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Spanish Nature News
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| Spanish Nature for quality birding and wildlife holidays |
Latest News from Spanish Nature
Spanish Nature E-news
October, 2010 - Vol 2, Issue 6
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| Dear Pieter, |
 We hope everyone has had a great summer and are currently enjoying their autumn. For us it is a time of year where we start looking ahead and plan our tours for next year. Of course all work and no play makes for dull boys, so Pieter and I are also intending to venture out to the northeast of Spain in search of some prime species to photograph, principally we will be looking for Lammergieir and Dupont's Lark, but as normal on these trips, we will take whatever opportunities come our way! On the subject of photography, Pieter recently returned for our 1st Spanish Nature photography tour and this took us to Ecuador, it was highly successful and you can read the Trip Report on this link. We are also well advanced with our plans to offer a photography tour here in Spain, so keep an eye on our website for future announcements.
 With winter fast approaching, we are looking forward to escaping the cold and short days by touring such countries as Gambia, Costa Rica and Morocco, why not join us and give yourself something to look forward to this coming winter? Just click on any of the above destinations to find out more! Thank you for your continuing interest and please keep well and in touch.
Warmest best wishes,
Peter & Pieter
Spanish Nature |
Spain News - Update
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 Many of you will have accompanied Peter on one of his popular day tours in the Serranía de Ronda and Sierra de Grazalema. Due to the many requests Peter has received he has now included some important wildlife routes as an alternative for those who wish to accompany him and experience different locations. These new routes include such mouth watering species as Great Bustard, Collared Pratincole, Roller and Europe's largest breeding colony of Greater Flamingo! So if you fancy a change of scenery or want to experience a day out with a difference, visit Peter's web page by following this link. Another alternative and popular choice of tours in Spain (with Peter as your guide) is to tailor your own itinerary and let us organise your tour. Already we have organised several tours for 2011 in Spain and Morocco, where Peter is accompanying individuals and groups as their guide. Contact us for further details or with your own ideas! To view each of our day tours follow these links:Serranía de Ronda - Peter JonesStrait of Gibraltar - Stephen DalyGranada - Mick RichardsonAlmería - Jesús Contreras |
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A Comparative Field Guide - Tricky identifications of similar or related species by Peter Jones
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 Andalucia, the most southern part of Spain, is an extremely special place for birds. A great many species, rare or even absent in northern Europe, visit this birding Mecca either as a migrant or to find safe and specialist areas to winter or breed. Unsurprisingly the region attracts a great many birders from around the world and can offer challenges to even the most experienced birder, resident or visitor!
Among the species that regularly cause identification problems, for example, are Pallid Swift, Thekla Lark and Lesser Kestrel. These species are particularly difficult due to similarities with closely related birds i.e. Lesser Kestrel and Common Kestrel. On behalf of the Andalucia Bird Society I will be publishing various identification guides for these more difficult birds in the future and hope members of the society and visitors to Spain will find them useful and of practical assistance when out in the field watching birds.
 The photograph, Figure 1, to the right shows an adult male Lesser Kestrel (left, LK photo Juan Luis Muñoz) and an adult male Common Kestrel (right). Simple enough to see the difference, but in the field it can be hard to separate them. The females and juveniles can sometimes be nigh impossible, even for the most experienced observer. As well as giving comparative detail of these 2 species for the Andalucia Bird Society, I have also given species accounts and descriptions, hoping that the combination of information will help those who find these particular birds hard to separate.
 Flight identification. Lesser Kestrel when soaring shows more rounded wings than Common Kestrel, also whilst soaring or hovering it appears to be bulkier in the body, both sexes appear paler on the underwing, the male very markedly white compared to dark breast and with more distinct black wing tips. In flight and more especially when hovering, Lesser Kestrel show wide and triangular tail-band, Common Kestrel nearly always shows fan-shaped tail-band. In silhouette the bulkier and shorter body is useful to distinguish both sexes and juvenile Lesser Kestrel from Common Kestrel. When hanging in a headwind Lesser Kestrels give the appearance of a small Peregrine with their shorter tail, plump body and pointed wings swept back in scimitar shape. Of course the male Lesser Kestrel has very distinctive features such as grey head, little or no moustache stripe, grey upperwing coverts (remarkably difficult to see at a distance) and with spotless upperparts. Photograph to the left shows L.Kestrel male(top)/female left, C.Kestrel male(top)/female right
Author's note: Whilst watching flying birds always stay focused and wait for the bird to spread its tail, either when it pauses to hover or using it to manoeuvre, it is then possible to view the shape of the black subterminal bar to tail, a very useful aid to successful id. Plumage differences are discussed below.
 Identification of perched birds. See Figure 1 for comparison of both species of male. A good guide is Lesser Kestrel can be distinguished by longer wings, either reaching or nearly reaching the tip of the tail. Caution is necessary though for 2nd year birds in spring that may have replaced their tail with longer feathers! The normal upright posture of both these Kestrels will normally allow the observer to see the wing length in relation to tail tip. Claw colour is another very positive, although sometimes difficult to see, identification feature; very pale or grey with Lesser Kestrel and black with Common Kestrel. Adult male Lesser Kestrel have spotless upperparts with part grey upperwing coverts and tertials; head is uniform grey, but can occasionally show a faint moustache, never with pale cheeks as with Common Kestrel. Both females and juveniles can be separated from Common Kestrel by head pattern and feather pattern to upperparts; head is plain except for dark moustache below the eye and pale cheek patch reaching the crown, no dark eye-line as in Common Kestrel; upperparts finely barred i.e. much narrower than rufous interspaces.
The above is an extract from A Comparative Field Guide written by Peter Jones for the Andalucia Bird Society. If you live in Spain or plan to visit why not join the ABS and enjoy free access to the completed article and other useful resources of the Society? For more information follow this link. |
Morocco - The Ultimate in Safaris - 14th to 24th March 2011
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 Sun, sand, incredible geological formations, scenery to die for and of course specialist birds! Our Moroccan Safari Tour offers so much and with no visa requirements for those coming from North America and Europe, then your journey couldn't be easier. If you have any reservations about visiting a culture so different, then think again. Here the people are friendly and the culture very welcoming, when coupled to the diversity of both wildlife and scenery, this tour offers you a real taste of a safe part of northern Africa. Our tour leader and guide, Peter Jones, has now led 18 tours to this region and remains as enthusiastic as he had been on his 1st visit. A real veteran of this country, Peter will be able to offer you a holiday to remember. Join us on our tour to this exotic destination - Read more.. |
Gambia - A Very Special Winter Tour - 12th to 22nd January 2011
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 A very special holiday! Why? Spanish Nature is run by folk with large families and wanted to design a special break for those seeking to relax after the rigours of Christmas. January can be a real anti-climax after the excitement of family celebrations and escaping mid-winter is also an appealing idea. And so we have put together a tour that not only offers great birding and wildlife opportunities, but also incorporates a unique view of the real Africa with the chance to spend days relaxing on boat rides and slumbering on the white sands of our beachside hotel. We believe it is a tour you will enjoy and at an affordable price, so why not join us on this great opportunity to see Africa and relax with like-minded fellow travellers? To find out more about this great tour click here |
| Costa Rica - Join us in Birding Heaven! - 4th to 17th February 2011 |
 Cloud forests, the clear waters of Mountain Rivers, active volcanoes, palm fringed beaches, this favourite destination has just about everything for everybody! We journey on a tried and trusted route staying in the best accommodation we can find and visiting several areas of outstanding natural beauty. With each and every stay we have ensured the accommodation includes enough facilities and attractions to allow folk to relax and if they choose, simply opt out of our extensive birding tours. We take in the Caribbean Slopes and end our tour on the beaches of the Pacific Ocean, the diversity of scenery and wildlife is staggering, we also have the services of the very best bird guide in all of Costa Rica, why not join us? A favourite tour of our friends, if you would like to find out more click here
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| RECCE TRIPS - Feel brave enough for an adventure? |
 A recce tour is a tour organized by the Spanish Nature team, but can involve some uncertainties. By definition we have not visited these areas previously and so cannot give the same quality guarantees as you are used to on other trips. The advantage is that prices are based on our actual cost price, which means it may be of interest to friends. Fellow travellers who came with us to both Ecuador and Gambia enjoyed the adventure as much as we did and many asked to be informed about any new recce tours in the future. The trip report of our latest "recce tour" to Gambia and Senegal is now available on our website. Follow this link to read everything about the adventures we had with accommodation, customs and much more. Also our trip report for the photography tour to Ecuador (including our recce of the Amazonia region) is now published, follow this link to see how we got on!
 China. The dates for our first China tour have now been fixed and we already have a full quota of friends doing this recce with us! The plans are made and the itinerary is ready. It will certainly be a great trip. We will visit the Sichuan Province with its High Mountain Range and the grasslands of the Tibetan High Plateau. Read about it on our website Sichuan - Province of the four streams (click on the above link - China tour)
For those who want to book our next recce tour to China, planned for 2012 and will incorporate flowers of this special country (scheduled for either April or May 2012), we advise not to wait too long, because we only have a limited number of places. We ask only for a small deposit (€ 100p/p) to reserve your place.
 Botswana. At this moment we are designing our tour to Botswana. It will probably be a 14 day tour of "luxury camping". Taking our own tents (and staff to build up the whole place) and staying in private places, not being disturbed by other tourists. Wildlife in Botswana will be great and the birding magnificent. We will travel by open game drive vehicles from one place to another or for the longer distances by small plane. We will make it an unforgettable experience!you are interested just let us know and we will keep you informed during the development of this particular tour.
If you are interested just let us know and we will keep you informed during the development of this particular tour. Of course without any obligation from your side. For further details Contact us.
Important note: Because the group we take with us is normally limited to 6 people it is important to sign up quickly. If you are interested you can let us know of your interest and we will keep you informed during the development of any particular tour. Of course without any obligation from your side. For further details Contact us
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| Payments and our Deposit Payment Policy |
Spanish Nature started its activities in 2006, and it took us some time before we could negotiate the standard tour-agent conditions with hotels and ground agents. Of course we are all grown up now and in most cases we do not need a considerable deposit to be able to do all the necessary bookings. That is why we have reduced almost all our deposits to a very reasonable € 100 (or 150 US$), which is just a token of your confirmation that you want to come with us on a tour. We have worked hard to make sure our friends do not have to pay too much money in advance. You may also have noticed that we are now able to accept payments by PayPal, which also means that you can pay by all major credit cards.
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Thank you for your continuing support and interest
Its great fun to be involved with picking out destinations and investigating them to see if they fit with our philosophy. In the end it is all done to provide you with the opportunity to visit and explore great places in good company. Our enjoyment, put very simply, is your enjoyment. We thank you all for your encouragement and most of all your friendships. Our company phrase 'Travelling Together as Friends', we believe, says it all. Please keep well and in touch.
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Contact Info
For friendly and expert advice on any of our tours please telephone Pieter Verheij on +34 636 291 714 or email us
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For full tour itineraries and tour listings please see www.spanishnature.com |
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Do you consider a friendly atmosphere, comfort and relaxation, as well as value for money, an essential part of any well earned holiday? If you do, then all our birding and nature tours have been specifically designed to suit you!
If you require further information please Contact Us or telephone: +34 636 291 714
Spanish Nature, not only for bird watching holidays in Spain, but also worldwide including Morocco, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Galapagos, India , Brazil, China, Thailand, Kenya, The Gambia and Botswana |
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Visit Nature Forum, located in Andalucia (Southern Spain), with all latest news for Birdwatchers
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Moroccan Birds. A must visit for every Birdwatcher, or considering a Birding Holiday in Morocco
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