THE URBAN BIRDER VISITS

The rain in Spain falls mainly… in Pamplona, it would seem – but don’t let that put you off from visiting for a wonderful birding experience

HOW MANY OF you can honestly point out the Spanish city of Pamplona on a map? A brief cartographical study would reveal that this city in the Navarre region is tucked away in the north-east of the country and is delightfully close to the Pyrenees, as well as to the French border. That means the potential for the discovery of wintering montane species in the area is pretty high. The climate is classed as oceanic, so it is not typical of what most of us consider for Spain. While the summers in Pamplona are warm, the winters can be pretty cold. The landscape outside the urban areas is green, reminiscent of Britain, as is the fairly frequent rain during the year. The city is famous, or perhaps more correctly, infamous, for its annual bull running festival that occurs in July. The festival attracts masses of tourists and thrill seekers and was also the source of literary inspiration for none other than Ernest Hemingway.