Iberian Lynx

What a fantastic few days we have just had in Spain. We decided to give Lynx a try ourselves and did the whole trip for about £500 for the both of us.

We arrived in Spain last Monday and spent the rest of the day driving from Malaga to Andujar to our hotel base. Up and out early on Tuesday, good job, it took us a while to find the correct road to take us up the mountains but once we had reached the Hotel Los Pinos, it all became obvious. The weather was not very good with fog and light rain all day and visability was difficult on the mountains. We started on the lower road with no luck but plenty of birds around and a couple of wild boar. After a quick turn around at the dam we decided to give the higher road a look. This seemed to look far more promising, everything looked right so we decided to keep to this road for the next few days. It was quite a drive up here, and stopping for every bird, time soon passed. Tuesday also proved a non starter for Lynx, and it wasn't for want of trying. We scanned and scanned the ravines infront of us constantly, just hoping for a flash of movement, but nothing. We chatted to a local man who told us we were in a good area for a sighting, and said that Thursday and Friday were holidays so there would be far more people up there on the mountain looking - more eyes were definately needed here.

So we left the mountain about 5.30pm on Tuesday and returned again on Wednesday morning, to stand on the same corner giving us a very good, open view. We stood scanning until 5pm again, but no lynx. The weather had improved with lovely blue sky and good visibility. Plenty of raptors were up in the afternoon, the highlight being Spanish Imperial Eagle closely followed by a Golden Eagle.

So we just had Thursday and Friday left in Spain and Karen was getting desperate ! Up the mountain again we went to the same area. There was certainly a lot more people up there, all looking for the lynx, or just footprints which could be seen easily along the fence perimeter. We had only been there a short time when we were allerted by a local, frantically arm waving and summoning us round the corner to the next ravine. A male lynx had just crossed the road and gone into some scrub and rocks a short distance away. So we stood there, hoping for a sighting, but nothing. No movement and no bird alarms. So we went back to our original spot and everyone arranged to whistle if anything was seen. A whistle was soon heard, same area, so we rushed round again. Infact we ran with camera and telescope, we wasn't going to miss this. The call was for the male lynx which had been heard yowling from his rocky hideaway. Again, we stood but nothing. By this time, Karen was near to tears ! Then it all happened, someone had seen movement on a very distant (and we mean very distant!) hillside. There were THREE LYNX, not one, not two but three......it was just amazing. A female and her two kittens. So we all drove like mad to get closer, a lynx twitch! They were again soon located and we watched them playing in the sun. The mum snoozing on a rock while the kittens played, jumping on one another and rolling. Although they were still very distant, good views were had through the telescope.

We saw them again that day, and they just strolled out of sight further on the mountain. That was it, our holiday was complete. A fantastic time, good birds but best of all .....three lynx !