Day 3. The Bearded Vulture (Full day)
The Bearded Vulture is probably one of the most incredible and amazing bird which can be observed in the Iberian Peninsula.
In the National Park of Picos de Europa and its surroundings the Bearded Vulture became extinct in the mid 20th century and since then, it only could be seen in the Pyrenees.
From 2005, the Bearded Vulture Foundation (FCQ) is developing a project for its reintroduction in the mountains of the National Park of Picos de Europa. The result of this project has finished with the release of the two first young Bearded Vultures in these mountains. Their names are Deva and Leoncia
From Rio Aliso Rural Apartments we’ll go to the Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development “Mountains of the Beared Vulture” in Benia de Onís, where we’ll do a guided tour
After this, we’ll go to the National Park of Picos de Europa to try to find the Bearded Vultures and to visit the natural habitat where the FCQ hopes they will adapt.
Day 4. The Forest Birds. (Half day)
The situation of our apartments, allows us easy access to some different kind of forest from the cantabrian coast to the mountains through the riparian forest of some of our most important rivers, in a short drive not more than half an hour. It's also possible to visit the mountain meadows, to try some subalpine birds.
A Black Woodpecker
This day we’ll try to find some of the most amazing forest birds such as buntings, shrikes, finches, short toed tree creeper, Eurasian nuthatch, coal tit, great tit, crested tit and much more. We'll also try to find Middle-spotted and Black woodpeckers.
Day 5. Alpine Birds. Trip for the national park of Picos de Europa (full day)
In less than one hour from the Rio Aliso Rural Apartments is possible to access to the high mountain pastures, more than 1.500 meters above the sea level in the subalpine environment.
Here and on the walls of the highest mountains it's possible to observe some of the most interesting alpine birds, like snow finch, alpine accentor, Yellow-billed chough, red-billed chough, and perhaps, with a little luck the wall creeper.
A Snowfinch
This day we’ll access to the sub alpine pastures near the village of Sotres, and walk for some hours along a path in a very good condition to one of the alpine zones of the National Park of Picos de Europa
Day 6. Journey for the Mountain Range Protected Landscape of El Cuera (Half day)
The Mountain Range protected landscape of El Cuera is located between the Cantabrian sea and the first pics of the national Park of Picos de Europa. The altitude varies between the 400 and the 1.315 m above the sea level, and its not more than 2 Km away the sea. On a clear day the panoramic views covers more than 20 km of the sea cost at north and the highest picks of Picos de Europa.
The birding possibilities are varied and amazing. Vultures an other birds of prey are pretty abundant but in my opinion the little birds like pipits, accentors, buntings and others adapted to the severe climatic conditions could make us enjoy more a nice birding day.
Day 7: Check Out and farewell.
