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Sierra de Andújar for Iberian lynx

John Muddeman
28/06/2012 15:00:08

A few notes and pictures from a 2-day trip for Spainbirds & SEO/BirdLife to look for Iberian lynx and other wiildlife in the Sierra de Andújar area

Posted in: Flora, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals | Andalusia | Southern Spain


A two-day trip for Spainbirds Nature Tours and SEO/BirdLife saw us leaving Madrid early and heading as quickly as we could down to the Sierra de Andújar to look principally for the endangered Iberian lynx Lynx pardina.

As luck would have it, I was in the first bus where one particularly sharp-eyed participant called out that she'd seen movement down to one side just before we reached our destination. We stopped and watched from within the bus for a few minutes, but something suggested that things were right, and so everyone got out, just in time to see a superb male Iberian Lynx Lynx pardina just 20m or so away walk across a slope and into some bushes! My shot was taken through the open passenger-side window while manoeuvring the minibus and after having had to take the camera out of the bag, so you can see how long we saw it for!

The other bus was called up and over the next 90 minutes or so we saw the same individual again some three more times, before it finally walked down the slope and out of sight...

My luck was even more in, since the following day the same group member found another individual, probably a female, at a completely different spot, which we watched for a few minutes before it too disappeared from sight and could not be relocated. Two in two days is a very, very satisfying result!

We obviously also spent time looking at the other mammals present in the area, seeing Red and Fallow Deer, Mouflon and Spanish Ibex amongst others, while a fine range of birds and other wildlife was present too, including the 'usual' Spanish Imperial Eagles, displaying Northern Goshawks, and even around our accomodation, interesting creatures such as Turkish Gecko, which despite being found widely across S Spain, usually remains difficult to find.

A Iberian Lynx - Lynx pardina © John MuddemanA male Iberian Lynx at close range
Lynx pardina
© John Muddeman

Singing male Dartford Warbler - Sylvia undata © John MuddemanSinging male Dartford Warbler
Sylvia undata
© John Muddeman

Singing male Rock Bunting - Emberiza cia © John MuddemanSinging male Rock Bunting
Emberiza cia
© John Muddeman

Turkish Gecko - Hemidactylus turcicus © John MuddemanTurkish Gecko
Hemidactylus turcicus
© John Muddeman

Strawberry Tree - Arbutus unedo © John MuddemanStrawberry Tree
Arbutus unedo
© John Muddeman

Sand Crocus - Romulea sp. © John MuddemanSand Crocus
Romulea sp.
© John Muddeman

Common Jonquil3 - Narcissus jonquilla © John MuddemanCommon Jonquil
Narcissus jonquilla
© John Muddeman

Common Jonquils - Narcissus jonquilla © John MuddemanA large patch of Common Jonquils
Narcissus jonquilla
© John Muddeman



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