It was 50 years ago (today) -
RELUCTANTLY leaving the sunny coast of Huelva, we headed north, failed to find a campsite, and spent a night in very spartan hostal accommodation in the small town of Montijo.
We passed through Badajoz and pitched our tent on the municipal site at Mérida, where we found the Roman remains to be home to many white storks.
Two nights there gave us a good opportunity to drive along the River Guadiana.
At Medellín there were many Alpine swifts, and a nearby grassy field was home to a lovely male little bustard.
Rufous bush robin and several rollers were in the area.
A very unusual sight was a red-backed shrike, well to the south of its known range.
When we returned to our tent, my wife let out a shriek, and I was obliged to eject a lazy-looking, nine-inch long reptile I later identified as a Bedriaga’s skink.
Next morning we moved off to the north, through country that I now know we should have spent more time in!
I noted red kite and several lesser kestrels near Trujillo, and a rock thrush was seen as we approached the walled city of Ávila, where we camped for the night.
Next day we drove up to another old city, Segovia, and made camp before heading up to the Navacerrada.
There we took the chairlift – still in use, despite the absence of snow – and a Bonelli’s eagle – my very first of what was to become a familiar bird years later – flew actually beneath us as we rose.
A dunnock near the summit was the only bird of interest, but on the way down we saw two magnificent black vultures.
When we disembarked, the woods below were full of the sounds of great spotted woodpecker, robin and coal tit.
In scrub nearby a Bonelli’s warbler sang.
As we returned to Segovia, two more enormous black vultures flew just over our heads, and we heard the unmistakable little song of an ortolan bunting – he sings the opening notes of Beethoven’s fifth symphony!
Nightingales and melodious warbler completed a memorable day, made even more so as we wondered at the magnificence of the great Roman aqueduct that spans the valley over this lovely old city.
Final part next week