BIRD WATCHING IN ANDALUSIA

Day one, TRANSFER. From Faro (Portugal) or Seville, we go to Isla Cristina. Meeting point for all groups is Faro airport at 17:30 or Seville airport at 17:00. If people arrive earlier, they could visit on their own Seville or Faro Old City Centre, both very interesting. Arrival at our Faro del Sur agency is at 19:00 followed by a talk on the activities planned. Overnight accommodation.

Day two, MARISMAS DEL ODIEL NATURAL AREA. Today we visit the Odiel Marshlands: a vast expanse of marshlands and one of the peninsula's most important wetland areas. You will go where many species breed and pass in their migration routes, such as spoonbills (their breeding colony includes 30% of the total European population for this species), the western marsh harrier and Montagu's harrier, black storks, cormorants, grey and purple heron, red-knobbed coot, plus many other birds that live and breed here. We will also visit other major observation areas, such as the Portil lagoon and the river Piedras marshes.

Day three, ISLA CRISTINA AND AYAMONTE NATURAL MARSHES. Today you will be entering the world of wetland birds once again, but with a difference: we will be using kayaks and bicycles to explore the most inaccessible spots and enjoy some spectacular sights. Reed beds and marshes mingle with vast expanses of salt pans as we paddle slowly along, watched by a huge variety of waders and shorebirds, such as the Eurasian curlew, avocet, darters, stilts, dunlins, and the king of the landscape: the beautiful pink flamingo. Old tidal watermills, the fishing harbour, fishing net craftsmen and carpenters, the fish market... Smells and colours we had thought lost. You can also travel through this natural area by bicycle and watch, from an old saltpan, the courtship display of the grey heron or the silhouette of a spoonbill set against the sunset. You do not need previous experience for going in kayak; the only requirement is being able to swim.

Day four, RIA FORMOSA NATURAL PARK (Portuguese Algarve). A walking tour will take place through pine forests and Mediterranean scrubland, marshes and freshwater lagoons. Discover hidden away in the wetland vegetation, anatidae and rallidae such as Shovelers, spoonbill, gadwall, pintail, common and red-knobbed coot and the beautiful purple swamphen. In the afternoon we will take a boat to visit to the park's unspoilt islands: crystal clear waters, extensive beaches with fine white sandy dunes and authentic fishing villages. We will see sea birds such as lesser black-backed gulls, black-headed gulls, common terns, gannets and oyster catchers.

Day five, DOÑANA PROTECTED NATURAL AREA. One of the most awaited days for bird lovers. We will be leaving early in the morning with our biologist and guide to tour the landscape of this protected natural area. Doñana is a vital stopover, breeding and wintering ground for many birds, and over 360 different species seen at various times of year. We will start our bird watching in the well-known village of El Rocío, where the marshes become waterlogged with the first autumn rains, flooding the clay soil and creating a fantastic place for spotting waders such as flamingos and other animal species such as wild horses and organically farmed livestock. You can also see a huge variety of birds of prey on the wing, such as kite, Western marsh harrier and the spectacular western imperial eagle. We will then visit various monitoring centres, such as the José Antonio Valverde centre, La Rocina and Acebuche. In the afternoon, we make our way back to Cadiz (Strait of Gibraltar area). Rural hotel.

Day six, STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR NATURAL PARK, another ornithologist's paradise. This unique area of land between two continents is home to one of the greatest spectacles nature has to offer: the yearly migration of millions of birds coming and going between here and Africa. Depending on the time of year and the wind direction and speed we will make one or several trips to the different monitoring centres and hides to guarantee day full of sightings. Flocks of white stork, black kite, European honey buzzard, Egyptian vulture, Montagu's harrier, short-toed eagle and black stork fly over this strip of coastline.

Day seven, BOLONIA – TARIFA. Today, weather conditions permitting, you can witness another amazing biological phenomenon: the migration of cetaceans between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. We will set sail on a fascinating voyage to meet and watch whales, killer whales, dolphins... A truly exhilarating spectacle will take place.

After lunch, we leave for Seville or Faro. We arrive at about 17:00 (Seville), 21:00 (Faro).