Crepuscular light

The Fuentes Carrionas Natural Park must be one of the best places to experience World Mental Health Day.
Last night’s heavy rain gave way to blue skies, sunshine and a fresh breeze which made it feel very chilly as we began our dawn search for Iberian wolves. The main blip. Our local tour guide, Tino, is the Wolf Commissioner for the National park and has responsibility for the oversight of 9 wolf packs each with around 10 wolves. Tino, Byron – our Ecuadorean Uk based guide spottted one quite quickly, by the time the rest of had located the site it had moved, and did not reappear. We left at 11.30 for coffee in a nearby village.
Wild cat are widespread here, preferring to venture out late in the morning to feast on molevoles, a sub species of the water vole which is terrestrial. The extra is the group eating a delicious picnic lunch while scanning the meadows for said wild cat. Unlike the Scottish wild cat there has been a determined conservation effort to prevent breeding with domestic cats so they are pure breds. Apparently. I am a bit sceptical. We did find recent wildcat scat and some very clear wolf paw prints. We also saw a “half wolf”,most but not all of the dogs in the hillside villages are chained to avoid wolf fraternisation.
Tomorrow we return to the same area to practise our scanning skills. Apparently it’s not usual for participants to see nothing the first day, your eyes gradually becoming more aware of what is so well camouflaged.
I did see a middle spotted woodpecker, once it was pointed out, no idea it existed, several griffon vultures and swathes of purple autumn crocuses.
And since I’ve got a surfeit of extras I’m including the wolf paw prints.