ballerina

We left our villa before sunrise and headed for the hills to meet Alvaro, our wildlife guide. We have always found that using an enthusiastic guide with vast knowledge of his own patch means you see and learn more in 1 day than we would on our own in 2 weeks, this was true again.
Starting in the Sierra del Torcal he drove us up into the clouds and as we walked in the mist the ibex (5th extra) kept popping up to greet us. The plant life in the limestone rocks up there was so interesting and seeing wild asparagus was a first for me, as was seeing how it grows into a woody shrub. Other firsts were birds such as thelka lark and cirl bunting (3rd & 4th extra). Next stop was down hill into a pine forrest because I wanted to see crested tits, which we did but too high to get decent photo, although I did enjoy taking the crossbill singing in this area (first extra).
Lunch was taken late in a typical Spanish eatery serving the menu del dia, a small choice of 3 courses served with tinto de verano (apparently sangria is for tourists) all for set price of 10 EUR. It was delicious!
Then onto Fuente de Piedra Lagoon for wetland birds, including flamingos, white stork, teal and shoveler (all seen together in last extra) as well as black winged stilt, another first.
What a day enjoying the wildlife and scenery in Andalucia, a far cry from the white concrete jungle that we returned to after the sun had set. Feeling shattered so tomorrow will be a relaxing day.