Northern Spain in Winter Day 4

Saturday 14 February

Spent the morning in the Echo Valley, managed to get about a Kilometre beyond Boca Del Infierno at which point the road was blocked with snow. We parked and enjoyed a short walk through a wonderful sparkling winter landscape of snow covered hills and forest and icicles hanging from the roadside trees and rocks. On top of all this we had more Wallcreeper and Lammergeir sightings.

We wanted to be back at Gallocanta for dusk so we headed south on the road that runs via Ayerbe. Here in the village of Plascencia we saw our first White Storks on a roadside Church and just south of a here a Golden Eagle was hunting a roadside field.

We arrived at Gallocanata late afternoon much sunnier and stiller than on our first visit. Lots of birdwatchers and photographers scattered about the place and perhaps as many as 23,000 Common Cranes. We had a wonderful last couple of hours of daylight and probably an hour after sunset watching and listening to thousands of Cranes flighting into roost. A truly stunning sight and an amazing testament to the wildness that does still manage to survive in western Europe.

Northern Spain in Winter Day 1

Wednesday 15 February

Flew into Zaragoza and drove down to Laguna Gallocanta and followed a clockwise circuit around the lake. Quite breezy and 7 - 8 C. No other birders about and the Cranes were feeding close to the road, small numbers with c 2000 present late afternoon. Very good for Hen Harriers with about ten birds present all bar one were males. Other highlights were a Rock Sparrow on the church in Tornos and a roadside Wild Boar at dusk. On leaving Gallocanta we headed for the Hotel Carinena in the town of the same name, strategically situated 45 minutes drive from Belchite.