Sunday 10 November 2013

Road trip to Spain ... adventuring in the Pyrenees, Extramadura, Andalucia and so much more!

More than a bit of a jolly this and in truth a tad daunting but this is what I bought the Campervan for and I had to do something with 6 weeks annual leave!

So from Nov 11th till Dec 18th I'm driving the van through France, across the Pyrenees and into Spain. Its nature and photography break, its what I retired early for, and for me this is a real adventure because although I've been to Spain many times before, never have I seen what goes on here bird / nature wise in the late Autumn / Winter months.


So here's my plan in brief (you've gotta have a plan!) - whizz through France as far as Bordeaux, stop off for a day or so around Arcachon, cross the border at St Martin and explore the Navarre bit of the Pyrenees and the mountain ranges of Guarra, head Southeast towards Murcia & Almeria taking in the many inland sites around Valencia, then do Andalusia (including the Sierra d'Andujar), head up towards Extramadura with its many sites of interest, then head back up North crossing the Pyrenees somewhere different and up for 2 or 3 days with my sister & partner Mark before heading back to the UK for Christmas ..... hectic? not a bit of it .... it'll be the chill out of the century!


Some likely Spanish hotspots!


Not quite sure how useful this is but having spent too many fruitless hours trying to plot, save and depict a journey plan I settled for Google's classic map router. You can get more detail here - , but here is a snapshot of my likely wanderings














My journey is saved in more detail here on Google maps - Road trip to Spain, something I can constantly update and modify as I go - even in response to comments / suggestions by my little band of followers .... your good selves in other words, so I'll keep the link live whenever I post from Spain ... which will be often, so please do comment ... I'll respond to all as I go and love any feedback.

Gut feeling photo opps? ..... none of these are my pics but this is what I'm after!

Lammegeir


Pyrenean Gorge

Spanish Lynx

Wallcreeper

Spanish Imperial Eagle

White backed Woodpecker

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Sunday 3 November 2013

Autumn fungi at Askham Bog, planning trips, a Mali Harp and a bit of John Mayer to make up for my lack of birds!

Been keeping my head down and not been out much for the past couple of weeks ... busy planning and making preparations for a big road trip - I'm setting off on Nov 11th and driving the camper down to Spain. Coming back just before Xmas so its a proper tour and a well earned rest from all this bumming around on nature reserves in Yorkshire!

More info later this week on what I'm aiming to do and some opportunities for you guys to interact if you want.

I reckon a fair chunk of Winter migrants have arrived on my patch lately unseen by me, I even heard there were Waxwings again in the middle of York last week, but all I've had is a few Fieldfares over my house and an increase of Siskins, Goldcrests and Thrushes at Askham Bog.... so not many photo opps recently, but a stroll around said Bog last weekend and during a bit of 'down time' revealed some great fungi in the evening sun and along with some great looking Guelder Rose berries, a few turning Oak leaves and the odd Robin this makes a nice enough little Autumn gallery ....
Fungi, Askham Bog

Fungi2, Askham Bog
Guelder Rose berries

Fungi3, Askham Bog
Turning Oak leaves
 
Robin, Askham Bog

Fungi3, Askham Bog
Guelder Rose berries2, Askham Bog
John Mayer


No way can I come up with a link between Fungi and John Mayer, and he's certainly not in the Autumn of his years just yet, unlike Mr Jools Holland upon who's show 'Later' one of my favourite guitarists was performing the other night ... check this out if you can access the BBC Iplayer - Call me the Breeze - John Mayer






Mali Harp


The whole show is worth a watch  ....  highlights were Graham Parker & The Rumour reformed (wow, never saw that coming!), Lissie (another fave act of mine) and an amazing Mali Harp player called Ballaké Sissoko ...what an instrument!!

Here's the link for the whole show .........'Later' with Jools Holland