Yellow Bee Ophrys Ophrys lutea © Teresa Farino

The Sierra de Grazalema

Spring wildflowers, birds and other wildlife of Western Andalucía

The Sierra de Grazalema is one of south-western Spain's natural wonders. Its rugged limestone terrain rises to 1,654m and attracts an average annual rainfall of 2,200mm, providing a refuge for all manner of wildlife that cannot survive in the arid plains round about. Grazalema is perhaps best-known for its relict Spanish Fir forest (el pinsapar), Portuguese Squill
Scilla peruviana © Teresa Farino but is also home to around 1,300 species of vascular plant (including some 30 orchids), as well as more than 220 species of vertebrate, notable among which are a healthy population of Spanish Ibex, the diverse forest and cliff-breeding bird communities and a rich amphibian and reptile fauna.

Grazalema is an outstanding spring destination for the travelling naturalist. Quite apart from the diversity of birds to be seen in this corner of Spain - ranging from Griffon Vulture to Greater Flamingo, from Blue Rock Thrush to Purple Gallinule - Grazalema's flora is outstanding, rich in spring wildflowers and including many attractive species that are confined to the Iberian Peninsula.

During the week we will be exploring the limestone rock gardens, meadows and pastures, Spanish Fir forests and dehesas of Cork and Western Holm Oak of the Grazalema Biosphere Reserve and parque natural (53,439ha). Here we can expect to encounter a wealth of spring-flowering monocots, notably Rush-leaved Jonquil and the local endemic Narcissus cuatrecasasii, Spanish Iris, Portuguese Squill, Spanish Bluebell, Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius © Teresa Farino Anthericum baeticum, Ornithogalum orthophyllum and the eye-catching O. reverchonii, as well as many members of the Orchidaceae, including Dull, Yellow, Mirror, Bumble-bee, Sawfly and Woodcock Ophrys, and Lange's, Green-winged, Lax-flowered, Tongue, Man and Dense-flowered Orchids. Other notable spring-flowering plants of the area include Iberian endemics such as Western Peony, the white-flowered saxifrages Saxifraga bourgeana, S. globulifera and S. haenseleri, the diminutive Viola demetria, the chunky, silver-leaved viper's-bugloss Echium albicans, the toadflax Linaria platycalyx and the stunning cliff-hugging knapweed Centaurea clementei.

Among the birds to look out for are those of rocky habitats such as Alpine and Pallid Swifts, Crag Martin, Rock Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear, Rock Sparrow and Chough, Ocellated Lizard Timon lepidus © Teresa Farino as well as an abundance of Griffon Vultures (some 320 pairs breed here) and the possibility of Egyptian Vulture, Golden and Bonelli's Eagles and Peregrine Falcon. More Mediterranean habitats harbour Scops Owl, Bee-eater, Thekla Lark, Sardinian and Subalpine Warblers, Black-eared Wheatear, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes and Rock Bunting. By contrast, the thick Spanish Fir forests are home to little more than Bonelli's Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff and Short-toed Treecreeper, but our visit to this habitat is likely to be enlivened by sightings of the splendid Spanish Ibex and by Western Peonies, Barton's Orchids and Sword-leaved and Red Helleborines.

The reptiles of Grazalema are many and varied, with the most commonly seen species including Large and Spanish Psammodromuses, Andalusian Wall and Ocellated Lizards and Western Three-toed Skinks. There are not many butterflies on the wing at this time of year, but those there are include striking Spanish Festoons, Scarce Swallowtails, Large Tortoiseshells, Spanish Fritillaries and Provence Orange Tips, as well as Green-striped, Western Dappled and Wood Whites, Berger's Clouded Yellow, Lorquin's and Panoptes Blues and Provence Hairstreak. Male Small Red-eye Erythromma viridulum © Teresa FarinoOther interesting invertebrates of the area include the fabulous Conehead Mantis, its diminutive Iberian-endemic relative Apteromantis aptera, the Megarian Banded Centipede, many Striped Oil-beetles and the fabulous Andalusian Funnel-web, Europe's largest spider!

One day during the week we will take time out from the mountains to visit the endorheic lagoon complex of Espera (and a sherry bodega in Jerez de la Frontera, if time permits!). Espera is a fabulous place for birds in late spring, with White-headed Duck, Purple Gallinule and Crested Coot all fairly easy to see here, along with Black-necked Grebe, Purple Heron, Red-crested Pochard, Great Reed Warbler and even Stone Curlew. Overhead it is worth watching out for Black Kite, Marsh Harrier and Booted and Short-toed Eagles, while closer at hand we might encounter Spanish Terrapins, Spiny-footed Lizards and Iberian Water, West Iberian Painted and Stripeless Tree Frogs.

Spanish Ibex Capra pyrenaica hispanica © Teresa Farino

These wetlands also harbour a wealth of dragonflies, notably Migrant Spreadwing, Iberian Bluetail, Dainty Bluet, Small Red-eye, Blue-eye, Lesser Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer, Broad Scarlet and Violet Dropwing. The surrounding Mediterranean scrub is worth examining for Roller, Golden Oriole, Black-eared Wheatear and Woodchat Shrike, while the dry grasslands and cereal fields are coloured by pheasant's-eyes Adonis spp., Fennel Flower, Large Blue Alkanet, Yellow Cupidone, Cleonia lusitanica and the curious monocot Biarum arundanum at this time of year.

We will return to Málaga via another endorheic lagoon - Fuente de Piedra - which is home to the largest colony of Greater Flamingo in Spain (often more than 20,000 pairs), as well as breeding Collared Pratincole, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt and Gull-billed Tern. The surrounding arid cereal fields and scrub are a known haunt of breeding Montagu's Harrier, Stone Curlew, Short-toed Lark and Spectacled Warbler.

We also hope to have time to visit the Torcal de Antequera, whose sculpted limestone turrets harbour such botanical gems as Ranunculus rupestris, Saxifraga biternata, Phlomis lychnitis, Linaria anticaria and Iris subbiflora, as well as a community of typically Mediterranean birds and reptiles and a healthy colony of Spanish Ibex.

Greater Flamingo
Phoenicopterus roseus © Teresa Farino

The Sierra de Grazalema

Leader: Teresa Farino

2013 Dates: Thurs. 2 May - Thurs. 9 May

Price: 1,190€, including half-board, en suite accommodation in the family-run Casa de las Piedras, picnic lunches, hired minibus transport throughout, all entry fees and the services of Teresa Farino as leader. A single-room supplement of 130€ is applicable.

Although the cost of the tour is given in euros, clients may pay in sterling, the exchange rate to be calculated at the time of payment using www.oanda.com

This is a land-based tour. Flights and travel insurance (obligatory) are the responsibility of the client.

Pick-up details: For this tour, participants will be booking their flights independently. In order to allow clients some flexibility with their travel arrangements, we have decided that the best option is to start from, and return to, Málaga. Several airlines fly to this destination from a range of UK airports on these dates, which should give you a variety of options.

Teresa will aim to collect participants from Málaga airport at 12.00 on Tuesday 2 May 2013, and return to the airport by about 18.00 at the end of the tour on Tuesday 9 May 2013, both of which will enable us to visit interesting habitats en route. Fennel Flower Nigella papillosa © Teresa FarinoHowever, it may be possible to arrange pick-ups and drop-offs at other times, so please consult Teresa before booking your flight.

Alternatively, those travelling to Grazalema independently can arrange to meet the group at the hotel on the first evening.

Group size: maximum 8 clients.

Booking information: please contact Teresa Farino for further details and a booking form, or if you have any queries about this tour.

E-mail:	teresa@iberianwildlife.com
Office phone:	(+34) 942 735154
Mobile phone:	(+34) 656 337129
Address:	Apartado de Correos 59 39570 Potes Cantabria Spain

Spanish Festoon Zerynthia rumina © Teresa Farino

Other natural history tours in Andalucía:

Reports from past trips to Grazalema:

Related information: